More than a Rugby Tour Operator
The Beginning of The Rugby Man
The journey to setting up The Rugby Man as a rugby tour operator has been an unexpected one. I was a passionate traveller who looked forward to going on tour with my teammates. Unexpectedly, in 2012 my team’s Tour Manager had to step down and I took over his role. So, there I was – an experienced tourist at best, in charge of organising our team’s next tour.
Now that it was my turn to be Tour Manager, I thought organising a tour would be an easy task. After all, I had toured with the club all over Europe and to destinations as far as South Africa and China. What issues could I possibly face?
First steps as a Rugby Tour Operator
All in all, my first tour as manager was a success. We went to Berlin and enjoyed playing rugby, exploring new places and, of course, drinking lots of beer. Memories that would last a lifetime were made and Club Legends were born during our adventure abroad. With that said, something was still bugging me as we were heading home from Berlin – had we been ripped off?
Looking back at our tour, we had paid a lot of money for what now seemed to be very little. Yes, our rugby tour operator got us there and back, but was that all? To me, this left a bitter taste – we hadn’t received the service or value for money our budget should have provided. After all, this meant my teammates could have had more for their money so I resolved this wouldn’t happen again…
China, 2008
This photo was taken on The Great Wall of China during one of my many tours before becoming tour manager. I had no idea back then that Tour would become a way of life for me.
Berlin, 2012
Berlin was my first destination as Tour Manager. The Rugby Man company was formulated at the end of this tour with the sentiment of treating each tour as if I was going myself.
Oxford vs Brown, 2014
Oxford University Squash and Rackets Club’s tour to the United States was The Rugby Man’s first non-rugby tour. We have since organised tours all over the world for a variety of sports clubs.
Becoming a Rugby Tour Operator
I never want any of my teams to feel as I did on my way home from Berlin, following my 2012 tour. With this in mind, I started The Rugby Man as a sports and rugby tour operator where every team gets a personal and dedicated service. To this day, we treat every tour as if we’re organising it for our own teammates. The only downfall is, it often leaves us with an empty feeling when we realise we’re not catching the flight with you.
The Rugby Man Promise
My promise is that by booking a tour with The Rugby Man you will receive a personalised 24/7 service. Our team of sports tour specialists will be on hand, no matter what happens (or hopefully doesn’t happen) on your tour. Our years of experience, knowledge, and passion guarantee that your team will have an unforgettable experience.
Your tour starts here.
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Request A Quote Today
Coming home with serious 'Tour Blues'
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Sean Wright, University of Sheffield Rugby League
Rugby Tour during a Pandemic
“Absolutely thrilled with my experience! Having been on a tour arranged by Jack before, I was looking to organise one this year for my university Water Polo team. Planning one during the pandemic, obviously meant lots of uncertainties and lots of going back and forth between dates, locations and plans…
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…Jack responded to all our demands promptly and helped sort out every single issue we had. The amount of flexibility Therugbyman offers is just unparalleled. 10/10 would recommend.”
Kartik Patil, University of Warwick Swimming and Waterpolo Club
The Best Man for the Job
“Jack helped us get a tour organised in the midst of the pandemic and was such a valuable help and a great guy all round.
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… I cannot recommend him enough and our club will continue to work with him as he is completely the best man for the job !”
Saffy Appleby, Glasgow University Hockey Club
Rugby Tour To Poland
“Amazing Tour organised, at last, the last minute by 20 disorganised rugby players! Everything went to plan and The Rugby Manhandled the details to perfection. Whether they want us or not next year, they will be organising our tour through popular demand. Thank you!”
Adrian Lee, Tour Manager, Black Horse RFC
Rugby Tour To Munich
“I was tasked with organising the annual tour for Old Tiffs RFC this year. The Rugby Man got in touch with us to offer his services, and we were very glad we agreed to work with them. We tour every year on a set budget, and with The Rugby Man’s help we managed …
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… to get out to Munich, play a game against a fantastic host team and enjoy the city over a cracking weekend. The Rugby Man arranged flights, accommodation, the fixture, accreditation, and even transport. He was incredibly easy to work with, communicated clearly and in plenty of time and ensured that everything went off without a hitch.
His advice was valuable and his judgment is spot on. He also offered all of his services, which go above and beyond, at a great price, making working with him a no-brainer. He is clearly a proper rugby man and knows exactly what a touring side is looking for. Plus, with him managing elements like booking flights and sorting the oppo, we were able to focus on the fun elements – taking the stress out of the organisation completely. I would absolutely recommend The Rugby Man, as would the 31 other tourists from OTRFC who headed out to Munich this May.“
Jamie McNicholas, Tour Manager, Old Tiffinians RFC
Rugby Tour To Malta
“The Rugby Man has been providing Belsize Park RFC with epic tours with unforgettable excursions for a number of seasons. Ranging from bull fighting schools in Lisbon to private schooner hires in Malta.”
Joseph Murphy, Chairman, Belsize Park RFC
Rugby Tour To Berlin
“Absolutely fantastic tour in Berlin! 16 very happy Rugby girls who had the best time! Very well organised by The Rugby Man. The hostel was well-sourced and was tolerable of our noise, the activities were a perfect fit and despite some difficulties, they were all sorted out …
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… We appreciated the many suggestions of excursions and the enthusiasm The Rugby Man provided for our tour. This company is perfect if you do not know the place you are visiting well as they source ideas and make many suggestions so that your tour is tailor-made to your interests. Reasonable price, 100% would recommend The Rugby Man, thanks for a great tour!”
Ella Povey, President, Reading University Women’s RFC
Squash Tour to Boston and New York
“The Rugby Man provided great support and service for our tour to Boston and New York. Despite numerous efforts through multiple channels, we were unable to locate any reasonably-priced accommodation for our stay …
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… Through his industry links, The Rugby Man managed to source some fantastic accommodation for us. We would definitely recommend his services to other tours as The Rugby Man has provided a great helping hand, and I never anticipated how much time and effort a tour takes to organise.“
Andrew Lindsay, President, Oxford University Squash & Rackets Club
Swimming and water polo tour to Malaga
“Excellent tour to Malaga, everything was impeccably organised and The Rugby Man was always on hand to help throughout the week. We encountered an issue with our accommodation (totally unrelated to The Rugby Man) …
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… and it quickly became evident the commitment The Rugby Man had to our group and ensuring we could make the most of our time there. It was a privilege to have someone as kind, calm and genuinely caring help us with our tour. Not often you can find this and I would thoroughly recommend this company.“
