How to Organise a Rugby Tour in the UK or Abroad

A guide for rugby teams and rugby tour group leaders

To download a PDF of this guide to organising a rugby tour click here

Even with the best intentions not every rugby team or rugby tour group manages the go on tour every year. Organising a rugby tour can be very demanding and a lot of hard work, especially if you try to organise everything yourself. There are lots of travel regulations to adhere to, public liability insurance issues, travel insurance issues, pressure on you to get the tour organisation spot on and...where do you begin? Here at Tours 4 Sport we are a specialist rugby tour operator dedicated to helping you save time, effort and money on your rugby tour. Our Rugby tour organisers providing a first class rugby tours service at an affordable price whether you want a youth rugby tour, student rugby tour, school rugby tour or an adults club rugby tour we can help you organise all your rugby travel arrangements from start to finish.

It is never too early to start planning your rugby tour. Here at Tours 4 Sport we have organised rugby tours over a year in advanceand also up to two weeks before the required dates, so don't worry if you feel you have left it too late. Rugby teams can contact us at any point in their preparation and our rugby tour managers will be happy to help.

This guide on how to organise a rugby tour should give your tour the best possible start and prepare you for some of the things you will be required to do. Our dedicated rugby tour managers can help you every step of the way, just call the office on 0800 0433887 or e-mail info@tours4sport.com and we'll get back to you right away.

Here is a bullet point guide to organising a rugby tour with more information below.

1 - Preparation

2 - Promotion

3 - Administration

4 - TOUR!

Where do you start ?

Keep reading to find out how to make your rugby tour preparations take off.

Rugby Tour Committee

Some clubs have only one person responsible for organising a rugby tour but if there are a few people in the club who want to organise the tour or if you are planning a long-haul rugby tour (to Barbados, Australia, Argentina, Canada or Soth Africa) then it's a good idea to get a tour committee together to sort out the following tasks:

Our dedicated Rugby Tour Managers can do as much or as little of your tour preparation as you need. We have had rugby teams who know a particular club that they want to play against on tour, so just needtravel and accommodation. Most teams however, ask Tours 4 Sport to organise the entire rugby tour because it saves them a lot of time, hassle and money and ensures that your tour goes smoothly from start to finish. Whatever help you need for your tour, we can provide it.

Hold a meeting with your rugby tour committee or some of the tour party and think about:

When do you want to go on your rugby tour?

Many rugby clubs tour on the same weekend every year, or some make sure that it coincides with a tournament that they want to enter. You may have league or cup fixtures at home, so choose a date which doesn't clash with existing fixtures. If you are planning a senior rugby tour, then you might have to keep the number of days off work to a minimum, so a long weekend or bank holiday would be ideal sports tour times. If you have a youth rugby team, then school holidays and bank holidays are the best option, but make sure you plan early so as to avoid any family holidays.

Where would you like to go?

Several factors can influence your final rugby tour destination including budget, numbers and dates. Here at Tours 4 Sport, our rugby tour managers can help you decide which destination would be best for your team. Whether you have a junior or a senior rugby team it is important to get the right balance between the sporting and the social sides of your rugby tour so that everyone can enjoy themselves. You also need to think about how you are going to travel to your tour destination.

How will you get to your tour destination?

Coach tours are very popular for sports tours in the UK , Ireland , France , Holland and Belgium and are ideal for large groups or teams on a tight budget. However low-cost airlines fly from most regional airports and prices are usually very reasonable. You can either take advantage of the low-cost flights by booking them yourself or you can leave everything to Tours 4 Sport and we can handle your flight bookings for you through our ATOL licensed travel partners. Click here for more information on how to organise flights to all of our sports tour and travel destinations.

What is your rugby tour budget?

Any team can afford a rugby tour with the right amount of planning. You need to decide an average amount which everyone in your tour group will be able to afford. It is best to ensure that the monies paid by tourists covers the basic cost of the rugby tour, and any sponsorship and fundraising pays for 'extras' such as meals, excursions or tour kit.

