The Top Order

During the final dinner, we asked all of our project team to name their top five moments of the whole trip. So in no particular order here we go:

Ed Williams

1. Cross examination session with Holly and Rwanda ladies national team.
2. The impromptu rave in the Home on the Nile.
3. The Team keeping it’s sense of humour on the tarmac at 3am in Nairobi.
4. Watching Steve and David dancing with the kids at the Ndera Academy . CWB bingo and the impact it can have on volunteers.
5. Walking away from the women’s cricket match at Gahanga Stadium and the strains of Gospel Gospel Music could be heard coming out of the church.

David Rutherford

1. Kivubuka primary school on the afternoon of Day 1. The all-field rave followed by the hymn singing session.
2. Football songs at Eric’s Ndera Academy on the final evening of coaching – let’s all have a disco!
3. Heads shoulders knees and toes with the Rwanda Ladies National team.
4. The Rutherford crèche at the Igamba Community School on day 2 afternoon.
5. Rain not stopping play at the International Technical School, Kigali. The dance show , bowling on the tables.

Andy Hobbs

1. The National Team Sessions. Presenting to them on psychology and the pressure drills and seeing how well they bought into it.
2. The day by the lake . Unexpected and a wonderful release after the stress of the day before.
3. Ndera Academy . The impact of Eric and what he has built after he was the first follower.
4. Last afternoon of the Tour at Gahanga Cricket Stadium, watching cricket and seeing firsthand how far Rwanda cricket has progressed.
5. Seeing the development of coaches and the infrastructure created from the first idea of CWB.

Steve McConnell

1. Kivubuka primary school on the afternoon of Day 1. The all-field rave followed by the singing along to This is The Day hymn.
2. International Technical School Kigali. Swindon vs Everton game, a load of 18-20 year old uber competitive athletes fully engaged followed by worlds greatest rain stopped play break , traditional dancing and bowling on tables.
3. Gorillas in the mist . Especially the moment when the Silverback appeared out of the bushes for the first time and sat down next to me.
4. Ndera Academy second time round on the final evening of coaching, having a sing and dance off with Samuels team, teaching the kids Ole Ole.
5. Magwa Primary School – getting taught “I catch the ball” song by the kids and teacher. Working with Ronaldo. Lots of CWB and Africa bingo moments.

Holly Colvin

1. Magwa school . 60 kids playing heads, shoulders, knees and toes all at once. Madness and brilliant.
2. Kivubuka school day 2 in Uganda, the whole field rave and then followed by Holly being surrounded by the kids as she went through the cricket plus social issues.
3. St Agnes Primary School in Kigali. A tiny school field, crowded space, no equipment , loads of kids, no English , total chaos and great fun.
4. The women’s and men’s team cross examination and then watching the women’s team cross examining each other .
5. The International Technical School session in, Kigali. Best ever rain stopped play. We had an amazing social awareness speaking session and it was great to see how engaged they were .

Lee Booth

1. Running the coach education and then Sara’s group coming together with them .
2. St Agnes – rolling back the years to become the Pied Piper
3. The night at Home on the Nile followed by the morning and crazy problem solving and new plan to Rwanda formed over coffee.
4. Watching how good a coach Samuel has become.
5. Watching Steve and David raving with the kids at Ndera Academy in the final coaching session.

Other Memorable Moments

1. Igamba Community School on 1st afternoon . Flintoff’s Field of Dreams
2. Watching cricket at Gahanga Stadium on the final afternoon . The most beautiful ground in the world coupled with the elation of a completed mission .
3. Seeing the Junior Coaches really stepping up and developing , especially Ronaldo and Samuel.
4. The morning with the International Teams.
5. Jetting around Kigali on the back of Buda Buda Motorbikes.
6. Bangers (tunes) on the bus.
7. Disputing the fact we are flying to Nairobi with the woman on the plane, only to be sat on the tarmac in Nairobi an hour later at 3am.
8. The evolving nicknames of the tour, from the various titles Ed gave himself to the birth of Lord Dartington III
9. Dinner and the view from Hut restaurant in Kigali.
10. Sundowners on the shores of Lake Victoria to cap of a crazy 8 hours.
11. Grinder’s Leadership Masterclass, especially the handwashing at Chop Life Bar and Grill.
12. Sleeping on the marble floor at Doha Airport.
13. Genocide Museum.
14. The pitch inspection at IPRC
15. Presidents and Fropsies card games.