Lions Tour

ec18 · 18-08-2020 3:15pm #1

Hi,

Just wondering has anyone ever gone on a lions tour with a package company?
or can recommend one?

Ec

Burkie1203 · 18-08-2020 10:32pm

https://twitter.com/MichaelC_RTE/status/1295835007366377472?s=19

Sheep Shagger · 18-08-2020 11:20pm

ec18 wrote: »

Hi,

Just wondering has anyone ever gone on a lions tour with a package company?
or can recommend one?

Ec

Did the 2009 SA ourselves DIY....ironic they announce tickets go on sale 3 Sept today then say it may not happen.

Heres Johnny · 18-08-2020 11:22pm

ec18 wrote: »

Hi,

Just wondering has anyone ever gone on a lions tour with a package company?
or can recommend one?

Ec

South Africa is dirt cheap to do on your own. Lions tour packages are mental money. Although I will say SA is a dangerous spot, we did 2009 on our own but we had some south Africans that were with our club help us out down there.

ec18 · 19-08-2020 9:07am

That's what I was wondering, if it was NZ or Aus probably would try do it myself or even if I was going on my own, but it's a present for the old man so convenience is king for him as well. As well as SA being dangerours

un5byh7sqpd2x0 · 19-08-2020 9:25am

Having been to SA, it’s incredibly cheap and also incredibly dangerous. We were recommended by airport staff in Johannesburg to hire an armed escort to go with us in to the city of a long layover for example.

As for tour companies, I can recommend Rugby Travel Ireland - I believe their packages are going on sale in the next 2-3 weeks.

Sheep Shagger · 19-08-2020 10:21am

Carlos Deep Babysitter wrote: »

Having been to SA, it’s incredibly cheap and also incredibly dangerous. We were recommended by airport staff in Johannesburg to hire an armed escort to go with us in to the city of a long layover for example.

As for tour companies, I can recommend Rugby Travel Ireland - I believe their packages are going on sale in the next 2-3 weeks.

They are a rip off.....big money for dinner with some retired player.

Beware, Rugby Travel Ireland are only now sorting people out who paid to go to SA for the 2 Leinster PRO14 games earlier tbis year.

thomond2006 · 19-08-2020 10:32am

What's the general opinion of Cape Town? I've read so much nightmare stories about Johannesburg.

The warmup games are usually ****e but the first three games take in Cape Town, PE and Durban.

Sheep Shagger · 19-08-2020 10:38am

thomond2006 wrote: »

What's the general opinion of Cape Town? I've read so much nightmare stories about Johannesburg.

The warmup games are usually ****e but the first three games takes in Cape Town, PE and Durban.

Was my favourite spot and felt the safest there. If I was to return I'd definitely go back to CT.

Liked Durban, as for J'Burg.....the opposite

While it is not the safest place it is possible to DIY, at this late stage hotels could be an issue. We stayed at guest houses. Boughg season tickets for local clubs out there for peanuts to get the right to buy Lions test tickets

Scottmactom · 19-08-2020 10:39am

Cancel it now.

Jacovs · 19-08-2020 10:50am

South Africa's borders arent open for international tourism at the moment, and might not be until the new year. Any international arrivals have to spend 2 weeks in a government appointed quarantine facility.
Look into that first before booking anything.

thomond2006 · 19-08-2020 10:58am

I'm not booking anything until 2021 at the earliest. If it's cancelled before then so be it.

un5byh7sqpd2x0 · 19-08-2020 11:36am

Sheep Shagger wrote: »

They are a rip off.....big money for dinner with some retired player.

Which is optional ? So you neither have to go to it, nor pay for it.

Sheep Shagger wrote: »

Beware, Rugby Travel Ireland are only now sorting people out who paid to go to SA for the 2 Leinster PRO14 games earlier tbis year.

That was as a result of a Shane Ross decree, no? And a lack of clarity about what was happening with the rest of the season? https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/1ae3d-refund-credit-note/

19-08-2020 11:42am

Sheep Shagger wrote: »

They are a rip off.....big money for dinner with some retired player.

Beware, Rugby Travel Ireland are only now sorting people out who paid to go to SA for the 2 Leinster PRO14 games earlier tbis year.

I was in Japan on a package, albeit not with RTI, it was fantastic and in my opinion, good value. I was planning to go to SA with son, but with everything going on I’m going to hold off until after Xmas to make a decision.

Former Coach · 25-08-2020 10:28pm

Carlos Deep Babysitter wrote: »

Having been to SA, it’s incredibly cheap and also incredibly dangerous. We were recommended by airport staff in Johannesburg to hire an armed escort to go with us in to the city of a long layover for example.

As for tour companies, I can recommend Rugby Travel Ireland - I believe their packages are going on sale in the next 2-3 weeks.

I travelled to S.A. in 2016 for Ireland’s 3-match series. Couldn’t recommend them highly enough!

Former Coach · 25-08-2020 10:31pm

thomond2006 wrote: »

What's the general opinion of Cape Town? I've read so much nightmare stories about Johannesburg.

The warmup games are usually ****e but the first three games take in Cape Town, PE and Durban.

