NLD U16 Tour to South Africa – 2011
What do you do when you hear of an opportunity to coach rugby in South Africa? Well, if you’re
anything like me you find out who to contact and apply as quickly as the Mrs will allow and your little
trotters can type.
I have to confess, at the outset, that I’ve had a bit of previous, in 2006 I heard of a similar opportunity
and managed to pass the interview process and be selected to coach an U16 age group in side Australia
for the Nottinghamshire, Lincolnshire and Derbyshire Rugby Football Union (NLD RFU) in what, I
believed at the time, was a once in a lifetime opportunity and that’s exactly how I sold it to the Mrs.
This second, once in a lifetime opportunity was to coach the same age group but this time in South
Africa, though obviously with a completely different set of young men.
Now while all of this sounds idyllic and storybook stuff it isn’t quite as simple as it first appears.
Firstly, you have to pass the interview process ensuring you have, at least, the minimum level of
qualifications required. Then, on successful selection, you have to understand that you are going to
take a bunch of guys, who have just sat their GCSEs, to foreign parts and that for many of them this
would be their first trip away without parental control or support. It transpired, both times, that what
secured me the post was the military ability to organise events, achieve an acceptable level control, set
standards and to help deliver a credible level of performance from our charges and, just possibly, the
claim that I’d never lost anyone. It also, may, or may not, have helped that I told them that I was a
Prop God? Now, while I do not for an instant claim to know the machinations of the adolescent mind,
at least being a Dad with a 12 year old and a 21 year old I hope I have at least a bit of an inkling of
what a 16 year old chancer is likely to get up to. So, stage one complete, selection achieved. Stage
two, meet the other members of the, four strong, Management Team responsible for the safety,
progress and success of a trip to the bastion of rugby union that is South Africa.
An early meeting was arranged, for 8 April, at the Kelham Fox, near Newark, to discuss our tour
strategy and schedule the pre-tour training sessions. Our illustrious leader and Tour Manager was Mike
Waplington – Secretary of the NLD, elected Council Member of the RFU while on tour, Carole
Sampson - Physiotherapist, distance runner and all round medical guru, Pete Shaw, Nottinghamshire
Rugby Development Officer as Backs Coach and yours truly FS ‘Frenchie’ France, RAF Digby, as
Forwards Coach. Thankfully, from the first meeting it was obvious that we were all going to be able
get along and would be able to ‘sing from the same hymn sheet’. It would transpire that this unity
would enable us to deal with any situation that arose in a united, cohesive and professional manner
throughout the tour. It helped that I knew Mike and had worked with Pete before and while I hadn’t
met Carole previously we quickly found that we were on the same wavelength which was great. Some
significant decisions were made at the meeting that subsequently allowed everything to flow smoothly,
firstly a recognition, not that one was needed, of Mike’s overall authority, secondly that Pete and I
would be in charge of all playing matters including selection, and finally that Carole would have a total
– no quibble – say on who was and who was not fit for selection. Although this may sound very
simplistic, these decisions proved key in the smooth running and harmony of the tour and enabled us to
operate effectively as a unit in some very stressful situations. Stage three, to deliver the four pre-tour
training sessions. Situation: 26 Guys taking GCSEs, minds understandably elsewhere. Mission:
Deliver a fully functioning squad, capable of competing in South Africa, from 26 individuals drawn
from a number of different clubs spread throughout the tri-county region,
with acknowledge inter-club rivalry. Execution: Scrums – pushed. Lineouts – jumped. Rucks – shoe’d. Mauls – wrestled. Backs – aligned.
Passing – crisp. Lines of Running – defence questioning. Kicking –
controlled. Thought process: Activated. Job: done, let’s get on the plane!
Just a note on the composition of the squad, as well as being U16 at the start
of the season, all the guys that toured had, had to have represented their
respective county within NLD at some stage prior to the tour. They also had
to be able to afford the tour, either by self help through work or sponsorship
or parental contribution to the tune of >£2500.
Tour Diary
Pre-Tour
Fri 8 Apr – Initial management meeting Kelham Fox
Sun 5 Jun – 1st session at Southwell, introductions – let the guys know my CV via t-shirt, basic drills
Sat 11 Jun – 2nd session at Southwell, skills under pressure, strike moves, team building
Sun 26 Jun – 3rd session at Southwell, skills, moves, team building
Sun 3 Jul – 4th training session at
Southwell, team building, mind games
Wed 6 Jul
14:30 Arrive Newark, 14:45 depart
Newark for Mansfield. Intermittent rain.
Distribute RAF and RFU rugby balls.
Arrive Mansfield, distribute more balls
plus t-shirts from one of the parents. One
family in a crash on the way, another
parent collects, thankfully all OK. Off to
Birmingham in a very tightly packed
coach. Arrive at the airport in plenty of time, guys off to explore. Management team bite to eat before
boarding. No drama with the weight of the bags on this flight. Emirates flight, normal cattle class
seating. Food better than normal, real cutlery. Proceed to watch a procession of some of the worst
films I’ve ever seen, lasting through both flights: Rango, Yogi Bear, Green Hornet, True Grit, Paul (okish), can’t remember any more except started to watch Way Home, which was the best by a long, long
way but missed the end when we landed.
Thu 7 Jul
Arrived in Dubai, 33 degrees, v.hot, synthetic shirt and
long pants not helping! Big sprawling place, we only
had about one and a half hours. Too tired to explore,
sleep, another long flight, more dodgy films and still
better than average food. Finally arrive in South
Africa (SA), which is UK plus an hour. Then 2 hour
coach trip to Konka Camp (8pm). Very dark, can’t
really see anything. Straight to tea, nice. Lots colder
than expected!! No heating in room, thankfully a
single on this leg so I can snore to my hearts content.
