THREE days after getting married, a Hereford teacher whisked his wife away on honeymoon - taking 35 rugby players with them!

Cheryl is confident Frank Whittaker will uphold his wedding vows after showing he is a man of his word by keeping a two-year-old promise to lead a Canadian rugby tour.

The couple shared their special holiday with two teams of 15-year-olds from the Bishop of Hereford's Bluecoat High School.

Even though Cheryl, a geography teacher, is not a big fan of the sport, she enjoyed herself nonetheless.

They managed to get some time to themselves in British Columbia.

And it was not just the newly-weds that had cause to celebrate. The A-team was undefeated in the Canadian province's first ever under-16 club competition.

Frank, who in the past has been a member of a highly successful Australian tour party, was joined for the latest jaunt by PE teacher and coach Richard Burgess, special education teacher Nick Vaughan and former pupil and North Midlands under-16 coach Jeremy Wheadon.

A particularly special guest was Bishop's pupil Brendon Feeley. The 15-year-old, said Frank, had been an extremely promising rugby player when he started at the school. But his talents were thwarted after he was disabled from a broken neck in a diving accident in the River Lugg.

Frank and Cheryl are now making plans for a 'second honeymoon' sooner in married life than most.