UK Sports tour 2017: A week of culture and competitive sports

For most, the Chinese New Year holiday is a time for family-focused celebration, but for eleven boys from Years 7 and 8, it was an unmissable opportunity to embark on a trip of a lifetime: the UK sports tour. This highly anticipated trip gave its participants the opportunity to hone their rugby and hockey skills against a variety of worthy teams. They also experienced the culture of England and all it has to offer between matches. After spending our first night in London and making the most of the buffet breakfast, the boys packed their match day bags, ready to tackle their first opponents, New Hall School. Despite the inevitable nerves, the team made a valiant first effort and after an extremely close rugby match, the final score was 50-35 to New Hall School. Regardless of the cold weather, the warm reception was thoroughly welcomed and the boys enjoyed the match day tea while getting to know their hosts a little better. The next two days were spent exploring the cultural and culinary delights of London. We were fortunate enough to witness the Changing of the Guard ceremony at Buckingham Palace while also visiting many of the most iconic tourist attractions, including Big Ben, the London Eye, Westminster Abbey, the Houses of Parliament and Downing Street. This was all topped off with an obligatory serving of traditional British fish and chips. Our second day in London focused on the capital’s thrilling side; the highlight being the Olympic Park, home to the Orbit (the world’s longest and tallest slide) and Aqua Splash (a giant inflatable course located in the Olympic swimming pool). The following four days were spent travelling across the country to compete against different schools in a mixture of field hockey and rugby matches. For many of the boys, this trip was their first taste of competitive hockey, yet the development of their skills was exponential and their final match resulted in a draw against one of our sister schools, Eagle House. The final Rugby match, however, was against Felsted School and it made for a thrilling encounter. By half-time it was still anyone’s match but after a physically gruelling second half, with a mighty effort made by both teams, the final score was 60-55 in favour of our hosts. Throughout our time in the UK, it was evident that all of our hosts had made a special effort to make us feel welcome. Our visit to Clifton College’s boarding house was great fun and gave our boys the chance to get to know their hosts in a more relaxed and social setting off the pitch. Furthermore, the boys were billeted out for their penultimate night and their hosts, parents from Eagle House, made every effort to make their evening a special one. So as our tour drew to a close, our final treat was to watch a professional rugby match between Sale and Harlequins, live at the Twickenham Stoop Stadium. Before the big match, the boys decided they would like to sample a typical British curry to round off what had been an unforgettable trip. We would like to thank all the boys for demonstrating exemplary behaviour and true Wellingtonian values throughout this great trip. Mr Mason and Miss Westwood