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For nearly two-decades, Sky High Sports has been delivering Tours to Europe for Teams from across the Rugby World. Our 'Inbound' Operation gives us the opportunity to showcase the very best of what we can do all over our amazing continent. We are The Rugby Tour Specialists.
From the traditional Rugby countries to those where our game is booming, you can choose from a range of itineraries which are filled with World Class experiences on and off the field.
Each itinerary is built on a tried & tested framework, all providing you and your team with an immaculate experience from the moment you make contact, right through until you step foot back on home soil.
Sky High Sports are re-defining the Rugby Tour experience. What is defined elsewhere as The Extra Mile, is demonstrated here as standard.
If you're looking to bring your team on Tour to Europe, you have found the right place.
Our HQ is on the England-Scotland border. As such, our core business focuses on Rugby Tours for British teams travelling domestically within Europe.
This gives us the opportunity to regularly test and improve each of the itineraries you'll find within our 'Inbound' options. This ensures the experiences your team enjoys never fall short of exceptional.
Our satellite offices in Ontario & California, global network of flight partners & our simple and secure international payment facility, ensures we provide a fully-catered service which makes touring internationally a simple process.
Below, you will find information on the range of tours available, the rugby experiences on offer, what goes on behind the scenes & some feedback from past clients which will show you exactly what we can achieve.
From a light session following the flight on Day One to a Captains Run ahead of the Tour Matches, training sessions make up a key part of any Rugby experience on Tour.
Each training session within our tour itineraries is arranged at quality facilities that ensure you get the very best opportunity to prepare in style. You'll not be dodging dogs in a park or trudging knee-deep in mud with Sky High Sports.
What is more, you often get much more your money in terms of food at Rugby venues than you do in restaurants. It is a double-whammy when you put your team through their paces & well fed without breaking the bank whilst on tour.
To give you an idea of some of the venues we enlist regularly for practise on tour, take a look at some of the following:
Donnybrook Stadium, Dublin; The Greenyards at Melrose RFC; Oriam, Edinburgh; Cittadella del Rugby, Parma; La Ghirada, Treviso; Campo Central, Madrid; BUC Rugby, Barcelona; Kingston Park Stadium, Newcastle; The Cardiff Arms Park, Cardiff & Allianz Park, London.
You're travelling 1000's of miles and investing a huge amount of time and money into this trip. Who wants to turn up and take a pasting?
Whilst there is no exact science in getting the games bang-on, we combine our Rugby Anorak knowledge (we can be boring), with a 25-point check-list, which we've developed over the past 11 years, to take as many variables out of the fixture-equation as possible.
Everything we do, goes into everything we do & we're generally not too far off the mark.
We're fortunate to have a great army of wonderful host clubs who are absolute gold-dust. Without them, no matter how many processes we put in place, we're just another travel agent.
To add a real X-Factor to your tour, we're able to arrange your Tour Games to take place at some iconic Rugby stadia. From the Cardiff Arms Park to the the home fields of Saracens, Glasgow Warriors & Newcastle Falcons, there are a number of Wow-Venues available.
We all know there is a lot more to a game of Rugby than what happens between the referees whistles. In many senses, the after-match experience is the reason we play and the prime excuse for touring in the first place.
The term ‘Third-Half’ is one we picked up in Italy & have employed it in our own terminology ever since. The ‘Terzo Tempo,’ or third-time, is stuff of legend in Italy. Italian Rugby legend Diego Dominguez describes it as: “One of the most characteristic traditions of the world of rugby. The third half takes place after the game & brings together all the players of the two teams, who take the opportunity to offer themselves drinks, food and exchange opinions and considerations as happens between friends.” We couldn’t put it better ourselves. The Italians do it well – it would be a touch easier if we all had world-class wine and food to centre it on. That said, there is nothing wrong with Mince & Potatoes alongside a pint of Guinness either.
When we arrange our tour fixtures, we do more than just find a local team to play or confirm the first game which comes up. What happens within those 80 minutes is important, of course, but the memories we hear time and time again from our clients and friends are the ones of the after-match party, the welcome, the camaraderie & the celebration of our game.
One of the massive buzzes we get from what we do is seeing worlds-collide on tour. People of different cultures & languages coming together to share one common interest is central to the success of any tour.
If your Tour takes you to the old rugby countries, we'll be sure to add-in a Pro-Experience that will add a real wow-factor to your tour. Across our destinations, we have a number of Ambassadors who regularly turn-out on tour to lead Training Sessions, run Breakfast Q&A's, deliver your Pre-Match Talk or Warm-Up or join you at the end of tour dinner to present the awards.
To give you an idea of who has joined our tours in the past, click here to see our all-time on-tour XV.
Whether it be a back-row clinic with Scotland star Hamish Watson in Edinburgh, a Line-Out masterclass with ex-Italy captain Marco Bortolami in Venice or a Breakfast Ted Talk with a Wales & British Lion legend in Cardiff, we have it covered.
All Pro-Clubs provide behind-the-scenes experiences. We only include the very best of these & stay clear of the off-the-shelf lip-services which are unfortunately common place & available on many tour itineraries.
What is considered the Extra Mile elsewhere is delivered here as-standard.
You've played some great games, practised on world-class facilities & met some legends of the game, it is now time to take in a top-level game or visit the iconic stadia of World Rugby.
