The Rugby Tour Specialists

What The Rugby Tour Specialists does

The Rugby Tour Specialists (trading as Sky High Sports Limited) is a UK-based, specialized tour operator that designs and delivers end-to-end rugby touring experiences for amateur teams worldwide. Founded in 2009 and headquartered in Corbridge, Northumberland, the company coordinates fixture arrangements with host clubs, accommodation, transportation, coaching clinics, and cultural activities across more than 17 countries spanning Europe, North America, South America, Asia, Oceania, and Africa. Its product lineup is segmented by age and intent: Mini Rugby Tours (U6-U14), Youth Rugby Tours (U15-U18, including schools and colleges), Senior Rugby Tours (adult end-of-season trips), and Sky High Sports International Tours (long-haul to Japan, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Argentina). Add-on modules include the Zebre Parma Rugby Experience, Bath Rugby Experience, Farleigh House Coaching Experience, Senior Tour Social Package, and Tour-by-Train rail packages in partnership with Virgin Trains East Coast/LNER.

The business operates a sales-led, direct-to-customer model with one-to-one dedicated tour planners handling each client from initial inquiry through post-tour follow-up. Pricing is quote-based and varies by destination, group size, duration, and inclusions; the company explicitly states it does not aim to be the cheapest. There is no proprietary technology platform — the service layer is human-serviced and relies on the company's network of host clubs, professional franchises, and rugby federations. Competitive advantage rests on a deep ecosystem of partnerships (notably Bath Rugby as Official Tour Partner since 2017 and Federación Española de Rugby since 2013), a team of active rugby-playing tour planners, and compliance with the UK 1992 Package Travel Regulations that provides consumer financial protection.

The company is privately held with no external equity investment and operates with a 24-person team. Geographic expansion has been a recurring theme: a London base (June 2021), a Canadian office (May 2021), and a dedicated Australia & New Zealand operation (December 2025). Distribution is exclusively direct via phone, email, and a website inquiry form, with no intermediaries or reseller channels. Marketing is content-driven through rugbytours.co.uk, an active Instagram presence (@RUGBYTOURS), and a programme of customer testimonials that the company identifies as a primary referral source.

Name

The Rugby Tour Specialists

Legal name

Sky High Sports Limited

Website

https://skyhighsports.biz

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Rugby Tour Specialists (Sky High Sports) is a UK-based tour operator designing end-to-end rugby tours for amateur clubs, schools, and international teams across 17+ countries, coordinating fixtures, accommodation, transport, and curated rugby experiences via a direct, human-serviced sales model.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Rugby Tour Services

NAICS

All Other Amusement and Recreation Industries (71399)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Sports & Active Travel Agencies (e.g., ski, golf, dive) (THAKAFAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Sports Events & Match Tickets (THAJAFAE), Sports & Recreation Lessons (Surfing, Skiing, Golf, Tennis) (THAJAKAN)

Keywords

• Rugby tour packages
• Sports travel services
• Team tour operator
• Youth rugby tours
• International rugby travel

Headquarters

HQ city

Corbridge, Northumberland

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Package Tour Sales: The company generates revenue through selling complete rugby tour packages that include logistics coordination, fixture arrangement with host clubs, accommodation booking, transportation, and curated local experiences. Revenue is earned as one-time fees per group tour.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Sky High Sports organizes custom rugby tour packages for teams worldwide, arranging match fixtures against host clubs, booking accommodation and transport, and curating local cultural and rugby experiences. Offerings span age groups from mini (U6-U12) and youth (U15-U18) to senior/adult teams, with destinations across the UK, Ireland, France, Italy, Spain, Benelux, Germany, Japan, Canada, USA, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and Argentina. The service includes add-on modules such as professional rugby experiences (Zebre Parma, Bath Rugby), coaching clinics at elite facilities (Farleigh House), and senior tour social packages.

