The Springboks are still on top of the world, having beaten the British and Irish Lions in a hard-fought, gruelling test series. Now for the next big one: Rugby World Cup 2023 in France.
Yes, there will in the meantime be the Rugby Championships and a number of other massive test matches against teams such as the All Blacks, who would dearly want to show that they actually deserve to be regarded as the top team in the world, but whatever the results, they will only have bragging rights if they come up tops in France 2023.
So, with just more than 700 days before kick-off, it is time for rugby lovers to secure match tickets, air tickets and hotel accommodation.
If you are interested to be part of the action and excitement, there is no better travel agent to contact than Sportsnation, who has been confirmed as an official travel agent (OTA) for the 2023 World Cup. This means they have tickets for all the games, including the semi-finals and the final.
The first match kicks off on 8 September 2023 and the final will be played six weeks later, on 28 October 2023. Click here for the pool match fixtures.
The tournament will be played entirely in France, the nine host cities being Lille, Saint-Denis (a suburb of Paris), Nantes, Lyon, Saint-Étienne, Bordeaux, Toulouse, Nice and Marseille. Twenty teams will be competing, made up of the twelve teams which achieved a top-three finish in the pool stages of the 2019 tournament, plus an additional eight teams who will join them after a qualifying process.
The teams confirmed to be taking part are South Africa, Australia, Fiji, New Zealand, Wales, Japan, England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland, Samoa and Argentina. The Springboks will be playing in Marseilles, Bordeaux and Saint-Denis, Paris, for the pool stages of the tournament and – should they qualify for the knock-out stages – will play their quarter finals, semi finals and the final also in Saint-Denis.
Back to the “new kid” on the block, Sportsnation, who is the first South African black-owned OTA to be awarded travel rights for the rugby showpiece. The sports and incentive travel company staved off stiff competition from renowned agencies in the industry to make their mark as the face of a transforming travel landscape in South Africa.
Sportsnation’s strides in a competitive sports travel industry are deserved rewards for founder and CEO of Sportsnation, Malusi Mbambo, who has travelled the journey from the beginning as a small start-up agency to an international contender.
“Covid-19 hit everyone in the travel industry hard, including our small business, Sportsnation. On a cold winter evening in lockdown, I decided to grab our future by the horns and complete the tender to become an OTA for Rugby World Cup 2023. We have built up an experienced team and we are launching our packages for Rugby World Cup 2023 along with our new look and feel. I couldn’t be more excited.”
If you are interested, click here to secure packages for the big event, which costs between R22 009 to R43 454 per person sharing, depending on the number of days you are going to spend in France and the matches you want to attend.
According to Mbambo, Sportsnation has seventeen Al-packages on offer. “We have put packages together that we think will be of interest to our FANatics, but we understand everyone has different needs. A pre-existing package can be added on to or be combined with another packages to suit your interest in the matches you would like to see, thus creating a tailor-made tour. Should you wish to add excursions to your trip in the various cities, our team will recommend the best experiences to add on to your trip.”
He points out that Sportsnation has secured standard rooms at some of the best centrally located hotels, with groups such as the Marriott, Hyatt and other 4- to 5-star properties (based on hotel offering in the relevant cities). All packages are based on a bed and breakfast meal plan.
All the packages include accommodation and breakfast at 4 star hotels, match tickets and transfers to and from the games, travel Insurance and access to the Sportsnation mobile app. Examples of packages are:
- Wingless Al-Package 1 (6 to 12 September 2023) from R35 196 per person sharing. This package offers tickets for the opening game on 8 September in Paris between France and New Zealand; as well as the match on 10 September between South Africa v Scotland.
- Wingless Al-Package 7 (21 to 27 September 2023) from 38 616 per person sharing. This package offers tickets for the match on 23 September in Paris between South Africa and Ireland; and the match on 24 September between Wales v Australia in Lyon.
- Wingless Al-Package 10 (12 to 18 October 2023) from R31 020 per person sharing. This package offers tickets for the quarter final in Paris on 14 October between the winner Pool B and the runner up in Pool A; and the quarter final on 15 October between the winner of Pool A and the runner up in Pool B.
For supporters who wish to follow South Africa to RWC 2023, Sportsnation has four Online Exclusive Wingless Match Breaks. These are single match travel packages to spend 3 nights in France, excluding flights, starting at R12 891 per person.
Mbambo points out that all packages must be combined with accommodation or flights as per Rugby World Cup. “Accommodation has already been pre-negotiated, but we have travel packages available with and without flight options.”
He responds as follows to some frequently asked questions:
Are there any advantages in buying the packages at this early stage?
There certainly is. If you buy any of our 13 Al-packages (excluding our online match breaks) before the end of November 2021, you get a 5% discount. As there are limited seats available in the stadiums with OTA’s selling tickets across the world, you will have your seat secured for those matches.
Do I have to pay the full amount should I make a booking now?
A 20% deposit is required to secure the selected Rugby World Cup package. A further 40% has to be paid by 1 February 2022, the outstanding balance on or before 1 February 2023. Bookings confirmed after 1 February 2023 will require a 100% payment. Airline, rail and hotel cancellations / change fees apply. Match tickets are, however, non-refundable.
What if I buy a package, but cannot go because of unforeseen circumstances?
Should the booking be cancelled for any reason whatsoever, partially or in full, by or on behalf of the customer the following cancellation fees available on our website will be due and payable. All cancellations must be made in writing and shall be effective only on the date on which Sportsnation receives the written notice of cancellation.
Who can I contact for more information?
We do encourage you to use our online service. Should you, however, wish to receive more information such as adding to a package, you can email info@sportsnation.co.za or operations@sportsnation.co.za
| Sportsnation, which has offices in Johannesburg and Durban and offers a rainbow of sport experiences, was established in 2012. Sportsnation specialises in corporate group travel, logistics, individual travellers and schools travel arrangements both in-bound and out-bound of South Africa. Sportsnation believes sport is about feeling and their mission is to design memorable, once in a lifetime sports adventures for fans, by fans. As a BBB-EE Level 1 business, they are extremely proud to be a first-time Official Travel Agent for Rugby World Cup France 2023. |