Contact Tours 4 Sport

It is always good to have a rough idea of your tour requirements but even if you don't you can contact Tours 4 Sport and we will help you with your organisation. Contact Tours 4 Sport by phone on 0800 0433887 or via email on info@Tours4Sport.com and our rugby tour managers will be glad to help.

Rugby Tour Quote and Itinerary

When we receive your rugby tour request our tour managers will formulate a quote for your group which should normally take no longer than 48 hours, however in busier times it may take up to 72 hours. It is always difficult to estimate numbers so we provide tour costs for various numbers. If you think you will get 30 people on your rugby tour we will provide you with tour costs if 25, 30 or 35 people travel, as a general rule the more people you get on tour the cheaper the tour becomes. This makes things easier for you as sometimes, even with the best intentions, numbers can be lower than expected. Make sure you check the quote and sample itinerary thoroughly and show your fellow tourists.

Rugby Tour Payment Plan

Once you confirm that you would like to book the rugby tour, first read our Terms and Conditions, then return the Tours4 ltd booking form with a current namelist of your tour party and a deposit payment for each person. The deposit varies with each tour but is normally around £50 per person unless we are booking flights for your rugby tour in which case we would need a smaller deposit but full payment for the flight. Full details of your payment plan will be sent with your tour quote. It is a good idea to use the club bank account to simplify the payment process. As soon as your deposit is received, your rugby tour arrangements will be confirmed and we will start to confirm accommodation and travel bookings, fixtures or tournament entry and any other requirements.

Your tour payment plan will give you a final payment date which is also the best time to finalise room lists and inform us of any possible alterations. If you need extra places or want to release some places then please let your rugby tour manager know as soon as possible so that we can confirm availability and ensure that the hotel or airline don't apply any surcharges.

Now that the Tours 4 Sport team are looking after you, you can forget all your worries about the accommodation, transport, fixtures etc, allowing you to concentrate on things at your end such as confirming room lists, arranging kit and organising fund raising.

Rugby Tour Administration

Here at Tours 4 Sport we can organise your sports tour from start to finish, all you have to take care of are a few basic bits of rugby tour administration and tell your team about the tour. You can download our Rugby Tour Organisers Checklist to check that you have completed all the tour admin you need to.

Rugby Travel Insurance

Travel Insurance covering rugby is highly recommended on all of our tours and Tours 4 Sport can provide you with a highly competitive quote through our insurance partners Endsleigh. If you are organising a rugby tour the RFU insist that all players have adequate insurance in order to gain RFU permission to tour.

Rugby Tour Kit and Stash

Fundraising

Fundraising can make a huge difference to your rugby tour costs and create some great publicity for your rugby club. It is best not to rely on fundraising to pay for the basics of your trip, but anything extra that you have from your efforts can pay for some brilliant extras. Once you have reserved your trip Tours 4 Sport will give you specific advice about fund raising. We benefit from discounts with several fund raising companies, discounts which we pass on to you. This enables you to buy fundraising materials, such as scratch cards and race nights. We also have a few ideas of our own which have been popular in the past which could help you, click here for more information.

Sponsorship

Check whether any of your tourists (or their parents) have successful companies which may be able to make a donation but it's important not to harangue people into donating. Sponsorship is more specific, as the sponsor will expect some exposure in return for their input. One obvious thing that someone could sponsor is the kit: they pay for the kit, and in return their name and logo is printed on the shirts. Other sponsors may prefer exposure throughout the rest of the year rather than when you are on tour, but you could still use their contributions towards your trip. You might be able to get them to make a contribution in exchange for advertising space around your pitch or in the match programme throughout the season for example. Or local bars or restaurants might be willing sponsors in exchange for your patronage throughout the year.

With a bit of organisation and some help from Tours 4 Sport organising a tour for your rugby club or school can be an incredibly rewarding experience. We'll help you organise your rugby tour from start to finish and save you time, effort and money in the process.

Get in contact with a rugby tour manager now, for a free quote and more advice on your tour planning and preparation.

Phone: 0800 0433887

E-mail: info@Tours4Sport.com

Or fill in our online tour enquiry form here