Fixed some zips, sorted out some combination locks, got power to phone – able to text home. Quick
beer, in a bar full of students, bed time to the noise of vuvuzela.
Fri 7 Jul
AM - Breakfast, again ok, then training. Pitches great but
look like hay. Loads of different birds, including a red crested
blackbird that I haven’t seen the like of since I was in the
Falklands last, certainly looks the same, need to look it up to
check. Training didn’t go too well, guys way too excited, not
surprising considering the magnificent surrounding. Scrum
machine better than at pre-tour training. Need to exercise
more control at scrum time. Guys found it much harder
because of the altitude, about 1800ft ABSL. Then on to an
assault course, two teams, balance beam, climbing frame,
monkey bars, mud crawl, tunnels, fast feet, low/high beams,
hurdles and finishing with a rope swing into water. At the
end, only 6 seconds separated the two teams. What made it
special was the gazelles and zebra on the walk to the exercise
area. The guys loved it. They worked well together. Fish for
lunch – I hate fish, still the chips, salad, feta and olives were
plenty fine! Smitty and PJ were the leaders, Smitty is a bit
like an old time DI,
quite shouty.
Plenty of squealing
from the lads with getting in cold showers outside to wash the
mud off from the assault course.
PM – The afternoon went well, with all but one of the guys
going down the zip wire. Most missed the water except for
big Dan who was soaked from the waist down – I didn’t go
down because I would have ended up imitating a submarine.
Lovely area, surrounded by mountains, a river running through the
site dammed to create a small lake, with the entry road running across
the top of a waterfall at the edge of the lake as the water goes back
into a river. All this plus wild animals and numerous varieties of
birds. Tea ok but more bones than meat. This could be the first trip,
since Afghanistan, that I lose weight on. Singing contest tonight,
followed by choir practice.
Late PM – Ended up doing quite a lot of ‘support’ singing, the
judges – Simon Cowell (PJ), Louis Walsh (Smitty) and Karaoke
Carole – weren’t that impressed with the efforts of ‘The Apostles’
(Wonderwall), ‘George and Culture Club’ (Delilah), ‘The Last
Wednesdays’ - Always Look on the Bright Side of Life), or ‘Canesten and the Tubes’ American Pie
however, ‘The Individuals’ Sloop John-B – who had been desperate to change their choice from that
rugby classic to anything else – came on and stole the show with a fantastic rap version of the song,
and while it was quite short it was by far the best both in terms of vocals and light years ahead on
effort. I ended with Wild Rover and then as a squad we
had a practice, then a full go at, With a little help from
my friends to finish. All in all, not a bad night. Before
the singing we’d been in the Conference Centre with PJ
and Smitty doing team building exercises. There were
string handcuffs and then one with a golf ball and piping
and trying to get it to go round the whole circle. Both
good but the golf ball one got everyone interested and
very competitive and something I intend to plagiarise to
the full.
Sat 8 Jul
1ST game, NLD v Royal Bafokeng Sports (RBS) - Bojanala District. Drove for about an hour from
Konka to the RBS complex, very close to the Rustenburg Stadium where the Lions played –
unfortunately after it was used for the 2010 Football World Cup
rugby is no longer allowed to be played there. The complex was a
fantastic set up, so-much-so that the England footballers trained
there before their World Cup
game at Rustenburg, though after
England’s performance perhaps
better praise is that the
Springboks are training there next
week for the Tri-Nations.
Although the game went well, we won 17 – 7, we didn’t play that well.
Too much individual effort and not enough teamwork. Scrum good,
line-out poor to ok, forwards actually doing their job – not much in
evidence! Lots of effort but nowhere near enough control or thought.
Although RBS had some good players, the 9 and especially the 4 (who
ended at 8) – who has been called up at 15 for the U18 Junior
Springboks - we had greater quality overall but didn’t, except in brief
flashes ever really show it. Still, a win is a win and gets the tour off to
a good start. The referee was far, far better than I’d been led to expect
and had a good game.
Unfortunately we ended with two in hospital, one with a suspected broken collar bone, the other with a
suspected broken fibula, though the most recent call from Mike Waplington (Tour Manager) at the
hospital says they have been discharged and are on their way back with just bad ligament damage. The
game was played in good spirit with on only one brief clash, soon over. After the game, the Coach and
President of RBS both made lovely speeches and made very generous presentations to both of our
Coaches, Manager, Physio, Captain and Man-of-the-Match – caps, shorts, polo shirts & shorts, playing
shirts, rugby balls and gym bags. It certainly made our ties and badges look a bit lacking in
comparison.
Then we were all given a food pack, sausage in a bun,
crisps, fruit and a drink, as they had to leave. They
made me/us feel like really honoured visitors, I just
hope that we would be as good if they came over to
UK? I did notice a distinct difference between the
sides NLD, with only exception were all white kids,
while RBS were all black kids, doesn’t look like a
whole lot of integration going on so far. Similarly on
Konka, the workforce are all black while all the
Management positions are filled by white people. I
suppose it takes a long time for things to change?
