Shropshire secondary school heading to South America on rugby tour of a lifetime

Pupils from Haberdashers' Abraham Darby school in Telford will visit Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil on the 15-day trip, which will see them play three rugby matches against international opposition. 

The touring party consists of 27 pupils and four members of staff, and it is the school's fourth major tour, having previously been to South Africa twice and Canada. 

The pupils have spent the last two years doing a variety of different fundraising activities to raise money for the trip. They include a 14-hour step challenge in a local Aldi store, completing the Shropshire three peaks, undertaking school bake sales and auctions. 

Will Bennett, who is the director of rugby at the secondary school, says they have had a successful spell on the pitch and they are looking forward to testing themselves abroad. 

He said: “We are flying into Uruguay to begin with what was going to be a game against a local college, but it is now going to be a make-up of five teams in and around the Montevideo area. 

“So it will be an invitational team to play against us, and then we have another game in a very rural area in Argentina, so we expect that to be a real tough physical game. 

“Our final game is against a school in Buenos Aires. The Argentinians are known to play really really fast rugby, so we are going to have to be at our best to try and beat them.

“We are pretty renowned for our rugby as a school. We have a real touring history.

“We have had a successful season on the pitch with three out of our five age groups winning county cups, which we are proud of. 

“So the school is really successful in Shropshire for its rugby.”

Before the boys departed, they were visited by ex-pupil Richie Woodhall. 

He is a former professional boxer who held the WBC super-middleweight title between 1998 and 1999. 

Woodhall, who is now 57, spoke to the boys about all manner of things during his visit to his old school, and he presented each member of the touring party with their playing shirt for the occasion. 

And Bennett, who has been at the school for the last 16 years, says there was a deathly silence when Woodhall was talking, with the youngsters hanging onto the boxing champion's every word. 

“He is a role model for our boys,” Bennett continued. “Someone who grew up locally, and has gone off to achieve the things he has done in Boxing. I think he sends a really great message to our lads. 

“He talked about his time at school and his way up to becoming world champion, and the things that you have got to do. 

“I think a lot of that resonated with our boys in terms of their preparation and their training. 

“Ultimately, it is about doing your best. They sat there, it was silent, and it was really motivational to them. 

“Then he presented their shirts to them one by one, and he got his belt out. If someone local like him can do it, then they can do it as well.”