A group of Uppingham's boys enjoyed a terrific tour to South Africa from 13th - 29th July, not only playing many challenging hockey matches against tough opposition, but also taking in the many natural and cultural delights of this breathtaking country.
The Cape Town International Hockey Festival concluded on Sunday 22nd July, with our boys playing in the final of the Plate Competition against Clifton College. It was a very hard match, which ended in a 3-1 victory for Clifton. The Uppingham team had progressed to the final after earning a nail-biting win against Worcester in the semi-final. Charlie Hurd was outstanding, scoring twice and pushing the game to penalty shuffles at 3-3. Hugo Bardsley dealt superbly with the pressure, making the winning save in sudden death.
In the final week of the tour the boys went speed-boating before playing two fixtures against their hosts, Wynberg Boys High, on Tuesday 24th July. The D Squad lost 2-0 while the F Squad drew 0-0. They then enjoyed a quad biking session, before heading to the Garden Route Game Lodge for Safari.
To cap off an unforgettable tour, there was a trip to a cheetah sanctuary, and finally a visit to Baphumele Orphanage. As tour leader, Mr Baker, said: "it was important to witness the full spectrum of South Africa before leaving this beautiful country, and the boys were exceptional with the children".
The boys touched down at Heathrow on Sunday 29th July following a trip that will surely live long in their memories.
