KENSINGTON DRAGONS AT THE TRANSCAPE RURAL SOCCER WORLD CUP
After a successful 2009-10 campaign in the Harrow Youth League, the Dragons accepted the challenge to participate in the TransCape Rural Soccer World Cup to be held in South Africa’s Eastern Cape. TransCape is an NPO based in the rural Ngqeleni District, the poorest area in South Africa. It was started by the owners of Mdumbi Backpackers and Doctors working at Canzibe Hospital in an attempt to help the people living in the area face the many challenges of their daily lives. With the benefits of the recent Fifa World Cup seemingly confined to the major towns and cities, TransCape sought to use Soccer to unite the local community and offer HIV/Aids testing and counselling to marginalised communities. Their 6 month project used a tournament qualification model to involve the entire region, culminating in the final 8 teams attending the Rural World Cup in Mdumbi.
A group of U16-U18 Dragon Players, Parents and Coaching Volunteers set off on in August 2010 on a 12,000 mile round trip from London to Mdumbi, situated on the remote, south east corner of South Africa.
Starting in Johannesburg to buy football equipment and kit to support local school and village football teams, the group embarked on a 13 hour coach drive to Mdumbi where they spent 10 days meeting local people, helping to teach in the local primary school, holding soccer and netball coaching sessions in the area and playing in the TRSC10 International Finals.
Not only a wonderful opportunity to support such a good cause but a key part of our own personal development with many of the youth players involved having little or no previous experience of travel, the great outdoors or what it is like for the people living in one of the poorest areas of the world.
Please take a look through our slideshow, a snapshot of the experience and of South Africa itself.
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- Setting off from Johannesburg
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- Collecting kit donations
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- Johannesburg
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- Overnight stop half way to Mdumbi
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- Early morning safari
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- Herd of Wildebeast
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- Pair of Giraffe
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- Stop-over skills practice
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- Ready for the next stage of the journey
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- Arriving at Mdumbi Backpackers
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- Residential block at Mdumbi Backpackers
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- The Canteen
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- Coaches Hut
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- Traveling to the first friendly
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- Friendly match pitch
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- Doesn’t look too bad from afar..
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- The Players’ Tunnel
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- Upon closer inspection the wide areas are a bit uneven
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- Not a good day for the wingers
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- Local people
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- The local shop in Mdumbi
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- Local Industry Kayaking
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- Dry dock
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- Player/Coach Dean Humphrey Kayaking
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- Happy landings
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- School house at Mdumbi
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- School at Mdumbi Backpackers
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- School break time
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- U18 Daniel Grendowicz at Mdumbi School
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- South African Coastline
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- The walk to the Soccer School from Mdumbi
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- Beached Dragons
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- River crossing to Soccer School
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- Nicholas Shirley
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- Gilbaut Batousol Soccer School coaching
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- U16 Ethan Meyers Coaching
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- U18 Cory Holas group photo
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- KDFC SA group and local Soccer School
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- The pitch at Mdumbi
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- Warm up game
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- The local opposition
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- Defending the corner
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- Urgent pitch repairs at Mdumbi
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- Repairing the divots
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- Marking the pitch at Mdumbi
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- First day of the tournament
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- Tournament HIV testing stations
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- KDFC SA Squad 2010
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- Soccer School in a river estuary
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- Soccer School 1v1 drill
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- Soccer School penalty practice
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- U18 Cory Holas Coaching
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- Wherever you go there’s a Chelsea fan…
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- Soccer School pass and move
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- KDFC U18s 2010 at work
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- Soccer School Player of the Tournament
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- Soccer School Coach’s Player award
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- Netball Coaching in local school
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- Isabelle Shirley
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- Dean Humphrey Netball Coach
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- The Girls Team
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- Shirley sisters present player awards
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- School Netball and Soccer group
Dear Chris and the Kensington Dragons Team,
On behalf of TransCape, I want to thank you so much for making the effort to join us here for the TRSC10 International Finals tournament and to do such great work during your week here on the Wild Coast of South Africa!
I know that the villages we went to were so excited to see you all and greatly benefitted from your generous gifts not just of physical things but of your desire to serve and give of your time and efforts. You fulfilled the hopes and dreams of many here to play against an international team and you will not be forgotten soon.
Here at Mdumbi we all had a great time hosting you all and hope that it will become an annual trip for the Kensington Dragons Club!
Kindest regards,
Steve Bollon
Soccer Co-ordinator, TransCape NPO
Click here more information on TransCape and their Sports Education Programme
You can also read all about the tournament and the positive effect on the local community.
