Back

Login

Don’t have an account?Register
Powered By
Pitchero
News & EventsNewsCalendar
Trinity Academy Tour Blog

Trinity Academy Tour Blog

Niki Graham26 Jul 2010 - 07:49

Following internet problems in South Africa we finally have the first update from Trinity Academy’s tour detailing what happened in the first week

Sunday

Tour arrived brimming with anticipation at 2.30pm today at Edinburgh airport. There were tourists sporting the “tour twit” hat as early as 2.40pm. After saying our farewells we split up into our travel groups and checked in. Special mention to Trystan Leng for leaving his ticket at the desk.

We arrived at Heathrow, excited at the prospect of boarding the plane to South Africa. We split up and had something to eat. At last we boarded the plane and looked forward to our adventure.

Monday

Sorry for the delay in the South Africa tour blog. The electricity supply in each location has taken a severe hammering with the excessive use of hair dryers, straighteners, mobiles, cameras etc. On the first day we arrived in Cape Town around 10am and then went straight to Table Mountain where we took a cable car to the top. When we reached the top we were able to see spectacular panoramic views of the whole of Cape Town. Afterwards we checked into the hotel and spent a few hours by the pool. Later on we went to the Waterfront where we were able to walk around for a couple of hours and have some dinner. We then went back to the hotel and had an early night so we could catch up on some sleep!

Tuesday

Really early start on Tuesday and checked out of the hotel at 8am. Then we went back down to the Waterfront where we took a boat trip to Robben Island. On the island we had both a bus tour around the island and a tour of the prison by ex-prisoners who were released in 1991. In the prison we were shown the different cells and told stories of prison life. We also saw Nelson Mandela’s cell and learned more about his path to freedom. I think everyone on tour felt moved after hearing the individual stories and seeing where Mandela spent so many years, first hand.

After Robben Island we went to the school where we met our hosts. The boys played their match at 3pm and the girls played later at 6 and 7pm.

Unfortunately the 2nd X1 lost their match 2-0; however it was a close game that the girls enjoyed. The 1st X1 won their match 1-0 and played excellently – a great start to the tour.

The first match of the rugby tour saw us play against Tygerberg High School (third ranked team in the Western Province and currently in the top 20 in South Africa, tough start). As expected the game was a huge step up from our usual Scottish opposition and we were well beaten. Tygerberg were very powerful, quick & clinical – very effective combination. We showed excellent team spirit and tackled nonstop for 80 minutes. When we managed to keep the ball we scored two very well worked tries through flying winger Peter Mitchell and big guns Callum Reid. As we found out on and off the field rugby is a religion for South African players and was truly a lesson we will never forget.

Wednesday

We know we have come to probably the toughest rugby land in the world but what doesn’t break us will only make us stronger. After a trip to the Cape Point and a refreshing swim with the penguins today, we have regrouped and look forward to our next challenge ahead.

Thursday

Thursday’s scheduled visit to seal island unfortunately could not go ahead as the choppy seas of the Cape could well have caused a few bouts of sickness for the less sea-hardy folk. However Mr Spencer’s invaluable presence on the tour once again shone through with an inspired suggestion of visiting the Spier estate just an hour outside mighty Cape Town. The Spier estate is one of South Africa’s famous vineyards.

We were in the area to visit the reserve for injured birds of prey. After a fascinating session with the birds which included a lot of hands-on action we were then free to walk around the reserve looking at all the other birds. Just next to the bird reserve was the cheetah sanctuary. On the way back to the bus a few of us stopped to admire these fine looking felines. Young Alex ‘Do the Taylor’ Taylor was not however impressed and in his modest words, “the cheetah is actually the second fastest mammal in the world…. after me.”

We then set off for Stellenbosch to see the University and to have lunch. In this very chilled out town we dined al fresco in the African sun. This quick stop seemed to be too brief for any twit hat changeovers, however Lewis Gillespie never disappoints as he revealed that he had not turned off roaming on his phone and had been having numerous surfing sessions. His response to the heavy ripping he then received being “It’s fine, my mum and dad will pick up the bill.”

However the hat amazingly then changed hands again, Speno yet again coming up trumps with a glorious performance, leaving his bag at the restaurant where he had been enjoying a lovely wee tuna salad.

Following this episode, we prepared ourselves for the upcoming matches against Worcester Gymnasium. The conflicting views of Speno and ‘Hawickballs’ Deans about the application of sun cream in the rugby match were controversial. Speno’s thoughts of unwanted sun burn clashing with ‘waddle’ Deans need for a showcase of high quality hand catching.

