Students at a Manchester School have welcomed their South African partners with a rugby match, as the British and Irish Lions played South Africa.

South Africa vs Lions

Wellacre Technology College in Flixton has a long standing partnership with Ferrum High in Newcastle, South Africa.

This is the third time the UK students have hosted their South African twin school.

The link was established through AfriTwin, which connects UK schools with schools in South Africa. Wellacre College is linked with Ferrum High and also with Siyalungelwa, a rural school in a developing part of South Africa.

"Blown away"

This year, Carrington RUFC, held a family fun day to coincide with the visit. Students sung their national anthems and played a game of tag rugby.

The South African team won by 11 tries to 9, although the winning try was scored by the referee!

“This has been really fantastic for our school," said Ray Howell, Headteacher at Wellacre School. "The students have been completely blown away by the link with South Africa."

The AfriTwin Cup

The rugby club provided a winner's trophy, the AfriTwin Challenge Cup. The schools will play another match when Wellacre students visit South Africa in February.  The British students will hope to bring the cup back home!

Next year Wellacre, which is based on the edge of the Old Trafford ground, will be sending sports teams to South Africa during the World Cup.

The teams will play football matches against schools in Newcastle and in the South African townships.

Friends for Life

Duncan Wise, a parent at Wellacre College, felt that the project had made a massive difference to students in the UK and South Africa.

His family hosted a South African student during the visit and have been getting to know her family through facebook and Skype.

“This twinning project is one of the best things that has happened to my family,” he explained. “We have friends for life in South Africa.”

How did they do that?

The schools set up their partnership through AfriTwin, which links schools in the UK with partners in South Africa.

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