2006 Rugby Tour
Diary By Duncan
Day 1
The Group left School at 2pm with high hopes and looking very smart with their suits. We arrive at the airport in good time and played about with the rugby ball after checking in. we had a couple of hours to change money, have some food and played some more rugby! The fight was 12 hours and we spent most of the time phoning each other with the seat phone, watching films and annoying the fight crew.
Day 2
When we arrive at Cape Town airport we were tired but still had a busy day ahead of us. We started the day by going up the famous Table Top mountain. The weather was great and the sky was clear which gave us a great view over Cape Town, have a look at some of the pictures!
After this we checked in to own rooms and got some needed sleep and After 4 hours rest we hit the town. We start by going to a steak house where we got some great tasting food, we then split up and exploded a few bars and shops before returning to the hotel.
Day 3
Today is Sunday and are we tired from the night before!!! Today we got up late and went to have breakfast at 9:45. Straight after breakfast we went for a practice session on the rugby field of Hamiltons Rugby Club. The club is just around the corner from where we are
staying. The team had to walk to the club and as we were walking we came across
the locals, who cheered us on and gave us tips about South Africa. The training went fairly well conceding we were practicing at middle day with the heat bearing down on us. The temp was 28 c and we could really feel it.
After the training we got a bit to eat and checked out the market across the road.
We then went to the vineyards where we will spend the next 5 hours. In this time we sore cheaters, owls and culture dancing. Some people even touched the cheaters. The group also did wine tasting, which was a great experience for all. During our meal in the evening we had a massive variety of South African food. With a range of several different meals, fish’s , rice’s and other traditional dishes. We had a great laugh with every one could have African tribal symbols on their face. We had a really great evening and were looking forward to the next couple of days.
Just read these quotes from day 3!
"Today, after a good practice session this morning, we visited Spier and
it was fantastic!!!!. We saw real cheetahs, and at dinner we had venison
and I got to taste springbok meat. This is just mind blowing!"
Matthew Greathead
Today we went to SPIER and we had the opportunity to go to a real wine
tasting. The person told us a lot about the different wines and we even
got to drink a bit of every wine he told us about. We found out that South
African people can be crazy and very funny!. This is a blast!!!
Kevin Steckel-Shaw
For my first tour ever this is the best! I am very glad that I could
make it happen and hopefully there will be more chances for this sort of event.
The food is amazing! This is just great.
Uche Iwuajoku
Returning to Stanbridge- after leaving in July – and having this
opportunity to come to South Africa is just a dream come true. Joining the squad it
was a huge surprise to see how far the rugby skills has developed. I fitted
right in and really enjoyed the first practice session today. Of course
this was all done in 28 degree heat!
Liam Boardman
Day 4; Monday
The day started with a early wake up call because we planned to go to the town ship. However it slowly appeared that a few of crew were very ill because of some thing they ate the night before. The town ship is a part of Cape Town and a shantytown. The area was full of poverty and decay. None of us had ever seen this in own life and it really open own eyes to how some people live. We got a tour around the place and visited a school. The experience was not shocking but was enlightening with the locals being really friendly and entertaining. With a crazy bike ride and his stuntsand live Africa music when we had lunch. The lunch was provided by Shila in the house where she and her family live. The whole family served and entertained us.
After lunch we took the coach to the Settler’s high school for our first match of the tour. We were received very friendly and were made welcomed. We changed into our rugby kit and started with our warm ups. The pavilion started to fill up with a huge crowd.
The game started at 3pm with a really strong wind across the field. The first 30mins of the game saw both team making a lot of un forced errors and the game was pretty even. Our opponents were not very big but were really fast!! Their pace broke our our line and they scored first. In the last 10 mins of the half we played very well, dominating first phase
possession. This led to Tristan Adams mauling over their line for a TRY. This was
the last play of the first half.
At the break the score was 5-5 and we felt confidant that we could do well in this game. The second half started with them launching one attack after the other with there very quick back line. We could not cover all the holes and they scored 3 great trys. With 30mins left and 24.5 down we knuckle down and took the game to them, we kept position and attack them using our stronger forwards. The German power house Henryk forced his way over for our second try. Although we attack them continuity them manage to hold us out .Final score 24-10 to the Settlers.
After the match we were treated to a sit down dinner with our hosts. They gave us gifts and the man of the match award was rewarded to Kevin Steckel for his excellent play during the second half. Not only was the game played in good spirit but we were treated with kindness and enthusiasm for our visit.
After dinner we boarded our coach again for the trip back to our hotel. Monday evening was spent relaxing and catching an early sleep.
Day 5 Tuesday
We had a late breakfast and took things very slowly! This morning we went to a huge shopping centre and walked around looking at all the shops. Some people took the opportunity to buy some presents while other was just lazing about. The afternoon we went to Seapoint Swimming Pools. There was a lovely big saltwater swimming pool with three smaller pools surrounding it. We were jumping off the diving boards and lazing in the sun as much as we can .Tonight we went for a meal at the Sportsman, a restaurant in the waterfront of Cape Town. Now we are all off to bed! Yes a good chill-out day!!!!!
