Rugby World Champions train at Merchiston Castle School

Scotland’s leading independent all-boys school, Merchiston Castle School recently hosted Rugby World Champions, the Springboks, for a final training session ahead of the South African’s match against Scotland in the Autumn.

The rugby legends utilised the school's impressive rugby facilities, which include eight rugby pitches and a state-of-the-art fully-equipped gym and fitness suite.

Merchiston’s rugby team toured South Africa last summer. Together the students raised £20,000 to fund the rebuilding of houses in the Langa township in Cape Town. Having heard of this work, the Springboks got in touch ahead of their Scotland match.

Roddy Dean, Director of Rugby at Merchiston: “It means everything to have the world champions come to Merchiston to use our rugby facilities. The boys are so excited, I heard some of the kids saying that this is beyond their wildest dreams. The Springboks have been incredibly generous with their time, answering the boy's questions and signing countless jerseys.

“We’re glad to see our facilities did the team well, with a strong performance on Sunday seeing the Springboks win against Scotland. They’re very welcome to return to the Merchiston pitch in the future!”