WhaleTale News
Dear Friends, there are Lions on our rugby field! Although international visitors to our shores dwindled due to the nasty pandemic, we still scored the opportunity to host the Rugby British & Irish Lions on their current visit to our land. This prestigious British & Irish Lions Tour is second only to a Rugby World Cup in its importance, and SA plays host to such a tour every 12 years.
For the mighty Lions, Hermanus High school was the chosen training venue for their test matches against the Springboks. And where does the ‘Lion sleep tonight’? The Lions sleeps at the beautiful Arabella Hotel Golf & Spa just outside of Hermanus in the heart of the Kogelberg Biosphere. And what a grand blue-light brigade commotion it causes on the R43 freeway every time our VIP’s luxury couches came sweeping into town to deliver the boys for their training session in our part of the ‘jungle’.
The mobile Hermies Coffee Station had no lack of student volunteers. They scurried around to serve hot beverages to the players, eager to ‘shake hands’ (although not allowed) and to engage in an ‘up-close and personal’ chat with their favourite players. In line with Covid 19 protocol, Hermanus school and Arabella Resort became “red zones”, meaning it is in complete lockdown, used exclusively by the Lions rugby team for the entire time of their stay. Due to the strict Covid regulations, no spectators were unfortunately allowed to watch their training sessions.
True to our winter weather, we had a lot of rain last week, leaving the rugby pitch drenched to its core. Some of the Hermies rugby players jumped in to lend a helping hand to “mop up” the field together with the Lions so that they could have their training session. For their tireless help in unpleasant cold, wet weather, the students received beanies from the boys sporting the British & Irish Lions emblems as a thank you token. They were so chuffed.
The Lions team reported that they thoroughly enjoyed their time in Hermanus and their stay at the Arabella Resort. Friendly and helpful staff, stunning surroundings and a golf course all to themselves added an extra cherry on top. Hakuna Matata; no worries, bro, life is good on the whale coast!
The Lions flanker Hamish Watson and Duhan van der Merwe took time out from their busy schedules and planted five indigenous Harpephyllim Wild Plum trees. They followed in the rugby boots of the All Blacks, who planted a grove of Gum trees in Hermanus during their rugby tour 72 years ago! Two of those trees are still standing tall on the school grounds. And so, the visiting rugby teams leave their legacies behind in our Overstrand region.
All eyes will be on their 3rd and final test match against the reigning Springbok World Champions this Saturday in Cape Town. And as the whistle blows to kick off the match at 5 pm, we will blow our Vuvuzela and shout victory to the Amabokoboko!! Kaal-ou, pass the biltong, please.
Friends, I would like to take this opportunity to convey my sincere condolences to all who have lost a family member, friend or colleague to this awful pandemic. It was a frightful couple of weeks, and my heart goes out to those tragically affected by the virus. It’s now time to take up smiling again.
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