Newlands; Springboks; Paul Roos; Penguins

Wednesday began with a tour of the historic Newlands stadium. This was an enjoyable and enlightening experience, not least because we finally learnt the difference between Western Province and the Stormers. Following this, we made our way to the Springbok experience. Passing the Currie Cup and Webb Ellis trophy en route, the tour ended with a short film. The look of shock that beset the face of every player when one the teams featured that was presumed to be men's side was in fact the next day's opponents (Paul Roos Gymnasium) was a highlight. We then arrived at our rather plush hotel, much to the delight of the whole touring party. 

The following day began with shopping at Green Market Square and the V&A waterfront, with items purchased including a Zulu spear, a working radio made of bottle-tops and several pairs of MC- Hammer-esque trousers.

It was then time for the game of the tour: Chester RUFC vs Paul Roos Gymnasium. Arriving at the ground we were immediately greeted by a high-end indoor training facility and a stand capable of holding several thousand people; not your average school then. But, being frank, the changing rooms were crap. 

The game began disastrously, with the opposition scoring within the opening minute. However, tremendous toughness and spirit was shown by all from that moment on, and the side were unlucky to lose 18-8 to an extremely well-drilled and typically South African team - in spite of the massive hissy-fit thrown by James Slater. 

Our hosts then invited us to their suitably up-market clubhouse, in which it was made clear to us exactly how popular rugby is in South Africa. Paul Roos play around six televised matches a year, have an average crowd of roughly 6,000 people and can even attract 22,000 supporters when playing against an equally as high-profile school. If that wasn't enough, the school has also produced 50 Springboks in its history. Yet, while this might sound impressive, some of its prestige is removed by the fact that the opposition players turned up to dinner wearing short trousers as part of their school uniform, giving off an  AC/DC tribute act vibe in the process. The team then had one or two shandys to celebrate, in a local Irish bar.

Today has largely been spent being at one with nature. Our list of sights has included penguins, seals and antelope, combined with a visit to Cape Point. The boat trip to see the seals was particularly interesting given the physical state of several tourists.