Friday 19th October 2018, during half term, 14 excited netballers flew out to South Africa for this years sports tour, which proved to be an experience of a lifetime. The girls had been training hard and fundraising in preparation for this 11-day tour to a country, with great natural beauty, sporting passion, cultural diversity, and with an incredible range of excursions and opportunities.
The first part of the tour was spent in Cape Town where the girls had the opportunity to visit some of the key tourist attractions, including Table Mountain and the adrenaline fueled cape canopy zip wire. They were then able to enjoy an afternoon shop and evening meal on the V&A Waterfront.
A visit to the southern suburbs of Langa, also allowed the girls to experience a different side to South Africa’s by immersing them into the local culture with food and music where they even had a go at playing themselves to try and recreate the distinctive beat on the variety of instruments.
Whilst in Langa the girls played two matches, one involved a school team and the other a local netball team who train 5 times a week. It was clear to see their passion for the sport and this was shared with our girls who were having a fantastic time getting to know the opposition and their supporters. Schools who visit often play their part in the development of the townships by supplying kit and equipment and FHS were delighted to be able to donate some of their old sports kit and trainers. Learning about the Path out of Poverty programme which looks to transform rural communities by offering children the opportunity to become healthy and educated young people was an eye-opener too.
They also spent time with the Goedgedacht Trust, where centres have been created for children and young people from the neighbouring farms and small towns can play sport, do homework, improve their social skills and eat a nutritious meal with vegetables from gardens on Goedgedacht. FHS visited the local preschool children, took part in planting seedlings for the Care for the Planet project and played against the Goedgeacht school in netball. The girls made life-long memories at this beautiful place and even have a dance routine to remember their time here.
For the next leg of the tour, FHS flew to Johannesburg where they went onto spend 3 days in Pretoria. It was here that tough physical challenges were to be expected against fantastic opposition during their netball fixtures. Garsfontein school was their third match of the tour.
The final match was played against Pretoria High School. Once again the girls played in a beautiful setting where the school was surrounded by the annual invasion of the jacaranda blooms which turns Gauteng purple. When in full bloom, their petals paint the streets purple and their pleasant and rich aroma hangs in the air. The girls played in the tough conditions of 30 degree heat but played with enthusiasm and passion.
By the end of the matches in South Africa, the girls had experienced a variety of opposition including those who did not have the best facilities, equipment or even footwear to play in and schools with outstanding facilities.
To complete the trip the girls finished their stay at the Mabula Game Reserve located just two-and-a-half hours drive from Johannesburg in the Waterberg region of the Limpopo Province. The girls got to revel in the sheer variety of animal, bird and plant life; the diverse landscapes ranging from grassland plains to rocky outcrops, creating an ideal habitat for the free roaming Big Five and all the little creatures that contribute to a magical wildlife experience they thoroughly enjoyed. The sunset and sunrise safari was complemented with glorious food and an evening meal in an enchanting setting accompanied with tribal face paint and African dancers around the roaring fire.
We hope the experiences the girls have had on tour will shape their young lives, and the work undertaken with the township and trust has given them some real focus and a sense of achievement.
