Uplands Rugby Tour to South America - A Parent's Perspective
Mar/Apr 2009

I was fortunate to accompany the Uplands College First Rugby Team to South America recently.

24-25 March 2009
Leaving Uplands Campus was a surprisingly sombre, quiet affair. Maybe it was Jason Wright, the team captain’s late arrival with a bear that the boys took with them as a reminder of a friend that was left behind that resulted in the trip to Johannesburg being somewhat relaxed or maybe the boys were nervously anxious in anticipation of what lay ahead.

We arrived way before schedule (just past three in the morning) and caught the staff at Johannesburg Airport a bit off guard. A little later someone confirmed that the Mugg and Bean was open and Mr. O’C “opened” up his wallet for a well deserved breakfast.

Getting the 30-head tour party plus 60 items of baggage on the plane went without a hitch and we settled into the flight with three other schools (Eunice Hockey and Tennis, Menlo Park First Team Rugby and Delmas High Hockey). The Uplands Boys soon befriended the Eunice Girls (or was it the other way round?).

We landed in Cape Town for a two-hour delay and provided you had kept your boarding pass you were allowed off the flight into the terminal building to stretch the legs. About half the group made use of this opportunity. Back on board we made the arduous journey of “flying backwards” and Justin Landrey was thus having an extended birthday which lasted 29 hours instead of the normal 24.

We landed at Ezeiza International Airport the next day and to everyone’s delight the luggage had arrived unscathed. We were met by our guide German (pronounced Ghhhherrrrrrrrmaaaaan) and taken into Buenos Aires (BA, as we called it from now on) via a 21-lane highway and many toll gates. BA is generally clean and well organised. Avenues and many narrow side streets criss-cross at right angles to each other and every so often (more often than not) you will find a large statue or monument in the middle. The Argentineans are mad (crazy, obsessed) with their statues and they honour all and sundry (even the immigrants that came to their shores). The period 1976-1982 where more than 30,000 inhabitants disappeared is still fresh in the minds of all we met.

We invaded the Duomi Hotel (home for 5 days) and settled in. Following a short walk from the hotel, Mr. O’C opened up his wallet again in a nearby Pizza/Combo Restaurant over looking the National Congress Building where President Alfonsin was kept in-state before his funeral while we were in Uruguay.

The meal was somewhat overdone as we had not worked out the words for “medium rare”. This was to become our first enquiry for the following day.

26 March 2009
We met our guide, Fabio (an elderly Professor of Hockey), who took us out onto the Tigre Delta Tour. The morning was spent at the Waterfront and on the boat, cruising the many channels of this famous landmark in BA. Many holiday homes and permanent residences are scattered along the embankments of this picturesque part of BA. A floating barge provides the residents with a shopping facility which supplies fresh water and all the necessities you can think of. One of the boys called it the “Pick and Pay Ship”.

Once back on land the boys invaded the local McDonalds for the first “pay your own” lunch. We took up the offer of something local in a nearby restaurant which proved to be very price worthy and followed the “eat as much as you like” approach. Fabio also taught us the words for “medium rare” which I have decided to spell as follows: welter-welter.

The afternoon, a very tired (jet lag was setting in) touring party returned to the hotel to pick up our kit for the trip to Cardinal Newman School. German took us to the school which is found in one of the more affluent suburbs. Started by Irish Priests this school boasts immaculate sporting facilities and fields. I was especially impressed with their gym and the way their younger boys were lined up all over the grounds being coached by various teachers in a variety of disciplines. I watched some 30x12 year olds lined up in a straight line, each with a shot put on their shoulders. On command they threw the shot puts in the direction of the teacher. This carried on for an hour or more. The same was happening in other areas where javelins and hurdles were practised ad nausea.

