"If you want to secure a ticket for any Springbok match all the way to a potential final at next year's Rugby World Cup in England, you now can," said Jurie Roux, CEO of SARU, at the official launch of the company at The Springbok Experience rugby museum in Cape Town on Tuesday, 18 March 2014.
"We've taken the worry out of the equation for our supporters by the creation of this new company. Fans that are committed to traveling can buy match tickets and travel packages today all the way to the final. Tickets go on sale to the general public in September," Roux said.
SA Rugby Travel won the exclusive rights to offer sub-Saharan rugby fans the chance to travel to England in 2015 following a comprehensive tender evaluation and selection process by Rugby Travel and Hospitality (RTH), the company appointed by Rugby World Cup Ltd (RWCL) to manage the global fan travel and hospitality programmes.
Tourvest's Destination Management division is the single largest ground handler of foreign leisure tourists to the Southern African region and is responsible for managing the travel arrangements of 120 000 overseas holiday-makers to South Africa every year. It single-handedly looked after 67 000 corporate soccer fans during the 2010 FIFA World Cup and is currently involved with the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil.
"We have a plan to cater for every Springbok fan - taking into account that no European experience can ever be cheap given the current exchange rates," said Bryan Coetzee, Tourvest director of Sports Travel.
"But, having said that, we start off with a package that would suit even the fan who wants to sleep on a friend's couch and only source a match ticket and flights from us. At the other end of the scale we have guided VIP packages to give our corporate clients a magic carpet ride all the way to the final. We have already secured match tickets, airline seats and a range of hotel rooms at all potential Springbok venues to take all the hassle out of the experience for Springbok fans."
Coetzee said that their budget package starts at R16,700 for a 'freewheeler' flight and ticket package to the opening match and the Boks' first game.
The face value cost of adult tickets for the Rugby World Cup final ranges from £150 (R2,700) to £715 (R12,721).
For more, go to www.sarugbytravel.com
