Fans wanting to follow the British & Irish Lions Tour to Hong Kong and Australia in June and July 2013 can buy official ticket, travel and accommodation packages from Monday 12 March 2012 through the official travel company – Lions Rugby Travel. Prices start from £2,199.
Main image caption: (L to R), British & Irish Lions tour manager Andy Irvine, Australia head coach Robbie Deans, Australia second row James Horwill on the announcement of the fixtures for the 2013 Tour.
The Lions – a combination of the best players from England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales – will make their first pilgrimage to Australia for 12 years and it is anticipated they will be followed by more than 50,000 fans to Hong Kong and Australia.
It doesn’t matter what fans want to see in Australia or what games they are desperate to be at, Lions Rugby Travel will make it possible with more than 60 official supporter packages. With 15 months to go until the Tour, this is the earliest opportunity Lions fans have had to book their tickets and travel arrangements.
Regarded as one of sport’s ultimate travel and supporter experiences, the Lions will attract an army of fans and it is anticipated the most popular tour option will be the three international Test matches against Australia in Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney, an 18-night adventure from 18 June to 8 July that will also include the chance to explore the Whitsunday Islands, Hunter Valley and Uluru, starting from £6,499 per person.
The range of official supporter travel packages include a host of exclusive benefits from access to official supporter villages on matchday, team training (in selected packages), on-Tour special events, through to a complimentary Australian visa application service.
Paul O’Connell skippered the British & Irish Lions to South Africa in 2009. Image courtesy of Inpho Photography (www.inpho.ie)
British & Irish Lions tour manager Andy Irvine, one of the most famous players in Lions history, hailed the launch of official travel packages: “Fans can book now for a range of packages for a great tour experience of Australia through Lions Rugby Travel – our official travel company.
“The Lions will be followed by more fans than ever before in Australia and the variety of tour and travel options available will mean supporting the team will be possible like never before.”
Lions Rugby Travel has more than 60 package variations available (see below for details and prices of example packages) – from the complete Tour, a fully escorted 40-night trip that includes the opening match against the Barbarians in Hong Kong, all three international matches against the Wallabies and six other provincial games, a three or two Test Tour over 18 nights, or international flight and ticket ