A TRIP of a lifetime for committed and outstanding Perins School pupils took place during the summer holidays when students and staff spent two weeks on a sports tour of South Africa, visiting Cape Town, Durban and Johannesburg.

The tour, organised biennially by the Perins PE department, involved 80 students from years 10 and 11, double the number of previous years.

They formed three girls’ netball teams, a girls’ hockey team and two boys’ rugby teams. They played some extremely tough opposition, competing against schools such as Wynberg Boys School, Maritzburg College, Rhenish Girls and Pietermaritzburg High School.

But Perins acquitted themselves well and achieved some excellent results.

Apart from fulfilling sports fixtures, students had the opportunity to climb Lions Head, surf at Muizenberg Beach, visit Robin Island, and go on safari.

The students had all spent the two years leading up to going on tour undertaking fundraising. They packed bags in supermarkets, helped at the Alresford Show, and organised a sports dinner.

Hockey player Molly Poupart, 15, said: “The tour was a once-in-a-lifetime experience and it was incredible to meet new people from different cultures of all ages.

“The atmosphere of the group made the whole experience even better and I made so many new friends. The thing I enjoyed most about the tour was visiting the Ogwini School, and helping pupils to learn new sports, but in return I learnt a lot from them.”

One of the main highlights for the students was returning to their township school, Ogwini.

Perins students coached the Ogwini sports leaders in how to run a session, using sports equipment and new kit that Perins donates to the school.

It was also fantastic opportunity to meet the Ogwini pupils and experience their classroom environment.