Olney Rugby Tour 2007
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The writing is on the wall at Chris Nissen Primary School
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Olney players with some of the students they coached at Percy
Mdala High School"
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In April of this year Olney RFC undertook probably their most ambitious tour in their 130 year history. With a tour party of 30, Olney headed for South Africa where their itinerary involved them playing their first game against the Shebeen Boys RFC in Capetown.
This first game was a hard fought match played in what was almost the midday sun, and a combination of jet lag (played less than 48 hours after our arrival) and the heat meant that this was always going to be a very hard game.
Shebeen fielded a side of players largely in their early 20’s, and this was ultimately to prove decisive in the outcome of the match. Whilst Olney fielded their first team pack and managed to secure a lot of set-play ball, the lack of strength in depth in our backs combined with the youthful exuberance of Shebeen allowed the home side to take an early and effective lead and by half time it was 28-0 following successive breaks by the Shebeen side from inside their own 22.
After the break, Olney put their forward dominance to more effective use with tries from both of the second rows. The final score finishing 35-14.
From Capetown the team boarded the tour bus and headed east along the coast to Knysna. This was to be the team’s base for the next 5 days. Whilst there, the team split into groups and went into three local under-resourced township schools where they led a number of rugby workshops, providing much needed coaching as well as rugby equipment (balls, tag belts, cones and bibs) as generously donated by club and tour sponsors.
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A few of the students wearing sponsor donated
bibs get to grips with any Olney player !
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Line-out practice with sponsor donated balls and bibs |
To finish our stay in Knysna, Olney played the final fixture against Knysna United RFC. This was a night fixture which we had hoped would favour us. After an intense and physical 80 minutes Olney lost 20-13 in a tightly fought match.
After 8 days in South Africa we had lost both matches but the experience of coaching in the township schools was a memory that will live with the club for the rest of everyone’s life who went there. We would like to thank all of our sponsors
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A Final game at Percy Mdala HIgh School |