Product overview

The Rugby Tour Specialists (Sky High Sports) is a specialized tour operator offering comprehensive rugby touring experiences. The core offering consists of four main tour types: Rugby Tours to Europe (covering UK, Ireland, France, Italy, Spain, and Benelux), Mini Rugby Tours (youth-focused), Youth Rugby Tours (school and club teams), and Senior Rugby Tours (adult/social tours). The company also operates long-haul international tours to Japan, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and Argentina. Add-on modules include professional rugby experiences (Zebre Parma, Bath Rugby), coaching clinics at elite facilities (Farleigh House), senior tour social packages, and Tour-by-Train rail options. The service encompasses fixture arrangement, accommodation booking, transport logistics, cultural activities, and post-match hospitality.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Rugby Tours to Europe

Quantifiable outcome

• 100+ testimonials and positive reviews from touring teams across multiple years and destinations
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Newcastle Rugby FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOfficial charity partner for 2025-2026. A portion of every Sky High Sports tour booking is donated to support the Foundation's mission to inspire, educate, and empower people of all ages throughout the North East of England. This partnership reflects company values of using rugby as a vehicle for positive change in their home community.
• Bath RugbyflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerOfficial Rugby Tour Partners of the Premiership Club since 2017. Partnership provides exclusive access to Farleigh House training facility tours, coaching sessions with players and coaches, behind-the-scenes experiences, and match tickets at The Rec. Bath Rugby endorsement validates service quality.
• Federación Española de Rugby (Spanish Rugby Federation)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership established in 2013 as part of the World Rugby Unity Project connecting RFU constituent bodies with European nations. Sky High Sports is the official tour operator for the Northumberland-Spain rugby link, promoting reciprocal tours and rugby development.
• Virgin Trains East CoastminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership for tour-by-train packages on the East Coast Main Line. Enables teams to travel by train to Edinburgh, Newcastle, York, and London destinations with exclusive carriage access and group bookings up to 12 months in advance.
• Wooden SpoonminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCharity partnership supporting Wooden Spoon's work with children in the UK and Ireland. Company participates in fundraising events such as the Northumberland Golf Day, which raised £6,000 for the charity.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Contiki: Global youth-focused group tour operator with sport-adjacent offerings. Broad incumbent that targets similar youth group demographics but not rugby-specialized.
• Keith Prowse Travel: Established UK sports hospitality and travel brand offering packages tied to major sporting events. Broader incumbent with overlapping rugby and event-tour capabilities but a wider portfolio.

Direct peers

• Sports Tours International: UK-based operator organizing sports tours and festivals across multiple sports including rugby. Comparable model with fixture and accommodation bundling for school/club groups.
• Anglo-German Sports Tours: UK-based sports tour specialist (rugby, cricket, hockey) arranging fixtures, accommodation and transport across Europe. Directly comparable service model and target customer (school and club teams).
• Total Rugby Tour: UK-based rugby tour specialist organizing tours for clubs and schools across Europe and beyond. Directly comparable as a rugby-only tour operator with similar fixture-plus-accommodation packages serving UK/Irish customers.
• Rugby Tours Ireland: Ireland-based rugby tour operator focused on inbound and outbound tours. Comparable niche specialization in rugby tours serving similar club and school customers.

Emerging players

• Tournament Rugby: UK-based operator running rugby tournament events and accompanying tour packages. Comparable niche within rugby but focused on tournament delivery rather than full tour orchestration.
• Traveleady: Sports tour operator focused on grassroots and youth team travel, including rugby tours. Emerging player with similar niche targeting of school/club teams.
• Edusport Travel: UK-based school and youth sports tour operator offering rugby and cricket tours across Europe. Comparable niche and customer base (schools) but broader sport coverage.

Regional players

• Haka Tours: New Zealand-based tour operator offering rugby-focused and adventure tours to and from NZ. Comparable sport-anchored tour product with a strong rugby cultural heritage angle.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/rugbytours
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/rugbytours

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Rugby Tour Specialists