However, when all said and done, a grand day out – as Wallace would say. Now back at Konka, the
guys have some evening event planned for them, though we’ve asked for it to be kept ‘light’, while the
Tour Staff are scheduled for a Game Drive but as it’s going to be dark in an hour it’s starting to look as
though that might not happen. We’ll have to wait for Smitty to return from the hospital with Mike and
the injured guys to see what happens next. There is also Morse Code on the plan which intrigues me,
so if we miss the drive I’ll hopefully be able to catch that…
Some Time Later: Game Drive it is!! First Game Drive of the tour –
Staff only – felt a bit guilty but the at least the guys got to go kayaking.
We had a couple of beers while having a 45 minute drive round the
‘front’ of Konka. Saw Zebra, Impala plus some other ‘Gazelle’ types
that I’ll have to look up along with all the birds I’ve seen. Apparently if
we’d gone round the ‘back’ there were Giraffe. You can’t have your
cake and eat if but you can wish you could. It was just fantastic to be in
SA in the twilight picking out the animals against the bush. They were
mostly totally unconcerned by our presence and just sauntered off when
they were bored of looking at us. Can hardly wait for the two serious
games drives at Mabula, tomorrow and early Monday. Then it was time
to eat, it was a Braai (BBQ) and the steak was fantastic, ranks alongside
anything I’ve ever eaten. There was also a traditional SA maize dish.
All very nice and filling, even got more feta and olives. We started again
at 20:00 at the Conference Centre, just a few mind games, the guys
preferred the physical one over the mental one – quelle surprise? Then a
bit of drama with a guy missing from his room at bed check, found safe and well in someone else’s
room, rebuked, then finally all to bed, almost like the Waltons.
Addendum: I had a very interesting conversation with Smitty about hunting. Put simply, Smitty is a
hunter, he loves it. He stalks a beast, shoots it, butchers it (as in cutting into joints), then eats it. Some
of the meat is made into Biltong, which from the explanation seems to be similar to American Jerky.
Finally he gets the head and shoulders stuffed and mounted on his wall. The taxidermy part seems to
cost the most of the whole process. The cheapest part seems to be getting the permit to shoot.
Apparently, if you have the money you can get to shoot anything you want – including the Big 7
(Land): Lion, Elephant, Rhino, Buffalo, Leopard, Hippo and Giraffe. Have money, can shoot!
Smitty’s only moral point was that he won’t hunt on a Sunday because he’s a religious man and that
would be wrong?? It’s a funny old world!
Sun 9 Jul
It was the thick end of 3 hours drive to Mabula, I’m to share with Pete
Shaw (poor chap), at least the bathroom is big enough for a mattress, so I
can go in there if the snoring gets too much for him! This is a lot plusher
place than Konka which was, in some ways, much more 1950’s Army
Camp than holiday location. Lunch was an open buffet lunch – mostly
good stuff, they even had wine. The House dry white had a tie on label
round the neck which declared it to be: Uncertified, Unlabelled and
Unbelievable. Well it won’t kill us but it ain’t no Chateuneuf-du-Pape!.
We have a game drive soon, which just leaves time for a walk round. What
I noticed on the journey was litter, tons and tons of the stuff, everywhere,
along with burnt verges, we’ve been told that it’s for a fire break which,
though eminently sensible but it looks a right eyesore and when mixed with
the litter it leaves an unfavourable impression. Then take the tin shack
hovels we kept passing, with little shack toilets out in the scrub, along with
guys selling fruit, lighters etc at every junction and you get a distinct
feeling of utter poverty, though we were told that this area was better
because at least the shacks had a little space? This apparently makes it ok?
I asked why a First World country could continue to let this happen in the
21st century and was told that it was the people in the shacks that were the
problem. Apparently housing has been built for them but they won’t move
because they don’t want to pay rent? Don’t know how much the guys are taking in, some seem to be
very switched on, while others seem a bit self absorbed, typical of most teenagers I suppose, perhaps
Soweto will ignite a spark?
We set off in the creeping dusk (very literary) for a night under
African skies (too cheesy?). Our driver/ranger Kalia, holding the Red
Heart Beast skull, despite only being at Mabula since January was
fantastic! He made a huge effort to ensure we saw as much as
possible. However, on the down side, he did manage to reverse into
another Rover. We also had to go and rescue another wagon full of
our guys, not once but twice, because they had a puncture. They even
had a third and had to be rescued again from another puncture, at least
this time not by us, thought at least they still got to see a good
selection of animals, unlike Mike Waplington and the guys in his
Rover who didn’t get to see too much and were back first. He was
not a happy man! In comparison, we did really well: Lions – a full
pride by a lake, Elephants, Rhino and Calf (very close), all sorts of
Impala, Red Heart Beast, Wildebeast, Bison, Hippo, Crocodile, Black
Cormorant, Ostrich and the Go Away Bird (Lion King) to name the ones I remember without having to
check the photos. Then it was what seemed like a long, cold drive back to the Lodge. Dinner, besides
the chance to eat crocodile (firm meat that could pass for chicken), wasn’t as good as lunch. Then we
had a good team meeting to sort things out for the game on Wednesday – mostly positive but one guy
wanted to point fingers at everyone but himself and needed to be answered firmly. Room from cold to
hot, with flying ‘bitey’ things – first employment of mossie machine. Pete’s quite a heavy sleeper so
didn’t end up on the bathroom floor. Happy Days!
