
Article posted on: August 05, 2016
“The opportunity to visit a country with a totally different cultural environment and to experience a blend of rugby against very talented, athletic boys enabled the players to learn a great deal in preparation for the forthcoming season.”
Manchester Grammar School, Sri Lanka 2016
Tour at a Glance
Who? Manchester Grammar School
Where? Sri Lanka
When? July 2016
What sport? Rugby
Manchester Grammar School’s rugby players have just returned home from a school rugby tour to Sri Lanka. Rugby has been played in Sri Lanka since 1879, brought to the country by the British during the colonial period. It’s now the second largest rugby-playing nation in Asia. And the first rugby union in Asia was founded here in 1908. So when Manchester Grammar School were looking for an exciting destination for their biannual long-haul rugby tour, Sri Lanka seemed like the perfect option!
The adventure begins!
On 4th July 2016, forty-one excited students and six members of staff from Manchester Grammar School boarded a plane from Manchester to Sri Lanka, on their biannual long-haul school rugby tour.
Their first stop? The lovely Mount Lavinia Hotel, just south of central Colombo. Their home for three nights, the hotel boasts a spectacular waterside location. It was also within walking distance of both the group’s training base and St. Thomas College, where they’d play their first fixtures.
This first part of the tour was all about preparation for their fixtures. Despite their long journey the day before, the first full day of the tour was dedicated to training and team building, all of which took place in Colombo’s beautiful Viharamahadevi (formerly Victoria) Park.
The training sessions were tough on the players, but slowly they began to acclimatise to the hot and humid conditions, which was exactly what they needed to do if they wanted to win their upcoming fixtures….
Tough opposition
During their rugby tour of Sri Lanka, the teams from Manchester Grammar School would take on teams from two local schools. But these weren’t just any schools. St. Thomas’ College in Mount Lavinia and Trinity College in Kandy hold a special place in the history of Sri Lankan rugby. In the late ‘70’s it was these two schools that were the first in Sri Lanka to take part in an overseas school rugby tournament. So the group from Manchester knew they were in for some tough opposition.
In the first fixtures against St. Thomas’ College, both the first and second team came away with good wins - 57-0 and 36-17, respectively. As well as great team performances, there were some excellent individual showings too. Plus, the group were invited to spend the night with their opposition in the St. Thomas’ College dorms – giving them a great opportunity to socialise with their new friends.
A few days later, in Kandy, the group took on teams from Kandy College at their picturesque stadium in Pallekele. If anything, this opposition was even tougher than the last, perhaps because they hadn’t entered the schools’ knockout cup, leaving them with their full complement of players.
Manchester’s second team played very well, but playing against a more athletic opposition meant they didn’t quite get the run on the game, losing 26-0. The first team also faced strong opposition, but managed to come away with a convincing 40-17 victory.
Afterwards, the group were invited to dine with their opposition, before staying the night with host families, to get a real taste of Sri Lankan culture.
Later in the tour, the group also played two fixtures against Sri Lankan representative teams (featuring players from a number of local schools). Again, they faced incredibly tough opposition in these matches, which the teams from Manchester did, unfortunately, lose (although it has to be said that some questionable refereeing decisions in the final games didn’t help).
However, having the chance to play under floodlights at the country’s international stadium (known as the Racecourse Stadium), was a fantastic experience for them
It wasn’t just about the rugby…!
Of course, with any school rugby tour, the sporting experiences are key, and the group from Manchester certainly had plenty of these. However, when you travel so far, to a country with a completely different culture and environment, it’s important that this too is reflected in the tour.
Manchester Grammar School have travelled with us a lot over the years and it’s always important to them that they give something back to the community on such tours.
That’s why they decided to visit a local school in a disadvantaged area. As well as teaching English, the group also helped the school to clear the playground so that the children would have a safe area to play in.
They also took some rugby kit over to Sri Lanka with them, to donate to local schools who want to grow rugby participation among their students, but simply don’t have the resources.
The group also took some time to relax and enjoy exploring Sri Lanka together. They visited an elephant orphanage, went white water rafting and canyoning, enjoyed a jungle trek and jeep safari, and even visited the famous Sigiriya Rock Fortress!
After their final fixtures, the group headed to the beautiful coastal resort of Bentota, for some well-deserved R&R! As well as its spectacular beaches, Bentota is famous for its water sports so, while they were there, this active group certainly made sure they got stuck in!
Feeling inspired?
Are you looking for a school sports tour that offers great educational value? Do you want your students to return home inspired by the way their sport can open the door to unforgettable life experiences? Contact us today, and we’ll talk you through the options.
More News Articles
DfE Updates Advice on UK School Sports Tours
Posted March 31, 2021
FA and YST Team Up to Fight for Footballing Equality
Posted November 19, 2020
Where Will You Tour Next October Half Term?
Posted November 02, 2020
Win a FREE School Sports Tour!
Posted October 01, 2020
Get 10% Off When You Book By 31st October!
Posted September 03, 2020
Why Stay in the UK for Your Next School Sports Tour?
Posted September 14, 2020
Covid-19 - Latest Information
Posted August 17, 2020
Spotlight on...Cricket in India!
Posted April 28, 2020
How to Keep Your Students Active During 'Lockdown'
Posted January 12, 2021
Looking Ahead to Easter 2021 School Sports Tours
Posted April 08, 2020
Spotlight on...Hockey in the Netherlands!
Posted March 20, 2020
Sport Relief Fundraising Ideas
Posted March 03, 2020
Spotlight on...Football in Spain!
