Abu Dhabi World Schools Rugby Festival

During the Christmas holidays, I was incredibly fortunate to be given the opportunity by Mr Campbell to participate in the Abu Dhabi World Schools Rugby Festival as a member of The Zambezi Steelers - representing Zimbabwe National Rugby. The experience was nothing short of extraordinary.

I landed on Saturday morning and by Sunday I was already on the pitch facing the Number 1 schoolboy rugby team in England: Millfield School. Despite narrowly losing, the opportunity to compete against such a high-calibre team, playing with such a talented group of boys, was sensational. I even made the commentary with the school’s name and mine being announced on the YouTube livestream!

In the next matches, we played the renowned South African school EG Jansen in which we came away with a well-fought victory, and also one of the current top rugby schools in New Zealand – Kelston Boy’s High School. Facing the Haka being performed by their team was a truly memorable moment.

Off the pitch I had the chance to explore the city of Abu Dhabi and get to know the players in my team, making lasting connections and also learning about their culture. Our final match came on the last day of the tournament, against the prestigious English school Harrow. It was a tightly contested game however despite our best efforts we fell short of a win, leaving us in 6th place overall.

The tournament not only allowed me to showcase my talent and skill on an international stage, but it also highlighted the areas for improvement in my game which I will continue to work hard on to become a better player.

I am incredibly grateful to Mr Campbell for making this opportunity possible. Competing at such a high level, with and against players who will undoubtedly go on to represent their countries in the future was an unbelievable experience. It was an unforgettable occasion and something that I will cherish for the rest of my rugby career.

Written by Krishan A (L6)