Dave Kearsey on tour with the Aussies

Kearsey and the team will make history on tour. It will be the first time an Australian rugby team has played on Samoan soil.

It's also the first time the nation has had a deaf side.

Kearsey, who flew out of the country last night, was excited to again pull on an Australian jersey.

"I'm always excited, any time I play for the Australian deaf team," he said.

The historic occasion will make it even more memorable.

"It's a bit of a feather in the cap," Kearsey, a flanker, said.

The Australians are made up of players from across the country, and Kearsey looked forward to seeing how the contingent from the southern states would get on in the heat of Samoa.

"It will be interesting to see how the boys from Melbourne and Tasmania go in the heat," he said.

They'll have some time to get used to it. The Australians will train twice a day, and also visit a deaf school. Kearsey's tour continues to New Zealand next week, where the Australian team will take on the Kiwis for the Cochlear Cup.

It's the third time the cup has been contested, and the Aussies are out to claim it back.

"The bloody Kiwis got it off us last time," he said.

The ledger stands at 1-1 after the Australians won it in New Zealand the first year it was played.

It bodes well for the travelling team.

The match against New Zealand is on next Saturday in Christchurch.

Kearsey said he felt he was in good shape ahead of the tournament, training hard with the Vikings who are so far undefeated in 2015 across first and reserve grades.

Vikings coach Andrew Kable wished Kearsey all the best on tour.

"He'll certainly be missed at Vikings [while on tour], but playing for your country takes precedence," Kable said.

Kable knows Kearsey from his days at Inverell.

They also know Inverell player Paul Young from the team.

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