Santa Barbara Rugby Academy Rugby World Cup 2011 Tour

Join the Santa Barbara Rugby Academy as we follow USA Pool Game Tour, 9 Nights

Players & Supporters Tour
5 September – 16 September, 2011
Please call (805) 451-5652 or (562) 209-3070 for more details

Mon 05 Sep  Depart San Francisco for New Zealand

Tue 06 Sep  Cross international dateline

Wed 07 Sep  Meet and greet Auckland airport. Transfer to Rotorua.

Thu 08 Sep  Full Day New Zealand Sports Academy.

Fri 09 Sep  Round trip stadium transfers to Auckland for New Zealand vs. Tonga.

Sat 10 Sep  Sightseeing in Rotorua. Fiji vs. Namibia.

Sun 11 Sep  Round trip stadium transfers for USA vs. Ireland.

Mon 12 Sep  Full Day New Zealand Sports Academy.

Tue 13 Sep  Full Day New Zealand Sports Academy.

Wed 14 Sep  Site seeing in Rotorua. Samoa vs. Namibia.

Thu 15 Sep  Round trip stadium transfers to New Plymouth for USA vs. Russia.

Fri 16 Sep  Transfer to Auckland for your departure

Prices form per person USD$
	Multi Share Motel	Twin (4 Star)
Package	$4995	$5495

Costs to Include

• Airfare from San Francisco to Auckland
• Meet and greet upon arrival at Auckland airport and transfer by bus to Rotorua
• Nine nights in Rotorua in 3 star motels with kitchenette facilities on a multi share basis**
• Rugby World Cup 2011 Category B or C match tickets including stadium transfers as follows
  • New Zealand vs. Tonga
  • Fiji vs. Namibia
  • USA vs. Ireland
  • Samoa vs. Namibia
  • USA vs. Russia
• Transportation between the hotel and airport on September 16th
• Fully Escorted

Not Included:

• Sightseeing Tours
• Airport taxes and fuel charges
• Optional travel insurance
• Gratuities, meals unless noted on itinerary
• Pre-registration or late check out of room
• Personal items.

** For the 09 night stay in Rotorua you have the option to upgrade your accommodations to a 4 star hotel. All tour inclusions remain the same.

THE USA EAGLES tour extension opportunities.

• Surfers Paradise, Gold Coast, Australia. Just over the “Ditch” from New Zealand the golden beaches of Aussie beckon. If you are on the Eagles Main Tour One which is scheduled to return to North America on September 16, you have the option of taking the short flight over the Tasman Sea to the Gold Coast for 6 nights. You will stay at the Watermark Hotel and Spa in the heart of Australia’s vacation capitol at Surfers Paradise Beach. Visits to local Rugby clubs and games against local team can be organized. Subject to scheduling the Gold Coast has ProBasketball and Rugby League action. On September 22 either fly to the USA or Return to New Zealand to join up with the Eagles Main Tour Two in Palmerston North.
• Follow the Eagles post tour One. Main Tour One leaves New Zealand on September 22nd for the USA. For those who wish to stay on to see the Eagles v Australia we transfer you to “Palmy” for 3 nights. On September 23rd take the short ride to Wellington Regional Stadium to see our boys take on the Green and Gold of the Wallabies. On September 25th the group departs New Zealand for flights back to the USA.
• Follow the Eagles post tour Two. Today, September 25th, we take the short hop across Cook Straight from Wellington to Nelson at the northern tip of New Zealand’s south island. This is Kiwi lands “Little Italy. On Monday September 26th there’s plenty of time to mix with and stir up the Italians in town or visit Blenheim and the Marlborough sounds. On Tuesday, September 28th, it’s time to take our seats at Trafalgar Park Stadium for the Eagles final group game against Italy. Depart Nelson airport Auckland to catch flight back to the USA.
• Post tour option Three (Multi-National). Fly from Nelson to Auckland to join the Canadians and probably the entire Rugby world for an unbelievable feast for Rugby World Cup 2011. Staying in central Auckland for 5 nights we are in the thick of it. On September 30th it’s just over the Harbour Bridge to North Harbour Stadium for the Springboks v Samoa, the next day we’re off to Eden Park for England v Scotland and finally on Sunday it’s down to Hamilton for Wales v Fiji.

The MAIN TOURS include, at a minimum, Five (5) Rugby World Cup 2011 matches (at least 2 Eagles or Team Canada games), all accommodations and transportation, local sightseeing, daily parties and festivals and up to three full days immersed in New Zealand Rugby culture courtesy of the guys at New Zealand Sports Academy (NZSA). If you wish you can play, coach, study, train with or just watch how the finest all round Rugby Academy in the world, lives and breathes our game.

Departing early or staying on in New Zealand to see more Rugby World Cup 2011 matches.

If you wish to extend your trip either at the beginning or at the end we have created 3,4,5 and 6 night modules that include accommodations, transport, local tour and additional Rugby World Cup 2011 match tickets as above. These are all combinable with your MAIN TOUR choice.

Home Base – The City of Rotorua and Destination Rotorua Tourism.

