Members of the CCI Wolves played host to a friendly game of rugby against a team from Windsor Boys’ School in England on Thursday, May 31, 2018 at CCI.
Todd Skevington Physical Education Teacher at the Windsor Boys’ School and a coach on the tour said the school has been making yearly trips to Canada for the past 12 years.
Windsor Boys’ School is a state school with 850 boys.
Football (rugby) and rowing are the main sports at the school.
They were national champions in both sports last year.
While taking a tour of Ontario and visiting area sites including Niagara Falls, CN Tower, Wonderland and Tree Top Treking they’ve also played a number of rugby games with area high schools.
“We’ve done a lot of things and the boys have had an awesome experience,” said Skevington. “It’s been amazing.”
Their last two games were against members of the Cobourg Collegiate Institute on a hot, humid Thursday afternoon.
This week was the first games the Windsor Boy’s School have played in six months because it’s their off season.
The team from England were all under 15-years-old playing were playing a mix of both senior and junior team members at CCI.
Skevington who plays on the Windsor Rugby Club said there are people who were on the tour to Canada nearly 10 years ago and still talk about how amazing it was and how they were treated.
One of the staff members from the Windsor Boys’ School came to Canada 10 years ago as a student and is now a teacher who came on the journey.
Coming back to Canada sometimes they play the same schools, but other times they try new schools like CCI.
“It’s fantastic to make new links to new schools and really open it up for next year when we bring another group over.”
When asked about the Royal Wedding, Skevington who is from New Zealand admits he went away for the weekend, but his wife stayed home and really enjoyed it.
“It’s amazing as a town how many people turned up from different parts of the world including Canada and America.”
“Hundreds of thousands of people coming together to celebrate something like that was awesome. The only downfall was every time you went out there was cameras everywhere.”
Skevington said the prices in restaurants didn’t skyrocket because of the wedding but he did hear a rumour that a hotel room overlooking the main gates of Windsor Castle went for $150,000.
Teacher, Robert Unsworth said jokingly although he didn’t get a personal invite he lives, “right on the town centre about a stones throw away.”
“A 100,000 people fled to Windsor – it was carnage.”
The street the Unsworth lives on, hardly anyone walks down it, but because the roads were closed down there were thousands of people on the streets.
Even people from Canada were camped out three days before the wedding.
“And they saw about 10 seconds of the procession.”
Unsworth said he watched the ceremony on television then when it was coming near his house he ran out and, “saw the top of their heads.”
“I’m sure they waved at me,” Unsworth said with a laugh.
Security was amazing that it was tight and strict but everyone knew what they were doing and why they were there.
The Windsor Boys’ School won both games against CCI, but after both teams had a barbeque and made lasting friendships.
Author: Pete Fisher
Has been a photojournalist for over 30-years and have been honoured to win numerous awards for photography and writing over the years. Best selling author for the book Highway of Heroes - True Patriot Love
