Perse rugby player savours Lambs’ South African tour

Viwe (Upper Sixth) had an unforgettable time taking part in the Lambs’ rugby tour to South Africa and Namibia.

The Perse 1st XV player was chosen for the Lambs – the England independent schools representative squad – following a series of trials earlier this year.

For Viwe, whose parents’ families hail from South Africa, it was a special chance to play high-level rugby while forming new friendships and delving into the region’s culture.

He said: “It was an amazing experience being part of the Lambs squad. It was fantastic that the squad was able to get so close in such a short amount of time.

“It was also great to be able to play at the highest level of the schoolboy game with such an exciting brand of rugby.”

Playing on the wing, Viwe could not have asked for a better start to the tour as he scored a try on his Lambs debut against Tygerberg High School in what was also his first match for several months due to injuries.

Staying in Cape Town, the toughest fixture of the trip followed with defeat to Paarl Boys’ High School, although Viwe was thrilled to play against their prestigious opponents.

He said: “Paarl were an outstanding team who are renowned as one of the best schoolboy sides in the world. They had three players involved in South Africa’s U18 squad and almost all their team is involved in an academy, so it was amazing to be able to experience such a high level of rugby.”

The Lambs went on to have a narrow loss to top South African side Western Province’s academy team before finishing on a high note with victory over Namibian club Sparta United’s U18 side in Walvis Bay.

Viwe said: “Some of the results were particularly impressive because we managed to get such a high level of organisation despite having limited training sessions.

“The hospitality after the games was great, so being able to see interact with the opposition was a highlight.”

Off the field, Viwe and his Lambs team-mates enjoyed taking part in a range of activities, including going on safari, as well as cheering on the England team in the semi-finals and final of the U20 Rugby World Cup.

He said: “The main thing I’ll take away from the tour is the fun we had off the pitch as a group. Being able to form such a close bond in such a short amount of time was remarkable.”