Posted February 18, 2020
Case Study: Jamie Barrow’s Athlete Mentor Visit at the ISSC
Posted February 11, 2020
The History of Women’s Football
Posted January 30, 2020
Spotlight on...Rugby in France
Posted January 21, 2020
Where Should We Go On Our Next Sports Tour?
Posted January 02, 2020
Youth Sport Trust - Upcoming Events
Posted October 11, 2019
Upcoming Sporting Events to Inspire Your Next Tour
Posted October 10, 2019
School Sport and Activity Action Plan
Posted October 11, 2019
6 Sporting Pioneers and Their Incredible Stories
Posted October 07, 2019
Women's World Cup Kicks Off!
Posted June 03, 2019
Looking Ahead to the Champions League
Posted May 15, 2019
Why Choose Madrid for Your School Football Tour?
Posted May 01, 2019
Kate's Visit to Borussia Dortmund
Posted May 02, 2019
Anthony's Visit to Barcelona
Posted May 07, 2019
Why Should I Consider A School Watersports Tour?
Posted July 13, 2019
Where Are You Touring This Easter
Posted March 27, 2019
How Can I Encourage Girls to Enjoy PE and Sport?
Posted March 06, 2019
Where Are You Touring This February Half Term?
Posted February 14, 2019
Top Activities in Sri Lanka
Posted February 28, 2019
Six Nations - Wales v Scotland
Posted March 07, 2019
Six Nations - Italy v France
Posted March 14, 2019
Six Nations - France v Scotland
Posted February 19, 2019
Six Nations - Ireland v Scotland
Posted February 07, 2019
Six Nations - England v Ireland
Posted January 31, 2019
Why Choose Sri Lanka for Your Next School Sports Tour?
Posted January 17, 2019
Discovering Durban!
Posted January 24, 2019
Invicta Grammar School's Tour to Sri Lanka
Posted November 29, 2018
It's Time for the Hockey World Cup!
Posted November 27, 2018
Women's World Twenty20
Posted November 03, 2018
Upcoming Sporting Events to Inspire Your Next School Sports Tour
Posted October 11, 2018
Another Year Comes to an End...
Posted July 16, 2018
National School Sport Week 2018
Posted June 21, 2018
Spotlight on...India!
Posted July 03, 2018
A Look Ahead to the World Cup
Posted June 07, 2018
Spotlight on...the Italian Lakes!
Posted June 04, 2018
How Competitive Should School Sports Days Be?
Posted June 21, 2018
Outwood Academy City's School Football Tour to FC Barcelona
Posted May 22, 2018
Spotlight on...Sri Lanka!
Posted May 01, 2018
Marches School's Rugby and Football Tour to Canada
Posted April 05, 2018
Brighton College's Pre Season Tour to Swansea
Posted April 05, 2018
Spotlight on...Barbados!
Posted April 02, 2018
Your Top Tours This Easter
Posted March 22, 2018
Our Visit to Malta
Posted March 20, 2018
How PE Can Help Students to Achieve in All Their Exams
Posted April 19, 2018
Spotlight on...Canada!
Posted March 06, 2018
Spotlight on...South Africa
Posted February 06, 2018
Helping Your Students to Live Well
Posted January 12, 2018
Indoor Exercises for Your Students to Try!
Posted January 31, 2018
Healthy Snack Alternatives
Posted January 24, 2018
Fun Ways for Your Students to Get Fit!
Posted January 17, 2018
Spotlight on...the Netherlands!
Posted January 11, 2018
Cox Green School's Real Madrid Trip Diary
Posted January 03, 2018
2018/19 Events to Inspire Your Next School Sports Tour
Posted January 09, 2018
Quiz - 2017 in Sport!
Posted December 11, 2017
Spotlight on...Paris!
Posted December 04, 2017
Spotlight on...Barcelona!
Posted November 01, 2017
Spotlight on...Malta!
Posted October 02, 2017
Get More Students to Join Your Sports Team This Year!
Posted August 29, 2017
National School Sport Week
Posted June 23, 2017
A Pro-Training Football Tour with a Difference!
Posted May 19, 2017
Know When You Want to Go On Your Next Rugby Tour, But Not Where?
Posted May 17, 2017
Encouraging Girls to Play More Sport
Posted March 22, 2017
Youth Sport Conference 2017
Posted February 24, 2017
Halsbury's Guide to the Six Nations
Posted February 03, 2017
Brighton College's Preseason Rugby Tour to France
Posted September 05, 2016
Hockey at the Olympics
Posted August 08, 2016
Manchester Grammar School's Rugby Tour to Sri Lanka
Posted August 05, 2016
Football in the Olympics
Posted August 03, 2016
Rugby Sevens Makes Debut at Olympics
Posted July 25, 2016
Will Brexit Affect My School Sports Tour?
Posted July 04, 2016
What to Look For in a School Preseason Tour
Posted July 04, 2016
The Ultimate School Rugby Tour
Posted June 29, 2016
How Have the Olympics Changed?
Posted July 05, 2016
5 Reasons to Choose Malaysia for Your Next School Sports Tour
Posted June 22, 2016
Euro 2016 Kicks Off!
Posted June 10, 2016
School Sport Week
Posted June 20, 2016
Introducing Halsbury Sport!
Posted June 06, 2016
2015 Photo Competition Winners Announced
Posted January 26, 2016
New and Improved Sports Tours for 2012 and Beyond
Posted February 27, 2012