Day 6: Wednesday
We woke-up to a real scorcher of a day. The wind that had blown a bit the previous two days had died down and it was all sunny side up! We packed to move out of our hotel, loaded the coach, and set of for a small coastal town called Gordon’s Bay where we had a nice lunch sitting on the porch of the restaurant, right on the beach and looking out over the bay. After lunch it was back to the coach and on our way to play against Villiersdorp, another small town consisting mainly of farming community. When we arrived there it was a good 34 degrees in the shade! The field was dry and consists of a tough grass called Kikuie. We met our opponents before the game and there were a couple of very big farmer lads there. We knew that they were going to be hard and tough and set out to do our best. The game started at a frantic pace and we managed to set-up a good couple of fazes. However we did not managed to break through their defense. Soon the heat took its toll and they managed to score a try. Again we fought our way into there half only to be driven back by their huge pack of forwards. They pressed for our try line and mauled over for their second try. By half time the score was 24 – 0 and at last we got a chance to catch our breaths and drink some water. Knowing a lot more about our opposition we set out to prove ourselves during the second half. Although we played tour best in the end we were well beaten by a very strong side. We walked off the field totally exhausted and full of grass burns. As a team we played very well and our opponents had to work very hard for every metre they gained on the field. Man of the match Alex Howard for outstanding play. After the match we were treated with a fish barbeque. They called it a snoek braai! Their coach and captain were full of praise for the effort we put in against them. And off we went to our hotel in Hermanus. In Hermanus we stayed in a lovely hotel right on the rocks. Needless to say we were all knackered and crawled into bed early.
Day 7: Thursday
It was a very early start for all of us. We had to get up before 6 o’clock to go for the shark cage diving at Gansbaai. We all trotted out to the coach and having heard about these monsters of the sea we were all a little uncertain about what to expect. At Gansbaai we got a lecture on the white shark and then got split into two groups and out we went on two boats. They had big wire cages that they lower at the side of the boat. You then put on your wetsuit, goggles and snorkel and climb into the cage. Soon the sharks were coming to the boat. Family and friends this was totally crazy! Ed Harvey and Jamie Cousins got the fright of their life when a shark decided to shake their cage a bit. We saw a pair of eyes that was bigger than saucers!After the cage diving we went to another small town called Kleinmond where the family of Mr. Needling barbequed us steak. Huge kilogram steaks! Needless to stay we were all filled to the hilt!
Day 8 Friday
We checked out of our hotel and set off for Wilderness. On our way to wilderness we had our second extreme experience of the tour. Bungee jumping!!! Standing on the edge and making the jump is all about overcoming your fears. WOW!!!! We are now settled into our hotel at Wilderness and it’s study time!! Will talk to you again soon. In the mean time all we can say is that ‘Yes, it is an experience of a lifetime’ Thank you for offering this tour to us and all to the sponsors, parents and teachers that made this possible We are truly grateful!!!!!!!
Quotes:
The shark diving was the biggest challenge I ever faced in my life. It was amazing to be just a meter away from the biggest shark I ever saw. I met a lot of people and everybody is so friendly!!! Uche Iwuajoku
For two days I looked death in the eye. First a huge shark shook my cage a bit. I think I left something behind there! And then bridge swinging where my stomach tried to climb out. What a fantastic experience! I think I got a couple of grey hairs! Jerry Alfandari
The people in this country are so enthusiastic about the lamest jobs. Yesterday I saw this bloke helping drivers to find space for the cars to park and the way he was doing it he could have had a degree for it! Whistling and shouting and dancing around- amazing! Today the bungee jump was the most thrilling and the biggest adrenalin rush I ever experienced. My whole body froze as I started going down – until I realised that I am not going to hit the ground! WOW Gareth Stephenson
The absolute best time of my life. Bungee jumping was absolutely great! It felt as though I fell off a mountain and it was so high! The shark cage diving was something out of this world. The shark came right up to us and just checked us out and swam of again. It was so close that I could touch it if I stick my hand out of the cage. Ha ha ha will definitely not stick anything out of that cage! Think it needs about ten dentists to sort out those teeth!! Jamie Cousins
To actually go under water and seeing a real life shark right up close and personal was just amazing! My heart pounded and I was about three feet away from the shark. The bungee jumping was fantastic. I jumped twice! And just want to do it again! I am very glad to be on the tour! It’s just amazing and definitely a once in a life time experience! Andy Glen
Day 9 Saturday
Friday, it was a interesting day with ostrich riding and a trip to the lions and crocodiles. Firstly the ostrich farm, it was fun with some of the guys riding and falling off them. The sight of Mr Taylor holding on for his life to the strange animals was highly amusing. After this we got a tour of the more Africa animals such as the jaguar, tigers, alligators and many more. The group got a lot of interesting facts and we all know a lot more about these rare animal. The evening was spent with the team going out into town and having a joy and a laugh.
Day 10
Today we have been really lazy and didn’t do much except sleep, sunbathe, go to the beach and of course some important school work!! A really holiday atmosphere!
