Rugby Champions Springboks Laud Jersey After Training Visit

The Springboks, who are the reigning rugby world champions, have characterized their time in Jersey as “phenomenal” following the conclusion of their week-long training camp on the island. The South African team commenced their visit on 27 October, utilizing Jersey Rugby Club as their base. According to Visit Jersey, the team’s presence has placed the island “on the map,” concurrently, South African residents in Jersey expressed that it was a “once in a lifetime opportunity” to witness their national team firsthand. Scrum-half Grant Williams commented on the island, stating: “The people here are so welcoming, and the facilities are amazing.” He further remarked: “We went to the beach for a dip, we went to coffee shops and had a walk around. We really enjoyed it.” Fly-half Jordan Hendrikse shared his experience, saying: “It has been amazing.” He continued: “I must say no-one would expect an island like Jersey to have the facilities they have and to accommodate an international set-up.” “It’s phenomenal. The set-up, the greenery, the gym, and the stuff here is beautiful.” Hendrikse also noted: “On the flight I met a couple of South Africans. There are quite a few South Africans in Jersey, which is quite surprising, because if you ask any of the players if they knew about Jersey there would be very few that would know.” Deon Davis, the Springboks’ assistant coach, affirmed that the team’s choice to visit Jersey was a sound one. He stated: “It is a fantastic place, it has a fantastic environment and facilities.” Davis added: “It has just been an exceptional couple of days.” Regarding their day off, Davis mentioned that the team embarked on a tour of Jersey, exploring various locations. He recounted: “Some guys visited heritage place, some guys played golf and we visited some of the pubs.” Prop Thomas du Toit shared that he reconnected with an old school friend who currently resides in Jersey. When questioned about encountering other South Africans on the island, he responded: “I have heard the odd Afrikaans word here and there, so there are definitely a couple here.” Du Toit concluded: “We have loved Jersey. It has been very accommodating to our requirements, and we have been enjoying the scenery. It is a beautiful place, and the people are very nice.” Tricia Warwick of Visit Jersey expressed: “I can’t tell you how excited and pleased we are they chose Jersey.” She elaborated: “We started planning this at the beginning of the year and it is just awesome to have them here because this gives you global reach and a global audience.” Warwick further stated: “This puts Jersey on another map we are not on yet, which is really important for us when we are trying to attract more visitors to the island.” Readers can follow BBC Jersey on X and Facebook, and submit story ideas to channel.islands@bbc.co.uk. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC disclaims responsibility for the content of external sites. Information regarding their approach to external linking is available.