1st XV Rugby Tour to New Zealand and Fiji
On Monday 21 July, a squad of 28 players accompanied by four members of staff left for a three week rugby tour of New Zealand and Fiji. The young squad, comprising players from Years 11 and 12, played six full 1st XV matches and while the statistics will show a playing record of P6 W1 D1 L4, it was not a tour where outcome was the main objective. Instead the main focus was on achievement and development. Our aim was ‘to be better than before’ and significant progress was made despite at one stage the fitness and morale of the squad being tested with three matches in four days! All the players worked hard to improve their skills and game understanding, and they undoubtedly developed their physical fitness and mental toughness. Much of our competitiveness was due to the expert support of a physio who joined the squad in New Zealand.
It was a challenging tour and not just because of the quality and experience of our opponents. There was a great deal of travelling involved and New Zealand was enduring its worst winter for 30 years! The three day stay on Beachcomber Island in Fiji at the end was a most welcome antidote to the constant rain at the start of the tour!
Playing rugby of course was just one aspect of the tour. The cultural experience of touring The Land of the Long White Cloud and of being billeted with local families, as well as the social value of being together cannot be underestimated. Many players were superbly well looked after by their hosts. It really is the best way to see and appreciate life in New Zealand. The weekend in Queenstown (the adventure capital of the world!) and completing the Triple Challenge will no doubt be a highlight for many of the boys but there was plenty of other excitement: attending a Maori Hangi in Rotorua (Kia ora!), visiting the Te Papa museum in Wellington, braving temperatures of -19°C in the Antarctic Centre in Christchurch, and snorkelling and kayaking in the Pacific Ocean.
The adjective ‘awesome’ was frequently used in response to ‘How did the tour go?’ and I am confident all the players will have enjoyed experiences which will stay with them for the rest of their lives. Hopefully we will also see some benefit on the rugby pitch in the new season!
PAW
August 2008
Tour Squad:
Staff: PAW / CMBR / MJB / JRH
Players: Angus Forrester (Capt) Anthony Braithwaite
Rory Harding Tom Caffyn
Dominic Wilson Oliver Smith
Harry Clarkson-Bennett William Wheeler
Jonathan Sherlock Jean-Paul Westgate
Callum Upfield Richard Apps
William Arnold Sebastian D`Ancona
Hugo Campos Andrew West
Conrad Rhodes Christopher Morgan
Alex Piper Brett Saunders
Simon Wheeler Imran Iqbal
Tom Evans Tim Quantick
Tom Saunders Guy Glenister
Patrick Watson William Hodkinson