CRICKET LEINSTER'S SOUTH AFRICAN EXCHANGE PROGRAMME 2024 UNDERWAY

January has seen the great pleasure of eight more Cricket Leinster (CL) players becoming Transition Year (TY) exchange programme students in South Africa.

Since 2002, close to one hundred Leinster cricketers have participated in the SAEP with Barry McCarthy, Andrew Balbirnie, Lorcan Tucker, Harry Tector, Neil Rock and George Dockrell some of the headline graduates.

The SAEP is special not just for the opportunity to spend nine weeks at a famous sporting culture, but for those selected, traditionally in their TY academically, are fully emerged in South African school, family and culture.

CL is quick to acknowledge the support of the host coaches, teachers, and families who ensure the players are made to feel welcome, and experience only a deep disappointment the visit is over too soon.

For the players, it is part of their cricket development while experiencing the culture in South Africa is one of respect, hard work, long hours and dedication to be the best you can be at whatever it is you are doing.

Without the generosity of all the staff at Muir College, Glenwood High School in Durban, St Stithians in Johannesburg over many years, this SAEP could not be the life-changing experience it has been. We hope that they are rightly proud of their efforts and more people come to appreciate just how lucky Leinster Cricket is to have such player development initiatives based overseas.

In recent years, CL has been delighted to arrange for young South African students to come on a reverse exchange to spend short periods of our summer in Leinster. CL is thankful to all those in Leinster who have supported this exchange as host families, host clubs and for all those who have ensured the young visiting students experience in full the Irish way of life.

Paying a short visit to King’s school Bruton in Somerset this weekend is Leinster u17 squad and Clontarf CC member Ethan Marshall. Ethan has been invited by the school to spend the final school term at Somerset where the school 1^st XI has over twenty fixtures planned, some at well-known cricket schools like Sherborne, Exeter and Bundells.

CL players currently in South Africa include:

St Stithians College:

Tom Squires (Wesley College & Merrion CC)

Muir College:

Dan and Luke Murray (St Michael’s College & Pembroke CC)

Glenwood High School:

Jake Devane (Ardgillan College & North County CC)

Johan George (Colaiste Na hInse & North County CC)

Ethan Clarke (The High School & Pembroke CC)

Raif Duncan (Blackrock College & Pembroke CC)

Ben McCarthy (Belymane ETSS & Clontarf CC)