Our boys warmed up in anticipation of their first game. Then the unthinkable happened. A team of 30 nineteen year olds lined up to take up the Uplands challenge. Our boys tried valiantly to stem the tide but a combination of too much Under 19 Argentinean beef and jet lag resulted in a heavy 55-10 loss. Uplands players were lying two or three down across the field at times and Stefan sprained his hand and thumb in what at the time appeared to be a tour ending injury. Charl Senior took him to hospital for X-Rays and the good news was that it was only severely sprained. Neil Brokensha scored all Uplands points with an intercept try and a penalty. We attended a short after match function and the boys left with the team members from the school on their first hosting. Mr O’C was well equipped with presents for the school and all the officials.

27 March 2009
Breakfasts in the hotel were characterised by the following menu: ham and cheese (cold); cereals in many forms and fashions; coffee; orange juice; yogurt; honey and jam; cakes; croissants and toast (EVERYDAY).

The boys arrived shortly after breakfast and we left with our new guide Martin on a tour of the city. He was excellent and tuned in to the needs and moods of the boys. He was a proud Argentinean and did not waste time on the boring stuff whilst maintaining a professional approach to guiding. The highlight was a trip to the famous soccer club Boca Juniors (Maradona) and the boys enjoyed the shops and sidewalk cafes in this the poorer part of the city. Oh yes, and the Pink House. The President of Argentina (a woman, Mrs. Kirchner) works in a Pink House, not a White House. This has something to do with the house being subjected to damp many years ago, and they used a mixture of blood and mud to paint the walls to curb the dampness. The tradition of the colour continues to this day.

Lunch was enjoyed at Sila la Vaca, another “eat as much as you can” restaurant. Interestingly, they cable tie your bag to the chair you are sitting in, to ensure that no one steals it while you are up and down fetching more and more meat.

We all walked back (20 blocks?) to our hotel.

28 March 2009
A free day in BA. This day was swapped around with the one planned for the 29th. The heavy defeat on day two of our tour required some re-organisation. Mr O’Cl spoke to German and the opponents for the second match were changed. We requested a team more in our age group. German organised a match against the Lanus Rugby Team, a bit off the beaten track, much like playing Malelane.

To get the boys back on the rugby tracks a new guide in the formidable form of Raul joined us for the morning. Raul has played rugby for many years and looks like a cross between Guthro Steenkamp and the Beast. He has also coached many clubs and players and he took us via the Underground (a first for many boys) to one of the many City Parks in BA. Here the boys enjoyed (I hope they did?) two and a half gruelling hours training and being coached by Raul. Raul has one philosophy: If you cannot play in the Front Row, then you are not a rugby player (Sorry Bryan Habana). That afternoon, back via the Underground to our hotel, everyone was left to their own devices.

Mr. O’C took us out to dinner at a restaurant near the “Obelisk”. This meal centred on steak and chips, a meal type that was becoming the norm for the group.

29 March 2009
Match Day. After a slow, shopping and sight seeing start to the day we made our way out to the Lanus Rugby Club under the guidance of Raul. We were heartily greeted by the locals and shown into a modest, wooden club house boasting many years of photos and framed jerseys. We soon felt at home and very welcome.

Soon, the referee/club president/secretary called Keith Trystman over to have a chat. Keith then brought in his front row and they were given a list of do’s and don’ts. What he did not say was that we would still be playing Under 19’s, albeit a slower version of the ones we met in the first game.

The ice was soon broken in the first few minutes as Lanus Rugby Club scored in the corner. Uplands were 5-0 down. Uplands fire then kicked in and the boys climbed in lock, stock and barrel. Everyone played their part with our midfield particularly strong on defence. Joshua Rood had a good game and the forwards did well at the lineouts with Charl taking good ball. Neil put in a Man of The Match performance and Uplands won 26-5. The Grade Tens all got a run and were now part of the Team. A great start in the blue Tour Jersey.

The atmosphere was electric. All the locals wanted a photo with our boys and we obliged. In the club house it was party time. The music was switched on and the boys sang the Uplands song. Presents were exchanged, speeches were made, jerseys were swapped. The rugby part of the tour was back on track!

30 March 2009
An early start. Mr. O’C was on patrol and each room got a kick up the backside. Stefan barked instructions to the Grade 10’s and things got done in double quick time. We left at 07h00 to get to the Port in BA.

