Day 1

Miss Rhead writes...

It's day 1 of the first long haul Rugby Tour in over two decades and I'm pleased to be able to report that we (23 rugby players, a photographer and 3 staff) have made it safely through the first phase. Saturday morning saw a training session at school, to get us ready for the tour and the eleven hour flight, we then enjoyed lunch (thanks to catering for providing us with our final meal in the uk) before heading off to Heathrow after our photograph on the steps with out tour flag (thanks to Louise Smith for coming in on her day off to take the photo and to Mr Carpenter for checking everything was in order one final time).

Check in was a relatively smooth process as was 'chilling' in the departure lounge. We were soon reminded of the need to keep our paperwork safe! Our flight departed on time and provided us with the opportunity to relax and/or sleep. The staff got the chance to relax as well, after they had counted all twenty four excited players onto the plane.

We landed in Cape Town at 10am, were reunited with all our bags and passed through immigration and customs before boarding our coach to the Stellenbosch Academy of Sport, via a supermarket to stock up on water and snacks. We found our rooms and enjoyed a hearty lunch before heading out to undertake our first training session on South African soil. Our focus today was on touch rugby, looking to play at speed and with an emphasis on support. After supper this evening a few brave souls tried the outdoor pool with the highest number of lengths achieved a very respectable eight!