From day one the people of Rotorua under the guidance of Mayor Kevin Winter and General Manager of Destination Rotorua Tourism, Don Gunn and the Rotorua Association of Motor Hotels have embraced the ‘Rugby in Rotorua’ tour program with total enthusiasm and vigor. They have the power to move mountains for us in 2011.

Centrally located in New Zealand’s North Island the city is in daily “striking distance” of Rugby World Cup 2011 stadiums we travel to. An international tourist icon, Rotorua is renowned as the heartland of Maori culture.

Surrounded by 16 Lakes, all formed from craters of extinct volcanoes, most fishable and packed with Rainbow or Brown Trout and popular for the multitude of water based activities, the moment you arrive in “town” you feel at home and know you are somewhere quite special.

New Zealand Sports Academy, (NZSA). Rotorua and Santa Barbara.

Founded over 10 years ago and headquartered at the Rotorua International Stadium NZSA identifies, recruits and nurtures individuals wishing to make Rugby a bigger part of their life. On a year round basis NZSA works with players, coaches, officials, managers, administrators, physios and conditioners of all ages and genders from New Zealand and around the world. Emphasizing the flamboyance of Maori flair, and the revolutionary part it has played in New Zealand Rugby over 125 years, whether you spend a minute, an hour or the 3 full days available to you on tour you will depart a more rounded Rugby person. If you just want to spend each night at the dedicated NZSA watering hole, rubbing shoulders with former Rugby greats – that’s ok too!!

NZSA’s CEO is Jim Love, former Maori All Blacks coach and player just returned from a stint of international coaching in Italy. Jim’s staff include a host of coaches, mentors and specialists. On any given day you are likely to be in the hands of Buck Shelford (Former All Black Captain), Matt Te Pou (former Maori All Black Captain), Robin Brook or Franco Botica (former All Blacks).

On five (5) specified tour days you will travel to see Rugby World Cup 2011 matches and NZSA staff will travel with you. As part of your Great Atlantic Travel experience you can attend and participate in pre match discussions and post match analysis with NZSA. Know what it feels like to prepare as the player, coach, manager, ref or Game Day official for a Rugby World Cup 2011 match.

For the full duration of each of Great Atlantic Travel’s Team Canada or USA Eagles MAIN TOURS based in Rotorua for Rugby World Cup 2011 the NZSA facility is exclusively open to you. On each MAIN TOUR 3 days will be dedicated to the group. In early 2011 comprehensive detail will be released on specifically what will be available and will included interactive opportunities for all ages, genders and ability levels (we even tolerate Ref’s!!). For those of you keen to learn you will have the chance to complete a NZSA Certificate of Achievement.

This part of the tour is exclusive to Great Atlantic Travel guests, fully incorporated in your tour, and a one of a kind experience never to be repeated.

Sightseeing in New Zealand along the way.

Incorporated in the tour on each and every day you see or experience something magically “Kiwi” as we explore “The Land of the Long White Cloud” in our pursuit of the World’s greatest Rugby.

Accommodation on Tour.

THE MAIN TOURS. In Rotorua you will stay in what is the most popular type of accommodations in New Zealand for extended stay touring groups -Kiwi Motor Lodges. These are mostly privately owned and managed and can have anywhere from 5 to 50 “units”. Each unit has its own kitchenette, living and dining areas and ensuite bathroom. You will get to know the hosts (managers) as they usually live on site and the homely atmosphere in the lodges is unique.

All Motor Lodges are different. Some are brand new, some are traditional, some are small and some are large. Bedding and room configurations range from studio apartments for couples to one, two and three bedroom units that comfortably accommodate up to six travelers. Motor Lodges are serviced daily and linen is changed twice weekly. Travelers will be allocated to Lodges based on group size, duration of stay, country of origin, makeup of the traveling party and other factors deemed practical.

For the purpose of specifying Tour Inclusions we have designated Motor Lodge accommodation as BUDGET-MULTISHARE.

For those of you wanting a little more comfort with your Rotorua accommodations you can elect to upgrade to a Tourism New Zealand Qualmark rated 4 star property. The maximum of two person to a bedroom in an apartment with kitchenette and private bathroom facilities.

Auckland accommodations for the Team Canada pre tour package including the Opening game of Rugby World Cup 2011 and Post Tour option Two (Multi-National) are at the Auckland City Hotel, a fully renovated Tourism New Zealand Qualmark rated 4 star property. Auckland City Hotel sits adjacent to the casino, Skytower and within easy walking distance of shops and the Viaduct Area of the city which will be “Entertainment Central”.

Post tour extension accommodations Team Canada and the USA Eagles Tours. Throughout the rest of New Zealand accommodations will be in Motor Lodges, generally displaying NZ Tourism Qualmark rating for Motor Lodges of Four Stars.

Surfers Paradise, Gold Coast, Australia. For those of you taking this opportunity you will stay at the Water Mark Hotel and Spa located on Surfers Paradise Boulevard meters from 40 kilometers of golden beach and throbbing beach culture.

Transportation on tour in New Zealand.

With so much packed into the Great Atlantic Travel Rugby World Cup 2011 experience transportation is a vitally important ingredient. Motor coach transportation will be operated for us by Oceana Coach lines one of New Zealand’s most respected and reliable.