The ferry looked impressive. We made ourselves at home in comfortable seats and lined up at the food counter. The crossing of this river mouth (154 km wide) took 3 hours. Towards the end, most of us had not discovered our sea (river) legs and we felt a bit queasy.

We were issued a new guide, Carlos from BA, to hold our hand. After going through Customs we met a representative from the Christian Old Boys Club. Eduardo took us to his club and showed us around. This was the home of the Uruguayan players that were killed in the Andes Plane Crash. The survivors had to eat the flesh from their fellow players to survive. The impressive club house ekes tradition and history. We were very privileged to play here. The boys changed into their kit and had an impromptu, forwards versus backs game of touch rugby. This got rid of the aches and pains.

The boys, dying of hunger (as usual) were taken to the Montevideo Shopping Mall and let loose on the take away section. Once gain we went for the traditional facility and made friends with a chivito: a traditional meal that can be described as a beefed up prego, with egg, bacon, ham and cheese lumped onto piles of meat (oh yes, and some lettuce and tomato). Great value for money, which left some over for the occasional Quilmes.

On our way back to the hotel the boys met up with their hosts at the old Casino building. We made it back with Carlos and got ready for a quiet night out on the town. Carlos led us to the El Fogon Restaurant where he used all his contacts to arrange “THE” steak dinner of the tour.

31 March 2009
The boys got back just in time for a great tour of the city under the guidance of Miguel. A fact that many sport lovers ignore is that Uruguay have won the Soccer World Cup twice. They are only one of a few Nations in the world that have achieved this unique feat. Miguel is on top of his game and takes us to all the sights by lunch time. This includes a visit to the Centurion Stadium which celebrates the World Cup achievements with plaques at its entrance.

Miguel also explained the process behind the drinking of Mate. Almost every inhabitant is seen drinking a herbal tea from a refined pumpkin container through a stainless steel straw. This infusion is made early in the morning with hot water carried in a flask and topped up some 8 or ten times day.

Once again, we split up: McDonald’s versus local fare and we end up in the local restaurant which serves us “THE” chivito of the year.

The touring party met up after an extended lunch for the trip to the rugby grounds. We arrived early and this gave us enough time to prepare. Once again we were requested to play two halves against 30 players. Stefan shrugged off the pain and got ready to make a come back. Mr Ernstzen and Mr Van Rensburg put their heads together and kept some of our top players on the bench for the first half (This approach proved to be a stroke of genius). The sizes of the opposition were as predicted: larger and meaner than in both previous games. At half time we were down by more than 20 points. The coaches requested an all out effort from the team during the break. I shouted, screamed, yelled, swore (in Afrikaans), ran up and down the pitch and sent up a prayer in Spanish. Then something happened which epitomizes Uplands Fire. The boys turned on the magic and out scored the much larger opposition to win the game by 31- 28, with Justin Landrey making a welcome return to the try line. Dylan Park came of age as a fullback and Keith made sure that the Uruguayans remember the words, “made in Zambia”.

Uplands boys (and us as hangers on…..) celebrated as never before. Our hosts were gracious in defeat and we were entertained in full Uruguayan hospitality. A very tired team left the club house to be hosted for a second night.

1 April 2009
The boys returned to the hotel early in the morning to the news that a Provincial Team had heard of their feat the previous day and had requested a match for the afternoon. This would be seen as an additional match on tour and the boys were asked to dig deep and not disappoint the local hosts. The boys took the news with mixed emotions and shoulders dropped somewhat as the aches and pains of the previous day were still evident.

The boys were given the morning off to do some shopping and to spend some free time on housekeeping (washing, banking, internet, facebook….). As the lunch time drew closer, and the time to kit up for the extra, game got nearer, Mr. O’C put the boys out of their misery with the remark: Check the date boys, April Fools Day in Uruguay. The boys were elated, the rest of the day was dedicated to free time….!

We met up in an arcade for a great lunch to celebrate the achievements of the night before. Mr O’C had a beer shandy and Charl was on Coke Light. We were all busy with our own form of housekeeping…

The day ended at El Fogons (restaurant from the first night) which saw the entire touring party making use of its fine steaks and Mr O’C splashed out and treated the team to a memorable end to the Montevideo leg of the tour.

