Twenty-four girls flew to Cape Town and played hockey matches against three schools there and two in Durban. The Stonyhurst 1st XI team was unbeaten in all five matches, while the 2nd XI had more mixed fortunes, winning one match.

During the trip they also visited the museum and former prison on Robben Island where Nelson Mandela was incarcerated for 18 years.

Their guide, who was a former inmate, told the girls about how the prison now symbolises the struggle to overthrow apartheid.

While in Cape Town the girls also hiked 1,086 metres up Table Mountain and were rewarded with spectacular views of the Atlantic Ocean.

Both teams played hockey matches in the Langa township, where they were mobbed by children who were eager to show them round their community as well as challenging them to an impromptu game of football.

They were also treated to traditional Zulu and Xhosa food and local musicians played "Happy Birthday" to one of the girls. The girls also explored the Cape Peninsula, where they enjoyed a trip to Seal Island.

Between games in Durban, the girls witnessed the "Sardine Run" – an annual migration of billions of sardines that feed on plankton in the cold sea currents.

Enjoying a change from hockey they watched a local rugby team, The Natal Sharks, in their Currie Cup meeting with the Golden Lions at the ASBA stadium.

"The tour was a great success and all the girls received a warm welcome wherever they went," said Clare Brotherhood, Head of Girls' Games at Stonyhurst College. "They played really well and displayed impressive cohesion both on and off the pitch."