Tours are a long-standing tradition of rugby and the best tours are usually the result of good planning. This simple checklist will help you get started…

Tour Planning

• Appoint officials and agree terms of reference:
  
  • Tour secretary
  • Treasurer
  • Promotions manager
  • Press officer
  • Tour party manager
  • Tour captain
  • Coach(es)
  • Doctor/physio
  • Baggage master
• Decide dates of meetings and establish deadlines for administrative arrangements
• Obtain permission to tour from RFU via Constituent Body Secretary
• Produce a tour brochure
• Arrange promotional events

Research

• Collect data on prospective host Unions
• Speak to prospective host clubs
• Agree with a tour operator:
  
  • Destination
  • Dates
  • Numbers in party
  • Mode of travel
  • Type of accommodation (hotel, motel, B&B, billets, etc)
  • Requirements for training and team rooms
• Clarify and confirm tour agreement with hosts including financial arrangements and reserves policy
• Find visa and inoculation requirements

Tour itinerary

• Plan games, training sessions and free time
• Decide where, when & how to entertain your hosts

Insurance

• Personal
• Holiday
• Liability
• Death & disability
• Accident
• Loss of clothing & equipment

Kitting out

• Design tour motif
• Issue of items of clothing - blazers, slacks, tracksuits, bags, etc
• Order medical kit
• Assemble training equipment
• Take club flag
• Purchase spare studs (differing lengths), laces, labels, etc
• Decide on appropriate gifts to exchange

Personnel administration

• Establish availability suitable players
• Select squad
• Ensure sufficient reserves on standby
• Plan and agree pre-tour training including sufficient fitness testing
• Produce a tour party roll with addresses, telephone numbers, emergency contacts
• Produce addresses and phone numbers for tour locations
• Complete next of kin forms
• Write pen portraits
• Establish and agree all duties required of officials, players and baggage master
• Draw up a duty roster
• Confirm press reporting procedures

Documentation

• Ensure valid passports and visas
• Check import and immigration regulations
• Arrange currency
• Collect medical, dental forms and inoculation certificate

Assemble prior to departure

• Complete final medical checks by doctor
• Complete fitness test
• Take tour photograph

On tour

• Maintain a tour dairy
• Record expenses and keep accounts
• Contact essential officials/embassies, etc
• Distribute gifts
• Maintain good conduct and PR

Report back

• Reconcile accounts
• Report to club, RFU and sponsors
• Send letters of thanks to host clubs

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