Henry Hales suffered a dislocated shoulder while playing rugby six weeks ago, but that was not going to stop him from taking part in a sponsored swim at Summer Fields Preparatory School, Oxford.

The 12-year-old was one of those lads who helped to raise more than £3,000 for a changing room project at Zimasa Community School in Cape Town, where the Summer Fields lads will be playing on their forthcoming rugby tour of South Africa.

The 20 boys, including Henry Larkin, from Horton near Banbury, swam in relays, collectively travelling the distance of an English Channel crossing.

One player to miss the event was Chinnor under 13 player Thaddeus Cooper who was sitting a scholarship entrance exam for Radley College.

The party of 23 boys aged 12 and 13, along with rugby master Bill Bailey, will play four matches against South African Prep Schools, as well as one against Zimasa on their two-week tour that starts on March 26.

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