Mon 10 Jul
Up very early, 05:15, for the second game drive, a double shot of strong coffee and a rusk (no, not
Farley’s) sorted us out before setting off. Thankfully it was decided that we would all go with the same
rangers as yesterday, which meant we got to go with Kalia
again. The result was almost the same, Mike W had another
poor drive, hardly saw anything and was back early and this
time his wagon got a puncture to boot, Mike and the guys
certainly felt they had dipped out compared to the other two
vehicles. Trying to write this on the bus is a pain, road poor,
lots of holes and Kobus – the Driver – seems intent on hitting
every one with his very bouncy suspension. Back to our drive,
which was fantastic, stunning, choose your superlative, and left
us missing only the Leopard from the Big 7. We found 3
Lions, no pun intended, sitting at a junction in no rush to move,
a whole herd – nine at least – of Elephants at another junction stamping trees to the floor and eating
them. More Impala etc, Ostrich, plus Warthog, Gunea Fowl, Jackal and finally, after a long search a
Giraffe with calf, before heading back to meet a glum Mike W for breakfast. Top way to start the day,
as long as you’re with Kalia that is!
Now on the bus to Sun City and just seen a troop of baboons at
the side of the road – bonus! Sun City, a palace of fun in the
sun? Again it was very noticeable that every worker and shop
assistant was black and it was only at a tech-expo that I found
any white people at all. While I do not pretend for a moment to
understand the internal politics of SA I was certainly thinking –
before the tour – that I
would find a lot more
evidence of a multicultural society. There was actually a black family of visitors
and I was really tempted to ask if they were from another
country? The day was overcast for the most part, with brief
outbreaks of sunshine. The water was officially bloody cold – I
know, I foolishly tried it, after a significant amount of ribald
encouragement from the guys and I’m sure bits fell off! What I
found, overall, was a winter attitude, and I know what that is like
have been born and brought up in Scarborough, though to be fair it must be difficult to maintain a
sunny disposition at a water park complex in the winter. To be honest, the place really wasn’t my cupof-tea, though the guys enjoyed it well enough, despite the cold water. However, I came to SA for the
rugby and the animals and Sun City could never compete in comparison. Perhaps in the summer, with
warmer water, heat and more people I might have gained a more favourable opinion of the place?
On leaving Sun City we had a long trip to our overnight stop, the Zebra Lodge. It was dark when we
arrived, when suddenly 3 or 4 ladies appeared by the coach and began unloading the bus. It took a lot
persuading for them to let the Duty Team do it. When we went
round the corner of the lodge a table waited with really friendly
staff, again all black, serving hot and cold drinks and American
muffins. Then room allocation, I got a double room just for me.
Fantastic! The room itself was great, a converted stable and by far
the best of the tour for me so far. I was really chuffed and it showed
which seemed to enthuse the old biddy that showed me round.
Outside a braai was cooking, next to a welcoming bonfire. A well
appointed dining room, good food, friendly, helpful staff, can’t ask
for more……great. The only discord was the guys descending,
locust like, on the meat leaving none for the Management, we were not HP and told them so! Still, had
a good chat about rugby with some of the guys around the bonfire before being sent to bed for being
too noisy. I’ve even got a hot bed. Will need to take some daylight photos of this place, it’s great!
Tue 11 Jul
It was no shock to find that breakfast was really good. However, there is
something that is making me increasingly uncomfortable both here, and
everywhere else we’ve been is that I keep getting call ‘Sir’, especially
when it is not being delivered in a way that indicates equality. I was
hoping that sort of thing was over but I suppose when it has been
institutionalised for generations it will take generations to change. When I
asked, I was told that it is
different in the cities and that I
should notice, time will tell. Not
sure what’s happening with the
charity rugby balls event, seems
that Doran’s haven’t done a great
job of arranging it?
Soweto is actually an abbreviation for South West Township,
as it is to the south-west of Johannesburg. We were led
through the township by a young, passionate black woman.
Besides being intelligent and articulate she was very knowledgeable abut the history and origins of
Soweto. Her mother was from Sofia, a town that was levelled because it was a mixed race community,
in a time when that was politically unacceptable, all races living in peace and harmony – just wouldn’t
do. From its demolition grew Soweto. There seems to be about five levels to Soweto. One is
developer built houses being bought by professional people, houses that look to all intents and purposes
like standard UK housing, with a leaning towards bungalows, a second is council housing, not grand
but fit for purpose but apparently no one wants to move in to it as they have to pay rent – in the end the
council said no one had to pay rent just utilities so people are beginning to move in, a third is hostel
housing, originally just for men – mostly for mine workers who were only allowed to go home once a
year, usually at Christmas, to see their families – now wives and families are allowed and these people
are moving into the council houses. The fourth is the ‘matchbox’ houses, small breeze block dwellings
with asbestos roofs, the Government want people to move out of these but most now have papers
saying they own the land and the houses so they don’t want to move and wish to hand them on to their
children and grandchildren. Arrangements were made for us to have a look round a ‘matchbox’ house,
it was small but neat, clean and tidy but with asbestos roof problems, which means they have to paint
the ceiling regularly to stop any dust, bottom line though is that it is their own place which means the
world to them. The fifth and last level are the shacks, just sheets of corrugated tin sat on the dirt, no
toilet, mostly no electric, if there is it’s stolen from the grid via dodgy wiring, no running water, no
windows and no heat, these ‘unofficial’ communities have now been around for years.
The Government say they will build more housing, and while the people believe this they don’t believe
they will give the housing to them – a vicious circle. That it’s still like this in 2011 I find a disgrace but
perhaps I don’t know the whole story. To my mind there can never be true equality in South Africa
while there is a single shack dwelling in the country.
