Tag rugby/netball festival
My name is Rose Perry and I go to the tag rugby club, which is on Thursdays after school.
On Tuesday 11th March the tag rugby team (I am also in the team!) went on an AMAZING trip to celebrate international women’s day! It was to give girls from everywhere an awesome experience for them to remember, give them hope that they can do anything, and to help them believe in a better future. The team went to play tag rugby with people across the world, by that I mean people from Brazil, India, Hong Kong, and many other places. All the people from over the world were women, boy free! My tag rugby team came with some other people from Sydenham school, some were from the netball team, other people were new to the sports, however when we arrived at the rugby field we were split up into different teams. These teams were the Southwark Tigers, the tag rugby team, and Sydenham School, the other students. It was one of the best experiences I have ever had and I will never experience something like it again! Our school, Sydenham School this includes the Southwark Tigers, became friends with people all over the world. I became friends with a girl from Brazil; although she could not speak English she said a few words e.g. hello, very good, sorry. She was very nice! Southwark Tigers lost in the semi finals, however Sydenham School lost in the finals! We worked so hard, but no one was super sad that we did not win some were a little disappointed but we all had so much FUN!
On Thursday 13th March the tag rugby team went on ANOTHER (so lucky!) amazing trip to carry on celebrating international women’s day! This time we played netball instead of tag rugby, I hate to admit it but I was NOT very good at netball! We met a professional netball player, she was lovely and funny! We were split up into other teams with people across the word, if you do not understand it means I was put with people from India, Brazil, Hong Kong, and Columbia and not with people from my school! I was nervous, however I made more friends and they were as epic as the day! First we warmed up and got used to catching and throwing. We played games and sung a funny song:

Oooh chicken
Chicken has a wing,
Chicken has two wings.
Chicken has a leg,
Chicken has two legs.
Chicken has a head,
Chicken has a tail.
Oooh chicken!

We had movements to the song to make our blood pump quicker. Once we had finished warming up we started on the games, my team, the Lions, were rather good. I was mainly wing defence (WD) and at one point the other team had no wing attack (WA) so the professional had to play for them and she was GOOD! At the lunch break some professional rugby players called the Harlequins came to give the girls there a visit, they also had a netball match with the women who organised the whole event, for our entertainment. They were AWFUL at netball and the women beat them by far!
After lunch and our great entertainment we went back to the games, my team were still in the game, I did not know how the rest of my school were doing but hopefully well! My team were playing a game and we won, it was after we realised we had just won the semi finals, HURRAY! Our team was in the final and we were playing for the plate and before you think how’s a plate a prize? It was a gorgeous gold trophy! My team won the game, we WON the PLATE!!! Yippee! It was an awesome feeling! After all the teams in the final had played we went up in our teams to get some cool medals and lovely tea-shirts, oh and how could I forget PICTURES! I had the best time ever on those two days and could not have done it without TOURAID (who organised the festivals and events for visiting children) and Southwark Tigers Rugby Club (who organised our teams, drove us and coach our tag rugby team at school) and our teachers (who came with us to support and encourage us). I can’t wait until our next adventure!

By Rose Perry 7Y