The Up-Country Hockey Tour

On Friday 3rd February, 76 pupils were excited about leaving school for a hockey tour up-country! The bus was packed, and a couple of hours later, we arrived at Pembroke. The pupils ran off their 'bus legs' and got straight on with their games. A tough match in the heat after a long journey, there were mixed results among the teams. Some notable performances included the U11 girls B team, and the U11 A boys team for their success against strong Pembroke teams.

After a delicious lunch provided by Pembroke, we hopped back on the bus for another 2 hour journey to St Andrew's in Turi. With 10 minutes to go, unfortunately the usually very reliable Bluebird bus ran out of steam. This meant that once we arrived at Turi, matches had to be cut short because the sun was setting! It was great to play in a cooler temperature, and the atmosphere was great with the evening air. Again, some tough matches, but a more positive set of matches for Braeburn. A few more teams had more success with their matches here, but the team of the day had to be the U11 A boys team, winning both their matches.

Once the hockey was out of the way, the teams had a tasty dinner, and collapsed in their beds after a hard day! Pupils managed a good night's sleep, and on awakening, many pupils were feeling the cold in the high altitude air! After everything was packed on the bus, a yummy breakfast was enjoyed ready for the long trip home.

Overall, a great trip and a fantastic opportunity for all pupils. Both Pembroke and St. Andrew's were fabulous hosts, and everyone came back having learned a little more about hockey and team work. Well done Braeburn pupils for being responsible citizens and thanks to all staff involved in making the tour possible.