We walked thorough a market where at least two of the guys were propositioned by a funny, cheeky,
cleaning crew. We also saw what was, until very recently, the biggest hospital in the world – it needs
to be for the area – lots of violent crime, including gun crime. We saw some fantastically painted
cooling towers, perhaps we should copy that idea? In Kliptown we were taken to the Freedom Charter
Monument, a ‘round table’ engraved with the ‘Freedom Charter’, each of the ten stone sections of the
table shows a clause of the Charter. The Charter was itself a banned document in the days of apartheid
and anyone caught with a copy would be arrested. At the top of the tower is formed to show a cross
symbolising the thing that finally gave power to the people, the vote. There used to be an eternal flame
at the centre of the table but it had to be turned off as kids kept playing near it – yep, Health & Safety at
work!
We were also taken to the Hector Pieterson Museum, built to commemorate the death of a the 12 year
old boy, one of the first killed in the student uprising of 1976. The museum, in Orlando West, Soweto,
opened in 2002 near to where Pieterson was
shot. The monument is poignant,
combining the famous photo of Hector’s
dying body being carried by Mbuyisa
Makhubo while his sister, Antoinette Sithole
runs beside them, with a large headstone
inscribed with an epitaph for Hector and ‘all
other young heroes and heroines…….who
laid down their lives for freedom, peace and
democracy. The slate pillars of the
monument represent all different stories of
the event, the gaps are for the stories that
haven’t been told yet and the endless
waterfall channelled across the entrance
path represents all the tears that have flowed. Very moving, especially when told with the passion and
fervour of our guide.
We then moved to the only street in the world, which at one point had two Nobel Peace Prize winners
living in it. Nelson Mandella, one time ANC criminal and later President and Arch-Bishop Desmond
Tutu. Mandela’s house is now a museum after being donated to the Soweto
Memorial Foundation. Tutu still owns his house but has several others and
mainly lives in Cape Town where his family runs a filling station business.
Outside of the Mandela Museum a young kid just popped up, literally onto
a milk crate, told us he was a poet and started reciting his stuff. I
understand that he was only doing it for the money he received from our
whip round but it was fantastic all the same, not just the event but the
content, especially as he only looked about 10 – 12, making him around the
same age as my own son.
Between stops we managed to call on a local rugby coach called Sifisot, he
was at work in a mall but managed to take time out to see us.
Unfortunately, because of the school
holidays we will not be able to do any
coaching. Sifisot coaches U8 – U21
from around 17:30 – 22:00 but that is
getting ever more difficult as he is
working now and is struggling to get
time off from work. He told us that he
gets abut 120 people a night but that he
has little or no equipment and only a few
rugby balls. At least we were able to
help on that score, we left him a bag of
RAF and RFU rugby balls and a promise
(subsequently kept) to send him as much
coaching information as possible and a
wish that we could have done a lot more. It would have been great if we had been able to help coach
with him, to see what it’s like to coach with nothing and still try and deliver a session. It was inspiring
to hear Sifisot speak, to find he has the same passion and desire to coach that I have but without any of
the advantages. Working in a soccer mad area, completely on his own, he delivers with almost
nothing, on top of it all, he’s a really nice bloke, he could just do with some help and some more kit.
He engaged easily with the guys and it was good for them to realise what they have and often take for
granted compared to the kids Sifisot coaches.
Kobus, our driver, then took us to the High Performance Centre in Johannesburg where we are staying
for the next 2 nights. We had a good training session, though I think we may be putting too much
reliance on the backs and could be in danger of becoming a bit one dimensional. Still, the forwards
worked hard and as long as they put into practice what we’ve trained to do it should go well. Rooms
ok, very student/service accommodation style. I’m sharing with Mike W, who is asleep and snoring as
I write, the Mrs would call it justice!! We put on a quiz tonight, it filled a couple of hours until bed and
went down well.
Wed 12 Jul
Start of the second week on tour. Up early for a gym and pool session, although the pool was outside,
it was semi-heated and considerably warmer than Sun City! Breakfast like the rooms was ok but quite
basic, the facilities are great though. Mike has taken the guys on a bank hunt, so for the first time in a
week it’s strangely quiet, it won’t last though.
The second game of the tour is against St Benedict’s Catholic School for boys, a very sports orientated,
mixed public school. We were met in the car park by one of the coaches and taken for lunch – each
boy standing as we passed and saying ‘Good morning Sir’ – where we were sat at the ‘Master’s Table’
with ‘Toby’ the Headmaster. I enjoyed the meal and had an interesting chat about the school’s
ambition to produce a Springbok in the next five years. Then it was down to change at the stadium,
grass yellow and straw like, pitch very dry and hard. Unfortunately, things went down hill from there
and we were handed a lesson in rugby, South African style. To be fair our scrum worked well, though
the line-out didn’t but what lead directly to four tries was an unwillingness to tackle one on one. We
applied pressure then let them break away wide, usually 2 on 1, try time. The most positive aspect was
that the guys didn’t give in at any point, if they had it could well have been a cricket score, they stuck
at it, took their medicine and kept going. Big hand! Unfortunately we took quite a lot of injuries,
though I’m hoping all of them will be fit for the next game as they were mainly abrasions from the
ground. In the end the guys kept the score under 50 – but we were soundly spanked 46 – 12 and the
referee was very generous in awarding both of our tries, still, you take it where you can get it. On the
referee, I thought he had a reasonable game, not quite as good as the first one but not bad and both have
been significantly better than we were expecting. It was only after the game that we found the side we
had been playing against was actually the U17s with a few U16s trying out for the higher team, it
doesn’t sound a lot but the difference in physical development that a year can make can often be
significant. Hey ho, that’s sometimes the way the cookie crumbles. After the game it was into the
pavilion with some pretty smug SA coaches, the teams were on the second floor of the pavilion, with
the coaches and masters were on the top floor. Free
drinks, nice meal and a presentation bag with hat, tie,
bookmark, pad and mouse-mat which was very generous
of them but I would have let them keep it all for a win, it
didn’t make loosing any easier to accept but it was a
spoon full of sugar to help the medicine go down. When
we got back we had a team debrief which we kept really
positive, we set goals and objectives for the next game
and hopefully got the train back on the track. We also
presented some kit to the 3 guys who can’t play, one
injured from the start, the other two were broken in the
first game and none of them will be able to take any further part in proceedings. It went down well, as
did the joint Man of the Match two of the forwards, not a bad average, two games and three forwards as
MotM.