Day 11
Sunday morning we had a long lie in, which we know would be one of the last because we will be arriving at Mossel Bay sport school where we will be worked hard. To get the accommodation we had a long bus trip. When we arrived we found the accommodation small and verging on adequate. The majority of us wondered about. Due to a festival there were plenty of market stalls for us all to shop at. We went to another spur restaurant for dinner.
Day 12
Monday morning after a leisurely start we went and did some training on the beach for a couple of hours. Then we had the rest of the day free. All of the squad then stayed on the beach and played in the sea. In the evening we had to sort our own food and it was a disaster on most fronts. We then sat down for a few drinks and a singsong as a group.
Day 13
Tuesday Early start for our first Mossel bay match. The day did not start or end well. We had lost one of our two training balls from the beach the day before. So after our poor start we got to the stadium. The match started and we wished it would end faster. We did not perform to the standard that Mr Taylor expected after a night of drinks. We had two injuries in an all round bad match. When we got back to the accommodation we, as a squad, sat down a discussed what we thought went wrong. During this meeting we sorted out the new team that we, the players, thought was right. We then went and did a two-hour training session with our new starting 15 and tactics. The team was in better sprits after this training session. We then had a bar-be-que that evening and early night ready for the hard day of training we would have.
Day 14 Wednesday
The day started with the “Players Committee” waking everyone up at 7am. This was not welcomed by most of the player but was necessary for the team to get organised to help us to get back into Mr Taylor’s good graces, after our abysmal performance of the day before. The whole squad was up, showered, dressed, feed and ready to go at 8:15. 15 minutes early. We then travel to Mossel bay stadium where we were taken aside by The Eagles a professional rugby team in the South Africa League. The Eagles players split the team in to forwards and backs where each was coached. After a lunch the whole squad could recognise we went back for team practice under the watchful eye of The Eagles players again. The whole of the training session helped both backs and forwards develop their game and skill level. All Players learned new skills individually. We then went back to the accommodation to get our selves ready for the Mr and Mrs Sports School event that was happening. Jim and Poppie were our representatives. After arriving at the event early we were all sent out so the contestants could practice in peace.
At 19:30 the event started and audience of a about 1500 people crowed in. It was the boys first and our Jim was number 25. The first few boys were well dressed and looked good. The first one to take his shirt off got booed. Then Jim came on to stage. Walking on with the squad polo shirt, green shorts and shades the show would begin. First thing to happen was he posed with the shades. Off they came and were thrown to the rest of the squad to the left of the stage. His shirt came off with them. So a topless Jim walks down to the end of the catwalk with style and then whips off the shorts that were made for him exposing his tiny short shorts. At this point the whole audience exploded with noise. He then walked back with the odd pose. The rest of the boys went through. The announcer then went around the crowd and asked whom they wanted to win and Jim was the most popular by both girls and guys. The top 5 were announced and Jim was the first name on that list. Next up were the girls. Poppie was down on the list as Miss Poppie and was 28th. The girls then started. With a pair of excitable Germans we watched the finest ladies the touring schools had to offer. Then on came our Miss Poppie. She looked stunning and did the school and UK proud but unfortunately didn’t make the top 10 girls. The results of the of the guys came as a bit of a shock to all 2000 of the audience. With 3rd and 2nd crowed first was left open. Everyone in the crowd thought it would be Jim and the shouts of UK going round was deafening. But Jim was not crowned Mr Sports School and the whole of the hall went silent when the winner was crowned.
This was the first Mr Sports School ever and it was political but never the less Jim was robbed as he was the crowd’s favorite and the judges loved him. No matter what happened we, The Stanbridge Wyverns, would leave a lasting impression on the Mossel Bay Sports School.
Day 15 Thursday
An early start again for our second match. After the last match everyone was out to make to prove ourselves to the South Africans. We arrived at the stadium and warmed up for what could be our hardest match here. We started by receiving the opening kick of the game and from that moment we took the game to our opposition. We put them under pressure form the word go. We soon had a scrum in their half of the pitch. This would be the first test of our new scrumming technique. We found that their pack of forwards was nothing in comparison to our boys. We from that point on knocked them off every ball and the forwards were on fire. From all the ball that the forwards had won the backs were able to run a hard game at their defensive line. There was one factor that had us going backwards a lot of the time and this was the Referee. While we were out here we have not had one referee that was good, so we just played our game and we won.
This was a much better performance from the whole team and we went off the pitch in the greatest of sprits. We went back to a pizza and beer lunch where we discussed the game and man of the match was announced. This was a hard decision form the staff but it came down to one man. Nathaniel Greathead. We were then given the afternoon off from training. In the evening there was a foam party that the squad enjoyed.
Day 16 Friday
After a long lie in the squad was up and out for training for our last match. After the game the day before we were all in high sprits and full of confidence. We were going to field all our subs as starting players so this session was vital to help them get used to the moves. The session went well with the backs working well together with new starting players and the forwards had worked on a new move that could lead to tries. We then went back for lunch and to tidy up the accommodation block for we had to be out by 0900 in the morning but our match starts at 1000. We then all got ready for a night at the rugby. We had been invited to watch The Eagles play The Bulls second team that evening. Everyone was excited and looking forward to a good game of rugby.
