The Hassle-free Approach To Organizing An Unforgettable Rugby Tour

By Author: Nellie Rogers
Total Articles: 8
Comment this article

Going on rugby tour is a keenly anticipated event for everyone in the rugby club.
It's a rite of passage: separating the men from the boys! However even with the best of intentions not every rugby team manages to go on tour every year. Organizing a rugby tour can be very demanding and a lot of hard work: agreeing a destination, getting everyone to commit and pay up, sorting out fixtures, the travel arrangements etc. Not to mention the pressure to create an unforgettable touring experience for the entire touring party. Where to begin?

Many rugby clubs ‘spread the pain' by appointing a tour committee or tour manager and sidekicks. Kick-off by getting everyone together for a tour brainstorm session. Beforehand get some ideas by having a browse of www.tourlegends.com: check out other club's tours and the available rugby tournaments on the calendar. During the brainstorm discuss dates, destination, budget, fundraising, fun non-rugby activities and any other requirements.

A lot of clubs tour on the same weekend every year, or some make sure that it coincides with a tournament that they want to enter. Search ...
... the tourlegends rugby tournament calendar and to increase options consider events with a different rugby format: beach rugby, rugby 7's or rugby 10's tournaments. 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 or junior 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.
Select a destination that meets the needs of the touring party and works within your tour budget. Consider all available transport options to get to your tour destination - keep in mind that the cheapest will be unlikely to get you there fastest so ask yourself how much drinking/travel time works for your touring party? To arrange your tour fixtures search and contact any of the more than 1000 rugby clubs listed on tourlegends.com.
Once the tour dates, budget and destination are agreed you'll need to start communicating the tour details to the rest of the rugby club. To avoid sending and receiving loads of emails, create a tour profile linked to your rugby club on tourlegends.com. This social networking site for sports teams has been set up specifically around touring and team management. You can update your tour profile as accommodation, transport, fixtures etc are confirmed and everyone can access it 24/7 so you don't have to keep repeating yourself or flood everyone's inbox with more emails! Moreover your tourists can get started early on the pre-tour banter and get in their touring frame of mind on the associated tour blog.
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. To avoid having to reconcile crumpled checks and remembering whose cash was stuffed in your pocket at your club house bar, collect the deposit and final tour fee online via tourlegends integrated online payment system powered by PayPal.
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. Cash-back on your online purchases is a great way to fundraise throughout the year for your tour. Check out the tourlegends tour shop for great cash-back offers on a wide range of accommodation, transport, activities, sports equipment, fashion, gadgets and gifts. Simply click through from our site, complete your purchase on the vendor's site and nominate your rugby club to receive your cash-back. Get your entire rugby team, supporters, parents, family members, neighbours and hangers-on involved!
In addition to fundraising find out 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.
On tour remember its worth planning ahead to make sure you keep up the momentum, even during any breaks in the sport or any pre-arranged entertainment. Have some indoor activities or sports bars up your sleeve in case your matches get rained-off. Be prepared with a repertoire of classy tour songs and team (drinking) games!
The fun, camaraderie, excitement and lasting memories of rugby tours are often unforgettable for all involved. Add your photos, videos, comments and of course the match results to your tour profile whilst you're on tour if you've got internet access. For those cheeky tour moments where ‘what goes on tour stays on tour' add the evidence to your tourlegends Banter Box - a separate blog space only accessible to the tourists! Enjoy the post-tour banter and fuel it by adding tour statistics and tour awards. You can even send fun virtual prizes to your tourists like a tour virgin, a down in one animation, a tour trophy, an inflatable kangaroo etc!

At tourlegends we seek to make your rugby tour experience even more memorable and easier to organize. Don't hesitate, sign up your team for free today and start planning your next rugby tour!

Nellie Rogers has a passion for sports in particular to organize or participate in sports tours to play and support live sports events / tournaments.
Rugby Tournaments,
7s Rugby tournament