Cape Town and P.E. Are great cities. I would consider them safe- but you need to make sensible decisions about where you go and how you behave. Don’t go around after dark on your own!

Mc Love · 25-08-2020 11:50pm

ec18 wrote: »

Hi,

Just wondering has anyone ever gone on a lions tour with a package company?
or can recommend one?

Ec

Been on the 2013 tour with Gullivers and was not disappointed one bit bar the minority Irish people on it but met some good fans and a great time.

un5byh7sqpd2x0 · 27-08-2020 10:29pm

RTI tours are out. All I can say is Jesus fučk. 8.5k to 14k !!!

27-08-2020 10:33pm

Carlos Deep Babysitter wrote: »

RTI tours are out. All I can say is Jesus fučk. 8.5k to 14k !!!

Ya, just had a look at it, I’m going to wait until after Xmas and look again at British tour operator packs.

ec18 · 28-08-2020 7:05am

Club travel have ones as well that are a lot cheaper - 4-8k I can attach the brochures if anyone's interested

C0N0R · 28-08-2020 7:13am

ec18 wrote: »

Club travel have ones as well that are a lot cheaper - 4-8k I can attach the brochures if anyone's interested

Yes please

Heres Johnny · 28-08-2020 7:31am

As far as I recall I paid the following in 09 on a DIY lions tour for 2nd and 3rd tests

Flights to Johannesburg from Dublin (return) 600 euro
Flight from Johannesburg to Cape Town return
Can't remember price but not much
Car hire can't remember but not much for 2 weeks there were 6 of us and we hired 2 land rover freelanders
Stayed out in safaris and lovely bed and breakfasts and a couple of hotels
Never paid more than 30 euro a night for accommodation
Did it all, safari, shark diving and even went to sun city casino resort (don't go to sun city its no use)
Eat and drank as much as we could but could not spend anywhere close to 100 a day even with an activity in there. Maybe an activity such as safari, all our food and drink and accommodation for the night was 100 euro.
Tickets for 2 test matches were 100 each
Overall the 2 weeks there for us, including getting there, car hire, internal flights, vineyard, safaris, shark diving, eating and drinking like pigs, accommodation, match tickets, if it cost me 2500 to 3000 I'd be surprised.

ec18 · 28-08-2020 8:00am

C0N0R wrote: »

Yes please

There you go

Sheep Shagger · 28-08-2020 10:56am

Heres Johnny wrote: »

As far as I recall I paid the following in 09 on a DIY lions tour for 2nd and 3rd tests

Flights to Johannesburg from Dublin (return) 600 euro
Flight from Johannesburg to Cape Town return
Can't remember price but not much
Car hire can't remember but not much for 2 weeks there were 6 of us and we hired 2 land rover freelanders
Stayed out in safaris and lovely bed and breakfasts and a couple of hotels
Never paid more than 30 euro a night for accommodation
Did it all, safari, shark diving and even went to sun city casino resort (don't go to sun city its no use)
Eat and drank as much as we could but could not spend anywhere close to 100 a day even with an activity in there. Maybe an activity such as safari, all our food and drink and accommodation for the night was 100 euro.
Tickets for 2 test matches were 100 each
Overall the 2 weeks there for us, including getting there, car hire, internal flights, vineyard, safaris, shark diving, eating and drinking like pigs, accommodation, match tickets, if it cost me 2500 to 3000 I'd be surprised.

This was pretty much our experience too.

RTI are daylight robbers, their biggest drawcard will be some has been player being on the tour for the 'craic'

Just gate crash one of their dinners if that's Important to you.

thomond2006 · 13-09-2020 12:05am

Unsurprisingly the official packages are money grabs.

Take this 3 nights in Cape Town for example: https://www.lionstour.com/package/provincial-tour-bq

- 3 nights in a hotel where a quick Google says you can get for 200 odd right now
- Match tickets. Match tickets for the provincial games are peanuts.

That's it!

ArmchairQB · 15-09-2020 11:15am

Will it go ahead?? Will supporters/spectators be allowed?

hahashake · 15-09-2020 11:57am

Seems like a remarkable gamble to assume it will be. The question is, if crowds aren't allowed do they delay or go ahead with no spectators?

Boscoirl · 15-09-2020 12:00pm

we are booked.going for 2 1/2 weeks, out for the Bulls game, and the 1st and 2nd tests. have booked our own flights, will do our own thing for the first 6 nights, then join up with RTI for the Tests.

Burkie1203 · 20-12-2020 2:36pm

If this is the case then the tour is in danger

https://twitter.com/Steffan_Thomas1/status/1340649208894898177?s=19

hahashake · 20-12-2020 2:49pm

Don't think this should be a surprise to anyone.

20-12-2020 2:57pm

I doubt there will be much enthusiasm amongst the players to head off on tour, there appears to have been significant problems reported with the English cricket team, both physical and mental whilst on tour. I was looking forward to travelling to SA if circumstances were right, definitely not going now, even if I was vaccinated.

