On Sunday the 22nd of March, the Graeme College top 8 tennis team embarked on an exciting 3 day tennis tour of Cape Town. The tour provided us with a great opportunity to test ourselves against some strong opposition outside of the Eastern Cape, as well as do some exploring and sightseeing in the wonderful city of Cape Town. Day 1 began with a visit to the Green Point Promenade, where our boys and coaches enjoyed a fun morning of putt putt. The weather certainly played its part and this was a perfect way to start our tour, before playing our first fixture. After Lunch, we made our way across to Bishop’s Diocesan College. This was a much-anticipated fixture, and the match up did not disappoint. The boys made a strong start to the tour and recorded some exceptionally pleasing results, eventually coming out on top in the fixture.

It was clear that on day 2 we would be facing some very warm conditions. Nevertheless, we set out to do some sightseeing as we made a trip up Table Mountain in the cable car. This was a highlight of the tour, and the stunning views made it a truly memorable experience for our boys. We then had some time off, which the boys used to swim and recharge before we headed to our next fixture, Westerford College. The team continued their momentum from the day before and put up a strong performance against a good Westerford team. The way that the boys played was encouraging and it was clear that their confidence was high. We ended off the day at the V&A Waterfront for dinner and an opportunity for the boys to relax and enjoy some time together.

Day 3 was both busy and exciting. We started the day by taking a tour of the SARU head offices, which was an amazing experience as we took some pictures with the William Webb Ellis trophy, before heading across to Stellenbosch University for a campus tour, another activity thoroughly enjoyed by the team. We then made our way to Somerset West to take on a strong Somerset College team who had just finished 2nd in the Cape Town super league. It was clear early on that we were up against it, however, the boys responded strongly and put in some great performances despite the final result. Our tour concluded with a final fixture vs UCT. The beautiful setting of the UCT tennis courts and the camaraderie in which the fixture was played proved to be a highlight for the team and this provided a fitting and memorable end to a wonderful tour.
It would be amiss of us not to thank everyone who made this tour possible. Firstly, our sponsors who sponsored our playing kit; Du Preez Maintenance, Coetzee plumbing, Dave Duncan, Carara Agro Processing, as well as our kit organizer, JP Holder. Our sponsors who sponsored our warmup shirts; Amakhala Game Reserve and our shirt organizers, Todd clothing. Our raffle sponsors; Birch’s, Buffalo Kloof private Game reserve, Clauds and Cands, and Todd clothing. Our bus driver Donavan Behr, for getting us to our destinations safely and calmly. The families that opened up their homes and hosted us for various meals and down time throughout the tour, including, Bryony Duncan and Mr and Mrs Timm. Lastly, a special thank you to Miss Duncan, a tour such as this certainly does not just happen without a lot of effort and planning. Thank you for making this opportunity a reality for the 2026 Graeme tennis team, and for continuing to hold Graeme tennis to a high standard. – Mr James Sparks