Getting off the Beaten Track

posted on 06 August 2010

It is a frightening fact that the world seems to be getting smaller. With a well put 140 letters, you can converse with a like minded 'e-friend' 1000's of miles away, or with a simple upload of a photo album, you can track people's social life with an unassuming click.

It is a fascinating age we live in, although it is still relatively new, this immense communication web is giving us limitless access to every square inch of our wonderful planet.

However, in our game, there are still some things that are best left to the traditional networks. We have been arranging sports tours across Europe for a few years now, and with every client, or on every journey, our traditional network still stands strong.

Rugby is unlike any other community - the day you pick up a ball you become part of a family. This is only magnified when you spend 80 minutes against one another, or you meet over a beer at the bar afterwards.

We have established our greatest contacts, and developed our best tours around such meetings throughout this wonderful family.

I started Sky High Sports in 2009 with these beliefs at the forefront of my mind. It is a real passion to create these experiences for each of our groups - especially if they are meeting after a journey of 1000s of miles.

It is a real bugbear of mine when I see tour groups in the UK beating the trodden path - visiting the same old museums and doing the same old guided tours. Forgive me for being blunt, but when I was sixteen, my passion wasn't for Medieval art, or listening to some has-been twining on about times past.

I spent last Sunday walking through London, I was waiting for an evening flight home to my home town of Newcastle. During an enthusiastic stroll through the capital, I saw numerous school groups and sports teams bustling through Westminster and up the Mall towards Buckingham Palace.

Although I must admit it is imperative to spend time in London on a visit to the UK, I wondered what other stereotypical visits these groups will be making during their stay. I imagine they would be the sort of trip where the path is worn bare with teams who have gone before and will no-doubt follow on after. It will still be a great experience, and I hope they remember their time in the UK fondly, but trust me, there are sights, sounds and experiences to be had away from this path that will really stick with you.

On our tours, I like to get away from this. I'd like to put you in a place where a team from America, Australia or Asia has never been - setting the standard, pitching the flag if you like. This is where real memories are made, and the family is expanded.

I once heard a great phrase about some of our programmes. "They are not Zoo trips - looking but not touching. A Sky High Sports Tour will get your hands dirty with the culture, traditions and wonders of the destination you will visit."

Prepare to break finger nails digging the surface as opposed to muddying them scratching it!

We have just updated our USA-Specific pages on our excellent website. Click here to directly to it.

You will be able to download a selection of our favoured packages as well as read a little more about our passion!