2 April 2009
The day started slowly and we met up around lunch time for our trip back to Argentina. This was going to be long day. The ferry was 3 times larger than the one we arrived in and the boat ride back to BA was comfortable. We were met at the Port by a knowledgeable guide Fernando (played scrumhalf for 14 years at the highest level in Rosario and toured South Africa many times).

Travelling by bus we drove past the flat, pampas countryside on our way to the second largest city in Argentina, Rosario. We stopped at an “Ultra City”, next to the highway for refreshments and I have to say this was the cleanest garage/Ultra City I have ever seen. It was spotless to say the least.

We arrived later at our Hotel the Libertador and dropped our bags to leave for a quick late night supper. After cruising the deserted streets (it was a Public Holiday in Argentina) for an hour we managed to find a hotel which opened up its kitchen to feed the very hungry South Africans.

3 April 2009
Suzan (our first lady guide) joined the group after breakfast (still no bacon and eggs, just cold ham and cheese…, these bloody continentals!) and gave us a half day tour of the city and its waterfront. The boys tried to look positive but the combination of a long tour and some bad weather seemed to dampen the spirits a bit.

Mr. O’C saved the day and improved the mood when he took us to a mall for an early lunch and in time to prepare for our final game. The team had some time to relax and motivate themselves for a final onslaught under floodlights at the Gymnasia Y Esgrima Club (GER for short).

The GER is found some distance out of town amongst plots and small holdings. The club surrounds a lifestyle estate and boasts many rugby, tennis and hockey fields. The boys would face the customary set of 30 nineteen year olds although Mr O’C did request that they field their smaller versions in the first half.

Uplands played out of their socks with some ferocious tackling and held the Argentineans to a half time score of 12 all. This infuriated their management team and a new set of forwards (the new eighth man looked like Ryan Konkowski) were sent on to re-enforce their team. This proved to be one hurdle too many for our valiant boys and we lost the game 24: 12 with a try being scored in the dying moments of the game. I still remember Dieter being run over by the 8th man 5 metres from the try line. Bad luck son! Unfortunately, Charl came off with a bad sprain to his other ankle.

4 April 2009
Our last day in Rosario. Fernando met us at 10h00 and we set off to the oldest club in Rosario (142 years of sporting history). Fernando is a life member and we saw boys playing cricket and girls training for hockey. After lunch we returned to the hotel and some free time.

Just down the road from our hotel, a pedestrian mall/walkway stretches down to the waterfront for some 8 or more blocks. This provided a safe haven for the boys to spend their Pesos. Many boys bought rugby and soccer shirts. Leather goods are also common, but all were in agreement that prices were not cheap and in most cases items were more expensive than in South Africa.

Fernando called in all his contacts to book us a dinner table at the famous Las Tinajas, a 900 seater, eat-as-much-as-you-like, Argentinean restaurant for the evening. This was 12 blocks from the hotel and we met up with the Uplands Hockey Girls for a final farewell feast. We got to bed around one o’clock in the morning.

5 April 2009
Time to go. As the saying goes: Everything must come to an end. The bus left early for our trip to BA. We veered off the highway to San Antonio, a quaint little rural village, stuck in the days gone by and representative of the cattle farming culture of Argentina. A visit to the Cina Cina Ranch introduced the boys to the Fiesta Gaucho. We were met by a gaucho dressed in traditional dress and dishing out home made pies. The boys each had a gingerly horse ride with Jakes proving to have Durban July qualities no one knew he was capable of.

The tour ended with a gaucho lunch (lots of meat, bread, salads and beer) and some traditional dancing. Damien, Joshua and Phila took to the floor and showed the Spanish girls what they were missing in South Africa.

Our flight back to South Africa and the good old Lowveld went without a hitch. The entire team and touring party were grateful to be home following a very successful and memorable trip.

Gracias
Ralf Kalwa
(Proud Parent)