Following his heroic effort for travelling out to complete 4 days of coaching with the CWB Rwanda team, Mark has returned to England to start his army training. Prior to his next venture in the army, Mark has reflected on his time out in Rwanda with CWB to give us his thoughts on how the trip went.

What has been the most enjoyable part of the trip? 

(Mark) Visiting the Rwandan Orphans Project and giving them something to smile about, through looking at their drawings and playing cricket with them

What was your favourite session of coaching?

Has to be the session with St Joseph’s School on Day 2. They were full of energy and enthusiasm all the way through and the image of them running over the hill singing their school song will live long in the memory.

Where was your favourite place to coach?

Mushishiro. It was right up in the hills overlooking some spectacular views, with gospel singers singing in the background. 

What was your favourite experience aside from the coaching?

Just seeing this staggeringly beautiful country at its’ best and also the Genocide Museum in Kigali, that was an experience to say the least. It really showed us what sort of country we were dealing with and how the people here have now come together as Rwanda.

What has been your oddest meal?

Sausage and chips on a pizza.

What has been your favourite memory?

Watching ‘The Moose’ sweep across the whole of Rwanda, as well as the staggering views and the enthusiastic and happy kids we coached.

And finally….

I will take away from this trip a lot of great memories that will last a lifetime. It has been a truly amazing experience with some amazing people. I wish the team all the best for the rest of the trip.

The CWB Rwandan team absolutely loved having Mark on the team and making the effort to come out. His sheer love for cricket was shown in his enthusiasm in coaching the kids out here, and it has to be said that our journeys around Rwanda are little bit quieter for not having at least one rendition of a Wurzel song emanating out from the back seat of Steady Eddy’s mini-bus. We all wish him the best of luck in the army.