Stadium Tours of the Principality, Murrayfield, Twickenham & the AVIVA are brilliant inclusions to any tour, but getting tickets to the Pro & International matches transform the Rugby Experience. Hearing the Roar of a Six Nations crowd or sharing a half-time pint with local supporters at a club game are both equally key to getting the rugby fix.
Whether it be the Six Nations, Gallagher Premiership, Tyrrels Premier 15s, Guinness Pro14, Top 14 or a local club match, if it is on, its available to you.
Entering your team into a tournament on tour is a great way to add increased competition on the trip & give the team something to work to from the moment they sign up to the adventure.
There are a vast number of tournaments, Sevens & Fifteens, which we're proud to be associated with & can facilitate entry as part of your tour. Our favourites include:
Tournaments & Festivals are staged throughout the European season. If you would like to centre your tour on some competition, please let our team know & we'll provide some options.
There is no doubt that the on & off field experiences are what create the lifelong memories, however, without sound building blocks, the trip will not be a success.
Here, we preview the vital behind-the-scenes components which provide the platform for your tour to go from good to great. Click on the Tabs above to find out more.
Accommodation on a Sky High Sports Tour can be provided in the three following formats:
Hostels
Who says that budget means boring. Not us, the Hostels we use are excellent & busting with cool little touches that will make your stay fun, safe and on-budget. Our hostels are all about location - you'll fall-out into your locations highlights. Don't for one minute think you'll be bunking down with a load of strangers - you'll be sharing en-suite rooms of 4, 6 and occasionally 8 with your team-mates. Breakfast, Wifi, social rooms and even some entertainment will be on offer. Please know that Hostelling has undergone a revolution here & the vast majority of our tours are Hostel based.
Hotels
Central locations, WiFi, en-suites and even gyms and pools at some – that’s our tasty hotel offering. Sleep soundly after a hard day’s exploring in same sex twin-share rooms that put comfort centre stage, or upgrade to your own room for a few extra $$ if privacy is more your thing. We tend to recommend Hotels in our itineraries only when the Hostels are not up to standard. Upgrades from Hostels are available across our range.
Homestays
Synonymous with the Rugby Tour since the dawn of (touring) time, an overnighter with your hosts is an incredible way to live the local life & make some great mates along the way. We'll take care of everything. From Child Protection etiquette where appropriate, to ensuring you stay with your opposite number - imagine having to talk scrummaging over breakfast with a Winger...! We'll co-ordinate from the start & kick things off with a big welcome party to break the ice. Welcome Home!
One of the major obstacles in booking a tour with an international agency is getting your money to us safely & cheaply. We're pleased to have an innovative process which does both in spades.
We partner with a Currency Exchange agency here in our native UK which enables us to invoice you in your currency - regardless of where your'e travelling. This means at the point of confirmation, the tour price is locked-in.
As it is with a Currency specialist, the rate provided will be superior to that of high-street banks & can save up to 1% of the entire tour cost compared to paying via banks or credit cards.
More information is available in each tour information pack.
So often the make-or-break of any ambitious trip, the flights are a tricky demon. We have partnered with World-Class agencies on either side of the Atlantic Ocean who can access the best routes and rates available. Each agency is well-versed in group travel & specifically team travel, so they can handle all requests thrown at them.
We don't insist on including our flights on our tours. If you can find a better option locally, then that is a great result for us all.
What is more, we offer a free-guide to booking flights. Even if we say so ourselves, it is a brilliant breakdown of the highs and lows off booking your team onto a plane, no matter where you're starting from.
Going from A to B & occasionally from C to D on tour is something that should be taken for granted. Across our range, we have partnered with the very best in Coach Transportation, Ferry Operators & Train companies to ensure the logistical execution of your tour is smooth, efficient and offers no cause for concern.
Connecting between cities on a high-speed train, or merging two of our itineraries either side of the Irish Sea can be done easily and affordably. The nuts and bolts of coach travel from your Hotel to the Fixture Venue, Activity Centre or Stadium will only be in high quality, executive coaches equipped to the highest standards as dictated by European Law.
On each major tour to Europe, Sky High Sports will provide you with a Tour Chaperone for the duration of the visit. On arrival, you will be welcomed at the Airport by either Richie, Jake, Jamie or Tom who’ll then be with you throughout.
Each of our Reps is young, enthusiastic & will take the pressure off the tour leaders & coaches throughout. All four are full-time employees of Sky High Sports, so you will be getting someone who is fully up to speed with how we operate & what your tour is all about. These guys are not sub-contracted part-timers!
They are all experts in the sport we love. They will offer insight into local Rugby as well as providing pitch-side support to ensure you’re well equipped at game-time.
By offering expert insight, guidance & local knowledge, your rep will be invaluable for those last-minute bookings, off the cuff activities, tips on restaurants & bars, taking the important photos as well as the menial items such as launderette visits, foreign exchange & co-ordinating check-in at the Hotel.
There is a serious side to this as well. Each rep has vast experience of touring. This includes the pitfalls such as visits to Hospital due to injuries sustained on the field, or being able to liaise with local authorities should something untoward unfortunately occur.
In Spain & Italy, we’re able to provide a bi-lingual Rep who can coordinate those tricky conversations with opposition coaches & help with the post-match gift-swap.
In Central & Eastern Europe, our extensive local knowledge combines well with local guides with whom we work hand-in-hand during your tours to ensure you get the very best out of your time on tour.