Thu 13 Jul
Up early for a squad run / stretch / gym, then we had to get ready for the flight to Cape Town. The
guys were late, again, but we got there in the end. Mike
sweet talked Kalula Airlines into letting us have a group
weigh in which saved some people – me included –
having to pay excess baggage charges as we had a much
smaller allowance on the internal flight than on the
international flight. Then after a slight delay, we were
treated to the funniest in-flight safety brief and other
airline messages that I’ve ever heard. The guys starter
for ten, when talking of the brace position, was to say;
‘you put your head between your legs and kiss your ass
goodbye!’ He finished with ‘I hope you have enjoyed
flying with us as much as we have enjoyed taking you
for a ride!’ Unfortunately, it later transpired that
someone had managed to get into several of the bags,
mine included. Thankfully, due to the weight issue, I’d
put as much as possible in my hand luggage including
my portable valuables, just leaving me with a broken
padlock and an untidy bag, small drama. That aside, we
collected our luggage, loaded the bus and we were off to
Table Mountain.
Loved the cable car, great weather, fantastic views, no
better way to start the second half of the
tour…………unless…….you were taken to see a fantastic
sunset at Signal Point. The place was awash with couples,
picnics and wine much in evidence, so it felt quite strange
being there with a squad of rugby players, regardless of that,
what a spectacle. Good job I’ve got a digital camera, where it
used to be a one shot job, now you can take loads. Then it was
to the hotel, the Garden Court, not bad at all, sharing with Pete
again with a bathroom that won’t take a mattress. Next game at
16:00 tomorrow, let’s see how many fit bodies we can muster.
Fri 14 Jul
Spent some time down at the Victoria & Albert
Waterfront, a lovely area around Cape Town’s
harbour area. A lot of the guys spent loads of
money on kit, some even bought presents for
home. Unfortunately, I was looking for nothing
in particular and I found it very difficult to find!
Even managed to phone home, R10 (about £1)
for 10 minutes, great deal. Then it was off to
Florida Park to play Tygerberg RFC. They seemed very young but they were fast, aggressive and very,
very game. Despite
this, we had total
dominance in the
scrum, the line-out
functioned slightly
better and the
communication was
again good and we
scored four well taken
tries. The referee wasn’t
great but he wasn’t great
for both sides and at least
there wasn’t a dramatic
pause before the engage
in the scrum. However,
everything changed at
half time, for some reason
we started re-acting to
any call against us which
lead to the referee marching us back another 10 metres several
times. 21 penalties in all, total chaos. To make things worse,
we picked up more injuries. At one point we even managed to
have 14 on the pitch because one player told another he he was
off, he believed him and didn’t check? Still, in the end, a win
is a win, 27 – 16, though the last ten minutes were getting way
too close for comfort. Then it was in to the clubhouse, while at
the same time dealing with an unfolding drama, one of the kept
coming over dizzy, then Carole, our physio, found he had a
soaring pulse and even when that came down it was irregular.
An ambulance had to be called but Nando, the Cape Town driver, said to cancel it as he would get them
there quicker, thankfully they were released quickly all is ok. While all of this was unfolding under the
concerned eyes of Mike W and Carole, Pete and I were inside receiving hosting that was warm,
welcoming and very sincere. A full meal was laid on for the guys and once again our opponents were
amazingly generous in their presentation of gifts. I ended up with a polo shirt and a tie and there was
allsorts of other stuff for the guys – fantastic! In return we gave them some ties, though to be fair they
seemed to go down very well? I had a great chat with Tygerberg’s Coach and the Barman over a
convivial elbow bending.
Sat 16 Jul
An early start this morning for the trip to Robben Island, the ex-political prison where Nelson Mandela
was held. What stunned me was that it was still in operation until the
early 90’s and its proximity to Cape Town. From 1963, in a prison
built by the inmates, tiny cells, originally sleeping on the floor for 13
years, all this will the guards played crazy golf. It is amazing that
anyone could come through that process and not want revenge. It is a
mark of the character of Mandela, and his fellow prisoners, who now
hold half of the ministerial posts in the Government of South Africa,
that he – and they – chose the path of peace and reconciliation.
Viewing his cell, reading the
cell stories and seeing the
donated items that meant
something particular to each of
the prisoners was very poignant.
The boat trip back was slightly
more choppy than I would have liked but not quite bad enough
to have me feeding the fish, though being outside where is was
nicce and breezy helped. Then we had enough time for another
go around the Waterfront, this time I was more successful in my
present hunting. Then it was off to Newlands to watch Western Province v Griquas, which ended as a
26 all draw. There were two international referees on duty, Jonathan Caplan was the referee and
Stephen Lawrence as one of the assistants however, like most Caplan games, there were some dodgy
decisions. The play was fast, with some great moments making for a very enjoyable afternoon. Unlike
UK venues, all food and drink items were very reasonably priced: £1.50 for a hot dog, 50p for crisps,
£1 for water, even the programmes were only £1.50, all in all, not bad for £5 seats. The DHL dance
girls weren’t too shabby either. Nothing planned for tonight other than a team meeting where we will
set our objectives for tomorrow’s game against Silvertree.
