I’ll take WAGs home to Soweto

Model behaviour ... Sonia Booth will chaperone our WAGS during World Cup

SITTING in the baking South African heat, Sonia Booth takes a long sip on her drink.

The midday sun is overhead but she is in no hurry to get out of the blazing rays. For stunning Sonia, Queen of the South African WAGs, has taken up residence in the country's oasis of luxury - the premier gated community of Sun City, where our WAGs will set up camp for the World Cup.
And Sonia is giving Live It an exclusive preview of Coleen Rooney and Co's playground.

Back to nature ... the six star resort boasts an Elephant Park

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Lounging at the pool bar Sonia, who is married to the South African team's only white player Matthew Booth, explains why Sun City has everything a WAG could want. The former model says: "Sun City is the perfect destination for the girls because it is all about luxury here."
With two casinos, a host of designer shops, two nightclubs, a couple of luxury spas, numerous gourmet restaurants and chic bars, golf courses, a big cat safari park and a crocodile sanctuary, who can argue?
There are also four hotels. But only The Palace Of The Lost City has six stars and this is where the WAGs are heading.
The opulent Palace is 30 minutes' drive away from England's training camp, the Royal Bafokeng Sports Campus - a short journey when coach Fabio Capello lets the boys off the leash.
Sonia volunteered her services to the British High Commission as a chaperone for the girls.

Palatial ... WAGs will be relaxing in glorious surroundings at this Sun City resort

She says: "My role is not official. But they were looking for someone who knew South Africa well and who was a soccer star's partner.
"Whether the girls want to party, relax or have a family break, everything is on tap here.
"You can let your hair down at bars and clubs and it's only a 20-minute helicopter ride to Johannesburg."

Laid back ... Sonia Booth enjoys the luxurious hotel grounds

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And one thing our footballers' wives are famous for is knowing how to enjoy themselves.
The last World Cup was all about the WAGs partying hard - nearly every night.
And although Capello has famously discouraged the girls from distracting his players, he has agreed to a once-a-week family reunion.
Joe Cole's wife Carly Zucker, John Terry's wife Toni Poole and Frank Lampard's girlfriend TV presenter Christine Bleakley are all expected in Sun City which is set in the bush of the country's North West Province.
New team captain Steven Gerrard's wife Alex Curran and Mrs Rooney are rumoured to have reserved rooms in case England get through to the later stages of the tournament. Gert Venter, Sun City's resort manager, said: "With the England team based a few miles away, we anticipate a lot of people from the UK will use this resort as their base and we will be getting high-profile wives and girlfriends here.
"This place offers the luxury and security that profile of guest would expect.
"We are experts at looking after VIPs. If guests want opulence, the Palace is where they come to stay."
Rooms at The Palace start at £490 per night and go up to £5,000 a night for the Desert Suite, which has two bedrooms, a living room, dining room, four-poster beds, a baby grand piano, a library, a 24-hour butler service, private Jacuzzi and sauna.
Sonia gives a tour of a favourite daytime haunt for WAGs - the enormous swimming pool.
For those who don't want to lie in the sun all day, the hotel has a top spa, the Royal Salon, where a spray tan costs £30.
And those who are looking to unwind totally can spend £98 on the Desperate Housewife Package - a back massage, facial and pedicure.
Or the perfect pre-match build-up - the Queen Of The Day offer will get them a 50-minute hot stone massage, manicure, haircut and blow-dry for £105.

Height of luxury ... our WAGs will be greeted by this spectacular foyer at The Palace Of The Lost City

It is no surprise that The Palace Of The Lost City is the first choice of celebrities.
Sir Elton John, Charlize Theron, Oprah Winfrey and Michael Jackson have all stayed here and Tiger Woods has played on its Gary Player golf course.
And as Sonia sweeps inside the huge hotel, it is easy to imagine the WAGs will be right at home.
The hotel cost £206million to build and the African decor has been finished with huge attention to detail. With hand-carved walls, frescoed ceilings and thousands of hand-crafted artefacts the hotel offers a real African experience.
Sonia is also keen to show them the true heart of her country. She is planning to take the WAGs to her birthplace of Pimville, Soweto.

Shop til you drop ... the WAGs will enjoy the hotel's designer stores

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Their first stop will be at her mum's house in the once-violent township, which is radically different since apartheid ended. Sonia says: "I'm arranging a minibus and security, then I'm taking them to my mom's house. And she's going to cook traditional South African food. It's going to be a real party." Sonia's father, Themba, died when she was a month old and she was raised in a two-bed house with 16 other family members.
Sonia saw some of the bloodiest clashes in South African history. To escape her torment she entered beauty pageants. She won what are small prizes to us but were lifelines for her family - a toaster, a kettle.
Sonia, 31, says: "You make it work. That was my life for 18 years."
Now she couldn't be happier with her life with husband Matthew.
The pair met in their late teens and kept a long-distance relationship going when Sonia began modelling in New York and Matthew played pro football in Russia. They married in 2006 and have two sons, Nathan Katlego, six, and Noah Neo, two.
For those willing to leave the hotel's comfort, Sun City itself offers much more fun.
Sonia shows us the numerous designer shops, which stock everything from £1,068 Dolce & Gabbana platform heels to £1,900 limited edition South African designer handbags by Lorenzi.
When it comes to eating out, the girls have 27 restaurants to choose from. At the top restaurant, Villa del Palazzo, the WAGs can dine in style. The venue has been built into a huge pond and has waterfalls on all sides. There they can tuck into ostrich carpaccio for £14, duck served on a bed of parmesan and sweet potato for £26 and wash it down with a bottle of Dom Pérignon vintage champagne costing £380.
For parties to entertain friends, the WAGs will have the option of reserving one of the eatery's four wings. And if mummy WAGs like Coleen and Alex do make the journey for the later stages of the competition, there are lots of options for the kids.
Sun City offers round-the-clock creches and nannies. Day trips can be organised for the kids while mum relaxes - or parties.
Sonia said: "When Matthew and I were younger we came here for excitement and now we have the kids we come to relax. We can let them have fun at the water park while we have quiet time together."

With Africa on their doorstep, the girls can immerse themselves in wildlife. Sun City has its own elephant park inside its gates and braver girls can get up close and personal with some animals at the resort's safari park. At the gates to the city is a crocodile park, home to thousands of the reptiles.
And if the ladies really want to get the true nature experience, Sun City offers excursions to the veld. Private safaris can be laid on with personal guides around the nearby Pilanesburg Game Reserve.
And as money is no object they can be chauffeured to see some of Africa's lions and leopards.
Or they can take a hot air balloon and enjoy the tranquillity of the national parks from the skies.
After a hard day's sightseeing, the party animals in the group can pay £2,400 for Sun City to charter a private helicopter to Johannesburg.
So no matter how well the England team do in this World Cup, we can be sure the WAGs will still be putting in a good show.

Additional reporting: LIAM MILLER