Our Rugby and Hockey Sports Tour to Ireland

The biennial sports tour to Ireland took place over the Autumn half-term break.

Thirty pupils, three staff and an intrepid band of parents boarded the coach to Dublin in the early hours. All were a joy to travel with, and the pupils gained many plaudits on the ferry for their excellent behaviour. We arrived at our hotel in Bray in the evening and settled in with some delicious food before retiring to our spacious rooms.

On day two we travelled to St Gerard’s School, who were excellent hosts and we managed to win both the Rugby and the Hockey matches. In the afternoon we enjoyed some Gaelic games, including Gaelic football, hurling and handball, under the guidance of expert coaches.

Taking advantage of the wonderful weather on day three, staff and pupils walked down to the beach where the pupils had fun skimming stones and enjoyed ice creams. In the afternoon, we were treated to a tour of the Aviva Stadium, the home of Irish Rugby. Pupils had the opportunity to run out of the tunnel to the noise of the crowd. The next stop was the indoor karting where the gloves were off to see who was the fastest driver in the School. I think the adults were probably more competitive then the children!

Day four started with expert coaching sessions for the boys and girls, from a former USA Rugby coach and a current Irish Hockey international. We obviously listened well as both teams managed to win against Wesley College in the afternoon. After dinner it was a quick walk down to the indoor arcade for bowling, Quaser and retro games, which went down really well with all.

It was another early start for the journey home, which passed surprisingly quickly.  This was an excellent trip with all the pupils not only improving their sporting skills but also honing life skills, such as independence and teamwork, along the way.

Our thanks go to Mr Iain Martin, Mrs Marie Hood and Mr Ed Wood, as well as the team of dedicated parents who accompanied the teams on this highly successful tour.