In this edition we look at the success of the England Indoor Netball Team at the recent World Cup in New Zealand, our recent charity event which raised money for the Restart Rugby Charity. This months Festival Spotlight looks at the very popular Copa Santa Lloret Cup Junior Football Tournament in Spain. 

The Tour Spotlight this month follows on from a recent blog and covers Cricket Tours to Barbados! The Castle School are our sports tour feedback following their successful school rugby tour to South Africa over the summer. Finally this month's tour advice is our 'Top Ten Tips' to make your next sports tour a reality.

Ladies Indoor Netball squad take World Cup Gold!

We are extremely proud to announce that the England Ladies Netball Team won gold in the 7s championship at the Indoor Netball World Cup in New Zealand! This was the 4th consecutive year we have organised the travel and tour arrangements for the team. In the past they had travelled with us to South Africa and Australia.

A large squad travelled to New Zealand; a mixed team, U21 team and the Ladies team. They would be competing in both the Super 6s and 7s.

In the Super 6 competition all three sides made it through to the finals. The mixed team were defeated by South Africa 47-32. The U21 team had better fortune and defeated South Africa  47-37 to move into the semi final where they faced Australia. Following a draw at full time the game moved into extra time, which again ended all square. A nail biting shoot out followed and unfortunately Australia came out victorious. 

The Ladies’ side had an incredible quarter final result defeating South Africa 74-33, but were defeated by a strong Australian side 48-44 in the next round. New Zealand took Gold across the board in the Men’s, Ladies, Mixed and U21 categories.

 

The 7s tournament began with an amazing victory for the ladies team over hosts New Zealand, beating them by a single point!

The U21’s made it through to the finals again, with a strong 54-33 win over South Africa. But they were knocked out in the Semi Finals by Australia.

The Ladies’ team were on fine form with a close win over South Africa in the quarter finals they progressed to meet New Zealand. They made history by beating New Zealand AGAIN by just one goal 42-41 and reach the final of the 7s tournament!

Australia awaited the ladies side in the final. Following a unforgettable performance they won the match 42-34 to be crowned champions.

Burleigh Travel's Charity Dinner for Restart Rugby 

On Wednesday 7th September we hosted a charity event at the Hotel du Vin in Cheltenham to help raise money for Restart Rugby and local rugby team Minchampton RFC. We welcomed special guests Matt Kvesic and Andy Deacon, and following a wonderful evening raised £3,200.

We would like to thank everyone who attended for their incredible generosity, the Hotel du Vin for a wonderful evening and our guest speakers for their insight into the world of professional rugby.

Festival Spotlight - The Copa Santa Lloret Cup Junior Football Tournament 

Key Festival Facts

Date: 14th, 15th and 16st April

Age groups: Boys: U9-U19 & Girls: U14, U16 & U19

Location: Lloret De Mar, Spain

Anyone looking for a junior football tour in 2017 need to consider this popular event! The Lloret Cup youth football tournament is spread over three days, the first two days are qualifying games for the finals on the Sunday. The tournament attracts teams from across Europe, and often further afield, which will offer your team some very unique matches and experiences. 

You will be based in Lloret de Mar, which is situated on Spain’s ‘Costa Brava’. The average daily temperature in April is in the high 50's with 7 hours of sunshine. Lloret de Mar is renowned for its spectacular beaches which have been awarded the EU Blue Flag, a benchmark guaranteeing the highest of standards both in terms of the quality of the water, sand and of the services. Barcelona, the capital of Catalunya, is only an hour drive down the coastline and your tour can include a trip to this fascinating city and the Nou Camp Stadium, home to FC Barcelona.

You are guaranteed football matches on your first two days. While Sunday is the finals day and depending on how you have done you may have further games or a day free to explore. We would recommend visiting one of the nearby theme parks such as Porta Ventura or exploring Barcelona.

Click here to find out more about the Lloret Cup and see all of our football tournaments. 

Tour Spotlight - Cricket Tours to Barbados

A cricket tour to the West Indies is an unmissable experience for any cricket fan! Barbados is one of the most popular destinations, and for good reason! A gorgeous island located in the Eastern Caribbean where cricket is more of a religion then a sport. School cricket tours will be based in Holetown, the first settlement on the island, while senior and university teams will stay at the St Lawrence Gap, which is home to the island's nightlife scene.

 

Barbados also has some of our most popular excursions. All age groups enjoy the catamaran day trip where you have the chance to swim with exotic fish and turtles. For our junior cricket teams we recommend the submarine tour or a trip to the Boatyard which has a range of inflatable climbing walls and obstacles in the sea. For senior teams a rum tour at one of the local distilleries is a must and the Friday Night Fish Fry, which combines a fantastic party atmosphere with freshly caught BBQ fish. 

You can read more in our recent blog. 

Sports Tour Feedback - The Castle School Rugby Tour to South Africa

The Castle School from Bristol recently returned from their school rugby tour to South Africa. The team spent two weeks exploring this beautiful country and playing a number of fixtures against local schools and even a township side. 

Spending time in Cape Town, Umhlanga and Ghost Mountain the boys had a chance to undertake some fantastic excursions such as a safari, Zulu dance experience, the Big Rush Stadium Swing (the tallest in the world), Robben Island and zip lining. 

 

"The tour was really good and a great experience for the boys. We enjoyed everything and all went so well! The accommodation was great, as was the coach. One of the biggest highlights was the Big Rush Swing which you had recommended before we left, and this was amazing with 26 out of the 29 of the boys doing it! They did Zip Lining in Cape Town which I would recommend. The service from Burleigh Travel was fantastic throughout and to a very high standard!" - The Castle School

Burleigh Travel Tour Advice

Our 'Top Ten Tips' to make your next sports tour a reality

1. Ask for financial commitment early.

2. Publicise the tour as much as possible.

3. Make the most of your destination.

4. Be realistic.

5. Get started early.

6. Collect regular payments.

7. Speak to others at your club.

8. Do you need permission?

9. Build a strong, reliable team.

10. Enjoy It.

You can read about these ten tips in full in our blog here.