Our opposition from Worcester were all farm boys so was similar to a wee trip to the rolling hills of the Borders. The game started at a ferocious pace and was a real battle for 80 minutes. The South African boys pride themselves on physicality with a win at all costs mentality. Worcester scored a couple of early tries with a strong wind at their backs. We quickly regrouped and enjoyed a large part of the game playing with real heart and determination. After a long spell of pressure we scored a well worked try through Callum Reid and showed the South African boys we were not going to be out muscled at the contact. We dominated the scrum and enjoyed large periods of sustained pressure through a quick rucking game and a well-executed game plan. The game stayed very competitive until the last 10 minutes when the pace of the Worcester backline prevailed and they scored a couple of late tries. We played with real passion with the whole squad getting some game time. After the game the pitch was like a scene from Braveheart with bodies lying in serious pain after a serious game of rugby.

Again this was a great learning experience and many of the young boys really stepped up. A special mention must go to Rory Scott who played his first game for the 1st XV and came away with man of the match. Well done. We look forward to our next game and will continue to be competitive in every aspect.

As Trinity’s 2nd XI pulled up to Worcester, we were faced with the daunting prospect of having to play on grass, something most hockey teams dread. As we quickly vacated the coach and collected our kit bags, we all squeezed into a tiny changing room overlooking Worcester’s playing fields which was a challenge in itself as 13 girls huddled around three mirrors. The heat was intense and even after our short warm up our cheeks were rosy red and we were already panting heavily, throats dry. As we practiced our hits on grass, we realised that we would have to work even harder. Team spirit was up and everyone was determined to win. As the first half began, Worcester’s attack came fast and furious but Trinity’s defence put up a good fight and did not allow any goals in. During the half time break, the pounding sun was beginning to take its toll. However, after an encouraging talk from coach, Susan and team captain, Lisa, the team spirit was up again and we were determined to go out and finish the game as winners. However, during the second half, the Worcester team who showed their confidence on grass had improved their game from the first half and we conceded three goals which left the final score 3-0. The loss at Worcester has made the team even more focused and excited for the next game on Saturday.

The second of the two party buses arrived in Worcester with two hockey teams keen for a competitive wee game. The scenery around the pitches was unlike anything we usually see back at good old Bangholm. A stand filled with pupils wearing England outfits were more than surprised when the broad Scottish accents were heard. After an excellent start to the tour of a 1-0 win, the 1st XI were a bit anxious to play on an unfamiliar surface (bumpy grass) but were excited for a challenge. A good warm up was led by Captain Sophie and everyone felt ready for the match. The blazing sun really tested our endurance once the game had started. After 10 minutes of pressure from the opposition, the team settled into playing on the grass. It was clear that Trinity had skill in the game and proved to be a pressure to Worcester’s 1st XI.

At half time, Trinity were pleased with the 0-0 score and felt optimistic for the next half. It was clear the sun didn’t help with the sweaty team chat and we were encouraged by Mrs G to get some water and slap on the sun cream. Not long into the second half the Worcester team got a lucky fast break and scored a goal but Trinity were not discouraged. Worcester then went on to score their second goal, which could almost be described as a Usain Bolt through the air. The full time whistle blew and Trinity were disappointed by the score but all of the girls agreed that we had all played with 100% effort. It’s safe to say that if we had been on an astro the 1st XI would have had another win under their belt.

After the match we hung out with our South African friends and had a traditional Braai which was very nice. We had a sing off against our counterparts. The Worcester pupils sang the National Anthem which is a wonderful moving anthem. We of course responded with Flower of Scotland and released our secret weapon, Peter Mitchell on the bag pipes. After a rendition of Highland Cathedral, we easily won the sing off.

Friday

Once again we were up very early and met at Worcester Gymnasium to say goodbye to our hosts and pack up the bus. After only a night we wished that we were going to spend longer with our hosts so that we could get to know them even more. However, we had to leave and a four hour coach journey beckoned. The so called ‘party bus’ filled with people that fancied a rave rather than a snooze! We managed to cram in a few hours’ sleep before stopping mid-journey to grab a bite to eat. After lunch, both buses became ‘party buses’ and more than a few sing-a-longs occurred. We arrived at Kleinplaas, the South African version of Butlins, and headed to our villas to refresh. During the afternoon, we headed out to the nearest town, Outshoorn, to go shopping and get something to eat as well as going to the pool in the camp. It was freezing!

As dinner time arrived, we all filed over to the local school’s canteen for a delicious meal of a traditional South African dish, Chicken Schnitzel. On the way back to the campsite, one of the boys, Dean Melville, was challenged to belly flop into the pool on the campsite at half past eight, fully dressed. Needless to say, he took up the challenge and completed the belly flop not once, but three times! We headed back to the cabins to settle down for the night.

Courtest of www.scrummagazine.com

Further reading