Burkie1203 · 20-12-2020 3:04pm

Dav010 wrote: »

I doubt there will be much enthusiasm amongst the players to head off on tour, there appears to have been significant problems reported with the English cricket team, both physical and mental whilst on tour. I was looking forward to travelling to SA if circumstances were right, definitely not going now, even if I was vaccinated.

Yeah players were confined to hotel 24/7 more or less. Single rooms no sharing, team room was pretty much a no go etc. England cricket team spent the guts of 3 months in a bubble over summer too to fulfil 2 test and one day series as well as games v Ireland. Its hard going over several months.

Lions tour would be the same and its 2 months at the end of a long season.

Burkie1203 · 20-12-2020 3:15pm

https://twitter.com/RuaidhriOC/status/1340661860866150400?s=19

Former Former Former · 20-12-2020 3:41pm

www.bloomberg.com/amp/news/articles/2020-12-05/south-africa-expects-first-virus-vaccine-delivery-by-mid-2021

This isn't very encouraging

Dog Botherer · 20-12-2020 3:48pm

least surprising news i’ve seen in weeks

20-12-2020 4:01pm

Must also put SA teams joining Pro 14 in 2021 in doubt.

AbusesToilets · 20-12-2020 5:38pm

what odds on them looking to another country to fulfill the tour, versus outright cancelling it?

The Lost Sheep · 20-12-2020 5:41pm

AbusesToilets wrote: »

what odds on them looking to another country to fulfill the tour, versus outright cancelling it?

what country?
If SA doesnt happen the tour doesnt happen.

hahashake · 20-12-2020 8:13pm

Hilarious username post/like combination.

AbusesToilets · 20-12-2020 9:24pm

The Lost Sheep wrote: »

what country?
If SA doesnt happen the tour doesnt happen.

One of the other SAANZAR countries presumably.

The Lost Sheep · 20-12-2020 9:25pm

AbusesToilets wrote: »

One of the other SAANZAR countries presumably.

Never could/would happen. its less than 6 months away. if SA doesnt happen there isnt going to be a tour at all

Burkie1203 · 01-01-2021 11:47pm

No way this tour goes ahead IMO

https://twitter.com/FoyChris/status/1345137720792907776?s=19

Sheep Shagger · 02-01-2021 1:23pm

Was never going to happen....

The commercial aspect of announcing sponsors and the jersey all has to happen as part of the massive gravey train that the tour has become.

Louis Friend · 02-01-2021 1:26pm

It’s very hard to see the Tour going ahead.

So what are the options?

- The Tests go ahead in the UK & Ireland

- The Tour gets pushed back to 2022

- The Tests go ahead in another country (e.g. USA, Dubai, France, Australia, Argentina, New Zealand)

- The whole thing is abandoned

The revenue is badly needed, so I think there’s a decent chance that the Tests will be played in the UK & Ireland this summer. But the most likely outcome is a 2022 Lions Tour, subject to South Africa’s existing commitments for the Summer of 2022 being moveable.

02-01-2021 1:26pm

Louis Friend wrote: »

It’s very hard to see the Tour going ahead.

So what are the options?

- The Tests go ahead in the UK & Ireland

- The Tour gets pushed back to 2022

- The Tests go ahead in another country (e.g. USA, Dubai, France, Australia, Argentina, New Zealand)

- The whole thing is abandoned

For commercial reasons the tour will happen at some stage. Given how much WR tried to push the 2023 world cup to south africa there is clearly an ongoing need for finances within the game there and I'd imagine a Lions tour would be a huge part of that.

Buddy Bubs · 02-01-2021 1:29pm

We dropped our plans to go on this a few months back. Even if it does I'm not going to south Africa amid restrictions and isolating when I come home.

irishbucsfan · 02-01-2021 1:29pm

I could see the tour being pushed back to 2022 but I'd imagine if that happens there will be tests hastily organised to replace it this summer and South Africa may get a tour of Europe out of it to keep them going.

They're not going to be out of the woods for a long time down there unfortunately

Sheep Shagger · 02-01-2021 1:30pm

Louis Friend wrote: »

It’s very hard to see the Tour going ahead.

So what are the options?

- The Tests go ahead in the UK & Ireland

- The Tour gets pushed back to 2022

- The Tests go ahead in another country (e.g. USA, Dubai, France, Australia, Argentina, New Zealand)

- The whole thing is abandoned

Moving to 2022 or abandonment seems the most likely.

Getting a tour up and running in another country would be a logistical nightmare. No country wants big crowds at this stage either.

Louis Friend · 02-01-2021 1:30pm

I’m booked to go but everything is moveable/cancellable. Very disappointing but it’s a first world problem.

hahashake · 02-01-2021 1:31pm

Another wrinkle is Gatland is only contracted for 2021, however I'm sure an agreement could be made.

Seen a few people on twitter mentioning 6N being pushed to summer and Lions till 2022.

Sheep Shagger · 02-01-2021 1:32pm

Buddy Bubs wrote: »

We dropped our plans to go on this a few months back. Even if it does I'm not going to south Africa amid restrictions and isolating when I come home.

I really don't know why anyone would want to travel to SA for this or anything else while covid is around.

Lions Tour

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