Visit the birthplace of Rugby on a rugby tour to the UK.
The social aspect of rugby is as strong as the competitive nature. Along with opportunities for professional coaching and watching professional sporting events this is an ideal tour for young rugby players.
The students will also experience the culture and heritage of the UK and France with visits to some of the top attractions.
Destination: London, Oxford, Gloucester,Hawick, Belfast, Dublin, Bruges
Tour Highlights:
Included:
Terms & Conditions:
Please be advised that this is an ‘example’ of a schedule and that the activities may be variable dependent upon dates, weather, special requests and other factors. Itineraries will be confirmed prior to travel.
Rugby season in UK is from May to September.
Day 1
Depart for London on an overnight flight.
Day 2
On arrival in London board your private coach and transfer to Oxford for a training session and sightseeing.
Learn the story of Oxford, from the city’s beginnings as a humble Saxon town through to its current position as a world-famous seat of learning and culture. Oxford has been around for nearly 2000 years.
Transfer to Gloucester to meet hosts for a two night stay.
Overnight Gloucester.
Day 3
In the morning after breakfast enjoy a guided local tour. Gloucester is a city in the west of England, near the Cotswolds rural area. It’s known for 11th-century Gloucester Cathedral, which has Romanesque and Gothic architecture, as well as the tomb of King Edward II. Nearby are the Gloucester Docks, with restored Victorian warehouses, a dry dock and the Mariners Chapel. The National Waterways Museum celebrates the city’s industrial past with canal boats and interactive displays.
Enjoy lunch then play your 1st match at our host school. Return for an evening with your hosts.
Overnight Gloucester.
Day 4
After breakfast leave hosts and transfer north via the beautiful Lake District to Hawick, Scotland.
On arrival enjoy a guided local tour of Hawick. Hawick has a long and colourful history which can be traced back to the 12th century, when King David I granted land to a Norman family, the Lovels. Today Hawick is part of the Textile Trail and the major centre for the industry on the Scottish Borders. The town therefore has many shops with a large selection of knitwear and cashmere.
Later in the afternoon meet your next hosts for two night stay.
Overnight Hawick.
Day 5
Today you will play your 2nd match against host teams.
In the evening you will enjoy the post-match hospitality from your hosts.
Overnight Hawick.
Day 6
After breakfast say good bye to your hosts and transfer to the ferry port for ferry crossing to Belfast. Transfer by coach into Belfast for sightseeing before meeting hosts for two nights.
Learn the history of the city and the rebirth after the “troubles”. On the tour you will see and hear how the city grew from a collection of villages in the 17th century to the city it is today. Belfast was granted city status by Queen Victoria in 1888. A time when Belfast led the world in linen manufacturing, rope making, engineering and shipbuilding. At the end of the 19th century Belfast was home to the largest shipyard in the world with over 35,000 men employed there.
Overnight Belfast.
Day 7
This morning you will enjoy a Game of Thrones Tour. Northern Ireland is the Home of Thrones. The popular TV series Game of Thrones is filmed in Belfast and across Northern Ireland. You will visit some of Ireland’s most scenic locations, you will be shown the world made for Game of Thrones and all of its film magic. At each location, you will have the chance to wear cloaks and pose with prop replicas for those picture perfect moments.
Later in the afternoon return to school to play the 3rd match.
Overnight Belfast.
Day 8
After breakfast board your private coach and transfer to Dublin.
On arrival in Dublin you will take part in a guided tour and visit Temple Bar, Dublin Castle and more. Dublin Castle is the historical heart of the city. Built in the 13th century by King John of England. It served as a military fortress, a prison, treasury, court of law, and the seat of English Administration in Ireland for 700 years. Today it’s used for important State events and Presidential Inaugurations.
Overnight Dublin.
Day 9
This morning you will have some free time for shopping in Grafton Street and visit the Guinness Storehouse. Guinness Storehouse is a tourist attraction at St. James’s Gate Brewery in Dublin. Since opening in 2000, it has received over four million visitors. The Storehouse covers seven floors surrounding a glass atrium shaped in the form of a pint of Guinness.
In the afternoon you will play your 4th match.
Overnight Dublin.
Day 10
Early this morning you will board the ferry for crossing to Holyhead, North Wales. On arrival board your coach and transfer to London, stopping for lunch.
Later in the afternoon board the Thames river cruise, see the Houses of Parliament and cruise through to The Tower of London and Tower Bridge. Return to The London Eye and absorb the spectacular views over London’s skyline on a 30 minute flight.
Overnight London.
Day 11
In the morning you will take a part in a guided sightseeing tour of London and see some of the city’s attractions such as Big Ben and Westminster Abbey and watch the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace.
In the afternoon transfer to meet hosts for one night and play the 5th match.
Overnight London.
Day 12
Spend the day with your hosts and later in the afternoon transfer back to your London hotel.
In the evening enjoy some free timein London.
Overnight London.
Day 13
This morning after breakfast board your private coach and transfer to Reading for a coaching session with RFC Pro coaches. The coaching session will inspire, empower the students and ultimately develop the individual within an enjoyable but challenging environment. This coaching session will allow the students to become more knowledgeable and confident in their skill set, leading to both the individual and the team fulfilling their potential.
In the afternoon you will watch a rugby game.
Overnight London.
Day 14
In the morning check out from your hotel and transfer to St. Pancras for Eurostar train to Brussels.
Arrive and transfer to Bruges and enjoy some free time.
Overnight Bruges.
Day 15
This morning enjoy a guided sightseeing tour in the lovely medieval town of Bruges. Bruges history stretches back to the 9th century when it was founded by Vikings. The river Zwin linked the settlement to the North Sea and it very quickly became an important international trading port. In the 14th century, Bruges developed into the warehouse of the North-European Hanseatic cities. Several countries, such as Italy, Germany and Spain, had their own representation in Bruges, making it a truly European centre where different languages could be heard daily and where exotic products could be found.
In the afternoon you will play your 6th match.
Overnight Bruges.
Day 16
Today you will meet your guide and take part in a 3 hour tour of the World War I Battlefields. Follow in the footsteps of soldiers with a history expert guide and visit moving memorials that immortalise soldiers lost in battles. Visit Flanders’ Field Museum to see exhibitions that speak eloquently of the area’s turbulent past.
In the afternoon board your private coach and transfer to Paris to meet rugby club hosts.
Overnight Paris.
Day 17
This morning enjoy a guided sightseeing tour of Paris. See Montmartre, Eiffel Tower and Champs Elysees. Finish with a cruise on the River Seine, discover the best of Paris on a 1 hour sightseeing cruise through the heart of Paris.
In the afternoon transfer to play your 7th match.
Overnight Paris.
Day 18
In the morning leave your hosts and transfer to Paris. You will have free time for sightseeing and shopping before your final tour night in Paris.
Optional– Spend the day at Disneyland Paris.
Overnight Paris.
Day 19
After breakfast board your coach and transfer to the airport for your flight back home.
Day 20
Arrive home.
