Oye como va! Members of the Red River College Rebels Men’s Volleyball team will take their training sessions south of the border this holiday season — when they head to Cuba for an eight-day winter escape.

The team will spend Dec. 26 – Jan. 2, at the sunny Hotel Tropicoco near Havana, where they’ll train and compete against local athletes while learning about Cuban culture. The trip is being organized with help from the Cuban Ministry of Sport, meaning RRC’s Rebels will likely be squaring off against athletes from the Cuban National Team.

“It’s a great opportunity to go and train and compete against some very high-level players,” says Men’s Volleyball Coach Dan Gilbert. “It will also give us an opportunity to learn more about Cuban history … knowing they have a very strong culture in men’s volleyball, it’s a great way for us to combine our training with those lessons.”

Gilbert says the trip comes at a great time for the team — which currently boasts a number of players with previous Canadian Interuniversity Sport-level experience. To help raise funds, team members are raffling off a chance to accompany the team on their trip.

The lucky winner will receive an all-inclusive trip for two to the same resort — including all travel, meals, beverages, and many daily activities — and will have the option of following the team during their training, or simply soaking up the sights and sounds of Cuba.

Tickets are $20 each, or $50 for a three-pack. The latter option also includes a Rebels Athletics Season Pass, good for admission to all Rebels volleyball, basketball and soccer home matches, as well as the 2013 MCAC Volleyball Championships.

Raffle tickets are available at the front counter of RRC’s North Gym, or by contacting Gilbert at (204) 632-2397 or dagilbert@rrc.ca.