Sun 17 Jul
Well, for the most part the objectives we set last night were not achieved,
unfortunately the ground wasn’t great and our guys didn’t respond well to that
set back and let it affect their performance. We got there early enough to get
changed and have everything sorted in time for a good warm-up, what we
found was a raised, very hard, cricket square in the middle of the rugby pitch.
Some of the guys went into moan mode, ‘I’m not playing on that’ etc.
However, after doing the warm-up on that part of the field the moans subsided.
Bizarrely for SA we found we had a French referee. As for the game, it wasn’t
going too badly in the first half, though we started with uncontested scrum
because the opposition didn’t have any trained front row, then some really big U16s turned up and we
went contested. The line-outs were better than in the previous two games and the scrum continued to
be good but under more pressure than previously. Unfortunately, after half time we gave away three
tries, though they actually scored four in 15 minutes. Two down to poor decisions on our behalf, not
touching down a missed penalty, trying to run it out, getting caught and being turned over which lead to
one, followed by a wild tap back following a poor kick which lead to another and finally the ball was
won against the head on a line-out, both the hooker and wing were out of position leading to a third try,
the fourth was simply a well worked move. We did score a try ourselves which showed what we could
do, 24 – 5, but too little too late. Unfortunately, the game was marred by deliberate foul play, and just
as bad, our lads started to retaliate failing to realise that the referee always spots the retaliation. Not a
great day for rugby.
The only bright part of the rugby event was meeting Bobo, the Sports Development Officer (SDO) for
the townships, and presenting the remainder of the RAF and RFU rugby balls for him to deliver to local
clubs and schools after the holidays.
To change tone and colour would normally have been difficult but this afternoon we went to Langar,
Cape Town’s oldest township. We had a walking tour with Lobs and grumpy Eric, then a bus tour with
stops. We saw all the levels of housing from shacks to mansions, we got mobbed by kids, watched a
fantastic sand artist, tried African beer and learnt so much. It’s a frightening thought that a first world
country can allow such squalor in the 21st century. We finished the day at a restaurant where a ‘Mama’
took charge. She was a total star! She reminded us that Europeans live by the watch, while Africans
live by the feel. There was a xylophone and drum band which was superb; the music really hit the spot.
The food was triumph, full of local tastes and textures and without a sheep’s head in sight, see photo.
The meal was a great success and brought the group back together in a really positive way after a
disappointing game.
Mon 18 Jul
Well, started the day off with a bit of a bad head, we had a few drinks last night in the hotel with Bobo,
the SDO we met yesterday, who came over to talk about future
NLD tours to SA. I think the number of games needs to be cut
from five to four games with an added social inclusion
element. Two games in each half of the tour, spaced for
optimum recovery, ideally, with mid-week games against
schools and weekend games against community sides, plus
some coaching in schools and clubs helping local coaches and
with our guys mixing with the local players. It would also be
beneficial for the guys to do some fund raising, as a squad,
before the tour – bags packs etc – to raise funds for rugby kit
as the RAF and RFU avenues may not be there next time and
to focus their minds on the coming trip. Do all that and you are very near to a perfect tour, from a
rugby point of view.
Today’s first event was a boat trip to Seal Island, it’s always great to see wild animals in their natural
environment and luckily the sea was calm. Next, on an almost perfect weather day – which was a good
job looking at the road – came a trip to the Cape of Good Hope. Fantastic views from the most SouthWesterly point of Africa. Great pictures, I hope!
We didn’t see the Baboons but did travel by funicular up to
the old lighthouse where the views were even better. Then
it was down to the actual Cape of Good Hope Point for
more stunning views and a photo opportunity in front of the big Lat/Long sign only pausing to snap
some pictures of an Ostrich on the beach. Next we visited Boulder Bay to see the Jackass Penguin,
now renamed the African Penguin. They posed for the camera so much you would swear they knew,
loved it. The guys then played beach rugby, they were having great fun, though some of the hits were
getting a bit tasty before the end and they were desperately trying to tackle Pete into the sea. Then it
was on to Stellenbosch to check into our hotel, which was very nice. We all had dinner at Spur, an
American burger/steak type of place that was both very good and very reasonable, I had a fantastic
steak. All now set for a sleep, with the last game tomorrow. Sharing with Mike W, he’s already asleep
and snoring like a train, more justice. Great day, saw loads, learnt even more.
Tue 19 Jul
Had a good luck around
Stellenbosch, it’s a really
impressive place, an old university
town with a fantastic backdrop of
mountains. Then it was time for
rugby against Brackenfell College,
the second mixed public school of
the tour. The guys really fronted
up but eventually came up short
losing 38 – 12. However, they
played well, with spirit but were
beaten by a better team on the day.
We did score two good tries, one at
the end of each half, the second
being the very end of the game
made it a good way to finish the
tour though we need to thank the
referee as he seemed to be very generous with his time keeping when we were pressing, allowing us
enough time to get over the line. The match was played in a great spirit and we were hosted
wonderfully afterwards. In the end we finished with P5, W2, L3, not too bad for a tour in South Africa.
However, I believe that it could have
been one result better with a little
more application, though playing
four games in seven days, day on,
day off really didn’t help as the
schedule created too many injuries
that had no time to heal.
