Rugby Tour to South Africa

Sherborne School's senior rugby players embarked on a 16 day tour of South Africa in late July. The tour consisted of two teams (an U16 & U17 team), 45 players and 5 members of staff with a tour physio accompanying the party.

The tour proved to be a resounding success both on and off the pitch as the boys earned a very respectable 5 wins from their 10 matches played, coupled with some very narrow defeats. The results were as follows:

v Excelsior High School
U17s won 10-3
U16s won 15-7
 
v Stellenberg School
U17s lost 18-7
U16s won 5-3
 
v Outeniqua High School
U17s lost 14-0
U16s lost 7-5
 
v Muir College
U17s lost 24-10
U16s lost 21-19
 
v Christian Brothers College, Boksburg
U17s won 41-10
U16s won 31-0

The tour was equally successful off the pitch as the boys had the opportunity to sample many of the delights that South Africa has to offer. Based in Cape Town for the first 5 days of the tour, the boys saw Table Mountain, Robben Island learning about Nelson Mandela’s history, the Cape Peninsula and the humbling sights of the Langa township.

The party then headed along the beautiful Garden Route via Route 62 and its breathtaking scenery before arriving at George where the boys trained in the International 7s Stadium before taking in a Currie Cup match in the afternoon. The tour party visited the impressive Cango Caves, rode ostriches at the Ostrich Farms at Oudtshoorn and dived with alligators and posed for photos with leopards at the Cango Wildlife Park. The journey then took us further along the Eastern Cape to Plettenburg Bay and an impromptu spot of whale watching, to Knysna where we had a tour of the estuary before finally arriving at Port Elizabeth.

The tour concluded with a flight to Johannesburg from where we headed North to the Mabula Game Reserve for 2 game drives and some well earned R & R at the end of a fantastic tour for all those who went.

GR Moffat, Master in Charge of Rugby

Posted: Thursday, October 16, 2008