SPORTS
NETBALL TOUR IN BARBADOS
On the first day of the summer holidays, 15 pupils and three members of staff travelled to Barbados for a ten-day netball tour. Following an evening stroll on the beautiful Caribbean beach, the first day began with a fixture against Clapham Blitz Netball Club, seeing the B team facing the new challenge of playing in extreme humidity as the sun set. They fought hard amongst some ‘interesting’ officiating, with Most Valuable Player (MVP) being awarded to Rosie for her tenacity in mid-court. The A team had a cooler challenge, securing a 15-14 victory in a tightly and heavily contested match. MVP was awarded to Peta, and this is where her newfound ability to ‘levitate’ over her attackers began…perhaps it was the air pressure!
The group ventured into St Lawrence Gap and spent some downtime on the beach, where they were surprised to be greeted by a beautiful turtle. That afternoon the group embarked on the second fixture of the tour versus Jet Stars Netball Club.
A jeep island safari ride followed the next day. Two jeeps departed from the hotel and set off on a tour of the island. They did a roundtrip of the island, taking in the culture and visiting the Capital Bridgetown. This was certainly not a ride for the faint-hearted!
The third fixture was against the University of the West Indies set in beautiful surroundings. Post-match the two sides came together for a presentation of the St Albans School shield, and one of our match balls as a memento of the game.
The fourth and final fixture was against BICO Netball Club. This was undoubtedly the best match of the tour, with two highly contested matches demonstrating the vast progression that had been made by both sides throughout the trip, both as a team and individually.
The last day was spent on the much-anticipated catamaran cruise around the west coast of the island. There were multiple snorkelling stops where the group swam with hundreds of tropical fish, stingrays and turtles. The tour concluded with a meal in St Lawrence Gap as the sun set, and the presentation of awards. Some beautiful memories for all that will last a lifetime.
RUGBY TOUR IN SOUTH AFRICA
50 students and six members of staff travelled to South Africa and Eswatini for a 16-day rugby tour at the end of July. Starting in Pretoria, the group began with a tour of Loftus Versfeld Stadium where they were allowed on the pitch, sat in the presidential suite and then were lucky enough to meet the Springboks as they finished training.
The first fixtures against Harlequins Rugby Club provided the boys with a fantastic first experience, with hard pitches, physical opposition and the seniors playing in the near dark whilst we waited for the load-shedding to end and the floodlights to come on. A trip to Hartbeespoort Dam, where Mr Smith’s fear of heights came to fruition in the cable car, saw fantastic views at the top. From here they moved on to Nelspruit, with a stop off at Middelburg for their second game in front of a crowd, with Middelburg students creating a tunnel for the home team.
Kruger National Park was the next destination for four game drives, where they saw the big five and several other wild animals, including lunchtime views of the hippos and crocodiles in the river. Eswatini provided a very different experience for all, with a hike and a ziplining canopy tour being highlights. The group were fortunate to hear from the founder of the SKRUM charity that uses rugby to help educate the population about how to avoid contracting HIV. Trainers donated by tourists were very much appreciated.
A long journey to Durban for the final two games was next. The first was against the Sharks Development Team and played at the Kings Park Stadium, home ground of the Sharks, and the second against Glenwood High School where the student band chanted and danced in support of their players.
Over the course of the tour, the players experienced some fantastic rugby which will no doubt help them throughout their rugby careers. They were challenged to be more independent and they have developed lifelong friendships across the four year groups.
A special mention goes to the coach driver who taught the pupils Zulu and their tour chant which you will likely hear at senior fixtures this term!
Dilan was awarded ‘most valuable tourist’ for demonstrating positive energy and creating a Zulu self-made phrase book which he tested on locals at every opportunity!
Thanks to the tourists for making it such an enjoyable tour, but also to the staff who supported and facilitate this once-in-a-lifetime experience.
PRE-SEASON CROSS-COUNTRY TRAINING
On the 28 August 17 runners and five members of staff travelled to Pen Arthur for the annual cross-country camp. The group was made up of new entrants and the more experienced runners within the School. The weather this year was extremely challenging - the runners had wondered what they had signed up for! On arrival they kept with tradition and introduced the new runners to the local Welsh hills completing two sessions a day interspersed with strength and conditioning sessions.
The final session of the camp is always on a local beach and this year was no different. The team visited a local seaside village near Bridgend to challenge themselves on the dunes. This historically is the hardest session of the week and due to the rain the sand was extremely wet, making running conditions even more difficult. Overall, the trip was very successful and will undoubtedly set the team up for the season ahead.