Finally there was the end of tour
meal. Nando drove us and we made
a presentation to him as we got off
the bus, which really meant a lot to
him, a really great guy! Awards
dished out, Biggest Loser – the guy
who had managed to lose more
things than anyone else put together,
including his passport twice – Tourist of the
Trip, Forward of the Tour and Back of the
Tour. The guys then made some
presentations of their own. They gave
Carole – who has done a fantastic job
keeping players on the pitch – a card and
signed ball, Mike got a signed tour shirt, Pete
a Blue Bull’s shirt and I got a Cheetah’s
shirt, which was really fantastic of them.
Loads of good banter, a few very dodgy
songs and a great way to finish the tour.
Wed 20 Jul
Now at the biggest shopping mall in SA but only after
a final drama with another lost passport. We had to
go to the British Consulate to see if we could get
documents that would allow the guy to leave the
country. Fortunately, before going in we made him
dig his bags out so we could go through them. He’d
apparently already done it, twice, though low and
behold, we found it, thankfully. Then it was off to the
airport for the first leg of a very, very long trip
home. Cape Town to Dubai, Dubai to
Birmingham, Birmingham to Mansfield then
Newark and finally as a very, very tired teddy
bear to Lincoln. An utterly fantastic trip, with
memories that will last me a lifetime. Could I
live the life of a globe trotting professional
rugby coach, I would certainly love to try!
Some Time Later – Reflections
Perhaps it is only now, with a certain amount of hindsight, that I can really begin to reflect on the tour.
I didn’t think that I’d set out with any pre-conceived notions of what to expect, other than that the trip
was going to be challenging and the rugby hard. What I
found was a country of stunning beauty, with magnificent
wildlife but also a country of distinct contrasts. I saw
significant and obvious wealth and utter poverty separated
only by the width of a field. I saw conditions, that to my
eyes, were utterly unacceptable in the 21st century and yet in
a country where everyone now has a vote there has to be
hope of a better, more equal future. It transpired that had I
presumed that there would be far more integration than I
found, white people seemed to hold all the managerial posts
with the black people filling only menial jobs. Admittedly, I
only had a very brief snapshot of the whole but the
impression I gained was a country of have’s and have not’s.
Desperate poverty leads to desperate actions and there was
a high level of crime in the areas we visited, including
violent gun and knife crime, and I was given with the
distinct impression that going out at night might well be a
far too interesting experience to be healthy. That said,
South Africa certainly isn’t the only country to suffer from
these blights and it is certainly something that is growing
year on year in the UK. I met some wonderful, inspiring
people, dedicated to their communities, doing a fantastic job
in very difficult circumstances, working with the simple
intent to deliver rugby to as many people as possible. They left me with a desire to do a lot more than
deliver a few rugby balls. Our reception was always open, warm and friendly everywhere we went and
the hosting generous in the extreme, certainly at a different level to anything that I’ve seen in the UK. I
found that rugby is different in South Africa, here it is one sport among many, there it borders on
religion and with a growing uptake in the townships it will
hopefully be a vehicle for positive change. For the Management, it
wasn’t by any means a holiday – though I realise most people will
take a lot of persuading of that – but it was a fantastic experience,
certainly worth the investment in time and effort, and one that I will
cherish. As for the 26 young men in our charge, the tour will
hopefully have broadened their horizons, given them a greater
insight into matters outside their normal environment, improved
their confidence, laid the foundations for lifelong friendships and
given them a greater measure of maturity than they had before the
tour. It will also have given them a good indication of the demands
that are placed on a professional rugby players and while, for some,
this may be the pinnacle of their rugby careers for others it will be
simply a step on a much longer journey and it would come as no
great surprise to find some of them playing in the higher echelons
of the game a they as they progress into adult rugby. Having only
scratched the surface of this vast, diverse and fascinating country I
would love to return, to see more, to meet more people, to learn more but especially to coach and given
the opportunity, of a third once in a lifetime trip, I wouldn’t hesitate, even for an instant, to return.
Thanks
Of course a trip like this would not be possible without significant support and I really want to thank
the following: The NLD RFU for selecting me as Forwards Coach. The Commanding Officer, JSSU
Digby, Wing Commander Colin Bruce for authorising my absence. The Royal Air Force Sports
Lottery, who provided £402 toward my air fare, not entirely sure how the £2 came about but it was all
very welcome and gratefully accepted. The Royal Air Force Rugby Union and especially the Rugby
Development Officer Tug Wilson for their support and for the rugby balls I was given to donate while
in South Africa. Flt Lt Stu Skilling, of the Royal Air Force Recruiting Team RAF Cranwell, for the
water bottles – absolutely essential and used every day by every person on the tour, the Royal Air
Force promotional items and the extra rugby balls that were also donated during the tour. My fellow
members of the Management Team, Mike Waplington – Tour Manager and all round guru, Carole
Sampson – Physiotherapist; mender of the broken and all round miracle worker and Pete Shaw – Backs
Coach, sounding board and co-conspirator, who all became firm and, I hope, lasting friends. The
members of NLD U16 Development Squad; for their enthusiasm, effort, banter, the highs and the lows,
and for everything else. Finally, the family, for not giving me too much grief for swanning off to one
of the most amazing places on earth and leaving them all at home. A huge thank-you to you all,
without your support my trip to South Africa would simply not have been possible. Hopefully this
article will give you at least an insight into what you helped me to achieve. Thanks again. Frenchie
FS France
JSSU Digby
Lincoln
LN4 3LH