5 November 2025
During the half term break, Woldingham swimmers and cricketers in Years 8 to 10 travelled to Dubai and Abu Dhabi for their first international tour. Students took part in a series of very competitive fixtures against teams from local clubs and international schools. Our cricketers, already skilled in both indoor and outdoor cricket thanks to Woldingham’s excellent facilities, loved the new experience of playing under floodlights – and seeing themselves in live action replays on a big screen, while our swimmers relished racing in 50m pools with touch pad timing – just like Olympians. Ava shares her thoughts on the tour below.
Ava, Year 9
This tour was the experience of a lifetime and I’m so grateful to have enjoyed such a wonderful opportunity. Throughout the tour we gained so many amazing experiences and learned so much about cricket, swimming and the culture of Dubai and Abu Dhabi. The cricket matches we played were intense as the Dubai teams were truly amazing and we definitely learnt a lot from their talent. The swimming galas were very competitive but we put in our best efforts and we loved the incredible facilities in Dubai, as well as bonding with other girls when not racing! One of my favourite memories was the gorgeous desert, where we rode camels and did sand boarding down the dunes. We also went to a cultural talk, visited some great shops and ate some amazing food. These were times with my friends that I will cherish! Thank you to our teachers, who made this experience so enjoyable - it was a trip I will never forget!