During the October half term, Second Year students from Trinity School travelled to the UAE for a week-long rugby and cultural tour, returning with incredible memories, stronger teamwork and a real sense of adventure. In their own words, students describe their experience of this epic trip:
Day 1 – Sunday
The first day was quite surreal, but that was when the holiday feeling set in. Everyone was really tired as we had to get up early to get to the airport on time, it was most people’s first time flying without their parents so that was an added level of stress. Eventually we boarded the plane and got into our seats. The flight was really fun as there were an abundance of things to do, such as access to the latest movies and games such as poker on the screens in front of us.
When we arrived in Dubai, a wave of heat hit us like a truck as we left the air conditioned airport. We got on the bus and headed to Jess Arabian ranches, where we would meet our Dubai families. Everyone was really nice and welcoming, and we just focused on settling in with them.
– Sal and Hugh
Day 2 – Monday
On Monday, we left Dubai early in the morning for an hour long journey to Abu Dhabi. The journey was exhausting but thanks to Mr Sinclair’s playlist and singing, we managed to survive. We went to the Abu Dhabi mall and bought delicious food and ice cream. After about an hour of walking around, we visited the mosque to gain some cultural experiences. It was interesting learning about the religion and the history of the mosque. There were beautiful chandeliers made out of expensive jewellery. After taking photos, we travelled to the incredible Zayed Sports City grounds and trained there for an hour which was a good warm up for our upcoming matches ahead and then it was time to meet our new host families.
– Caius and Rafi
Day 3 – Tuesday
After a hard training session in the heat, we woke up, really excited to go to Ferrari World. At Ferrari World we went on so many scary rollercoasters like Flying Aces and Turbo Track. We were given our money to buy lunch and later we went on more of the rides over and over again. At about 4 o’clock we had to leave to go to our rugby match against the Abu Dhabi Harlequins.
The match was tough, but we didn’t give up and we persevered till the end ensuring us victory. There were a lot of big shots which helped secure the win. Our whole team played really well and our tackles were phenomenal, but a big shoutout to Finn H and Zach W for their dominant tackling.
After the match, we celebrated in their clubhouse and we gave away our awards to the other players. It was a great night and we came home victorious.
– Caius and Rafi
Day 4 – Wednesday
After the rugby match we all made sure we had a good night’s sleep to have enough energy for Yas Waterworld the next day. When we got there we were amazed by the amount of incredible water slides that we could see. We went straight into the action and had the time of our lives.
– Rafi and Caius
Day 5 – Thursday
On Thursday, we returned to Dubai and visited the world’s tallest building – the Burg Khalifa.
Day 6 – Friday
We set off early in the morning to go to Wild Wadi water park, as well as seeing the only seven star hotel in the world, the Burj al Arab. We were very excited since Yas Island water park was also amazing. It was quite packed, full of many other schools from across the UAE. Our favourite slide was the jumeirah scara, because it suddenly dropped us after climbing into the capsule. It was an exhausting morning but we had a nice lunch and quickly changed, ready for our desert safari.
When we reached the desert in our 4x4s, many of us bought a head scarf from some local vendors which we wore when sand boarding down the dunes. The ride was rough and bumpy and got us excited for the evening ahead. The sunset was beautiful, and many of us took creative photos around the sun. We took another trip further into the desert where we had dinner at a buffet and watched shows like belly dancing, but our favourite one was the fire show because the fire lit up the night sky, creating a cool sight. We also rode camels and bought souvenirs, practicing our haggling skills. Overall it was a great experience, we came home late, but it was definitely worth it.
– Adam, Alex, Harry
Day 7 – Saturday
On Saturday our host family woke us up to play the Dubai Hurricanes. When we arrived at the Dubai Sevens Arena we were awed to see pristine grounds that some of the best pros had played on. Then, we went into the changing rooms and ran out on to the pitch whilst being filmed. We went on to our stretches lead by Mr Sinclair, then into our handling warm up. The Bs played their first half against the Dubai Hurricanes where Liam scored two tries with some powerful runs. The line speed and bravery of the shots were also noticeable throughout the whole team. Then the As came on for the first half. In the first few minutes the As were consistent with our attack but after that the game was more balanced out. Soon the opposition got the ball and started breaking through the game line with their strong runs and we took a while to adjust to the ref’s rules which we would later learn to deal with. At the end of the half, Dubai Hurricanes scored a try. After the first half the As headed to the changing room for a talk as our heads were down. The Bs won their match without conceding a try. The As then came on and in the first half we started with Vinny’s kick and some brilliant rucking from Freddie where we counter-rucked the opponent, which after some good passing lead to a try. We then went on to score another four tries with some stand-out tackling from Lewis and Caius; Caius also broke the line a few time with his good stepping and powerful running. In general the physicality and bravery from the team was very good. Lucas had an outstanding performance with three tries using his good running and also some side stepping, his jackling was also noticeable. The final score came out to be 6-1 with Lewis winning man of the match because of his dominant tackle and outstanding decision making in attack.
– Finn
After the match, we were welcomed by the opposition to a pool party (featuring the consumption of a burger) where we got to know the players from the Hurricanes outside the rugby pitch and played a game of NFL in the pool. After the pool party, everyone got to spend time with their host families. I went to a South African barbecue with the family, and played touch rugby and football with the Hurricanes’ player. He also taught me how to do the ‘hand whistle’ which I then practised doing incessantly. Overall, it was a break from the activities and a chance to socialise with people.
– Serafym
My host family took us out for some unpaid labour, however it was worth it, due to the amazing things that happened to round off the trip. I was a ball boy with Ethan, who I was staying with, for a semi pro league match, in fact two. We were able to witness in first person the intensity of a real rugby game and feel the thrill of pure chaos, while being live on TV. We got to see about two hours of people of diverse ranges, from 15 to about 24, all putting so much effort into creating a wonderful rugby match, it was indeed wonderful. After the match, we went up and got some more free food, which sadly I didn’t finish, but we also got Dubai Hurricanes t-shirts and a keychain which did look great, but we also got to meet and take pictures with several international players, from Zimbabwe, Kenya, and many more places. After the final celebration ceremony, we headed back home, making a day I will cherish for the rest of my life (hopefully).
– Daniy
Thanks to the students for their reports!
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