For most of the boys the first part of the adventure started a few weeks ago as they acquired their first passports and then had to travel to the nearest British Embassy to get their visas.
As most people will know who have ever experienced trying to get a Visa in their passports, it can be a long a tedious process with many hours spent queuing outside embassies. Well it is no different in other countries and no different for children. Each and every child has had to visit the British embassy in their country in person to get the correct papers to allow them to travel to the UK. For some this was a simple trip to the other side of the city for others it has meant several hours of travelling to new and unfamiliar places and there have been some incredible stories unfolding.
For the Tanzania team they had to travel nine hours north of Arusha to Dar near Kilimanjaro to find the nearest British Consulate. The Embassy were unbelievable with their support and while the boys were waiting for the paper work to go through, they organised a training session with the Tanzanian international team and a practice match against the International School in Dar. The boys also got to swim in the sea for the first time, played on grass for the first time and were kindly put up in the town, all organised by the embassy and deputy Consular UK Embassy Philip Lord.
The Madagascar team also embarked on a bit of an adventure. There is no British Embassy in Madagascar, the nearest one being in Port Louis in Mauritius. Usually the Consulate staff travel to those requiring the visas but due to the passports arriving later than anticipated, the boys had to make the journey themselves. Air Mauritius was fantastic and sorted out the flights and Isabel at the British embassy was very helpful along with the Head of the Mauritian RFU Patrick. Everyone came together to help arrange billeting and hosting and training sessions over the three day stay and the boys were then sent back smiling with visa's in hand.
So the teams arrived in cold and damp England throughout Sunday and early Monday morning to wonderful welcomes from their host school's and touraid representatives. Despite the long journeys all the boys looked happy and excited. During the rest of Monday they will settle in and get to experience a normal day at School.... well as normal as it can possibly be when you are in a foreign country experiencing a totally different culture and making new friends. The Ivory Coast team will have the pleasure of meeting Chester Williams later in the day for a training session and the Trinidad and Tobago team will meet England's rising star Danny Cipriani at Ripley Court when he visits to have a run around with the teams.
Author: Sarah Griffiths
Hosting a team
Would you like to host a team? Click here to find out how...
Fundraising
Click here to find out how you can help touraid raise funds
The Madagascar team also embarked on a bit of an adventure. There is no British Embassy in Madagascar, the nearest one being in Port Louis in Mauritius. Usually the Consulate staff travel to those requiring the visas but due to the passports arriving later than anticipated, the boys had to make the journey themselves. Air Mauritius was fantastic and sorted out the flights and Isabel at the British embassy was very helpful along with the Head of the Mauritian RFU Patrick. Everyone came together to help arrange billeting and hosting and training sessions over the three day stay and the boys were then sent back smiling with visa's in hand.
