Nineteen girls and sixteen boys formed two good squads, who boarded a coach to Tilburg in The Netherlands on the first Monday of Half term. Staying for four nights in a comfortable hotel, in a beautiful wooded estate, they enjoyed three days which were very largely hockey orientated.
Their schedule included four practices and two matches each, based at local hockey club Were Di. There was a friendly mixed hockey tournament where over twenty Dutch hockey players from the club were blended with the Cranleighans to four equal and diverse teams.
Other highlights to the trip include the fact that the tremendously sunny and warm weather allowed the players to enjoy picnic lunches outside. In a short journey to neighbouring Eindhoven, there was the chance to do some serious hockey shopping and ten pin bowling in the largest alley in the country. The most impressive experience was being able to watch the Oranje Rood Mens 1 and Womens 1 squads train, with gasps of admiration coming from both the boys and girls when slick individual skills were executed in drills and practice games.
Many thanks indeed for the professional leadership and coaching from Mr Richard Organ, Mr Ed Carson and Mrs Joanne Lawton.
Mr Rupert Kefford, Hockey Coach and Teacher of Chemistry
