After eight gruelling days of training in South Africa, the players finally were given a rest on Tuesday.

But, that rest for the body might not have been a rest for the mind, as the group headed two hours south east of Cape Town to shark dive.

The players were up at 4am for the two hour and 160km bus ride, where they would learn how to dive and then eventually be able to experience it.

The group was briefed by safety guards before boarding boats that headed into the shark infested waters that are home to the largest sharks in the world.

Suspense was building as it was at least 10 minutes before the first shark was spotted, then the boats were surrounded.

In groups of four and five, the very excited players and coaches entered the cage where they would be lowered into the water and surrounded by sharks only most had seen on TV.

View photos below.


The players sit on the boat out to where the shark dive will take place.


Alex Woodward and Shaun Burgoyne are looking pretty relaxed but Kurt Heatherley is either cold or quietly getting a little worried.


One lot of players in the cage, ready to be lowered into the water.


Watch out for that shark!