YOUNG rugby players from Macclesfield faced a hectic schedule on and off the field on their three-week summer tour of South America.
The King's School's First and Second XVs embarked on a nine match trip against six opponents on this continent-trotting event.
The tour part, pictured, were playing four opponents in Argentina, the national Under-18 team in Brazil and then a final fixture in Uruguay.
Head of rugby Giles Hetherington, one of five-staff supervising the 34-strong touring party, said: "South American rugby, Argentinean rugby in particular is famed worldwide for its hard scrummaging and uncompromising approach. There will be a lot of beef on the park ad we will have to hit the ground running and hard."
The teams were playing in Buenos Aires, Rosario, the idyllic Iguazo Falls on the Argentinean Brazilian border and in Montevideo, on what promises to be a once in a lifetime trek.
The tour was also honouring King's player James Painton who tragically died in a road accident on a King's tour in Argentina 12 years ago, with the La Plata Club, where King's was based at the time, making a presentation in his memory.
Giles said: "We have wanted to return for many years in memory of James and the ceremony will be at the heart of the tour for all of us."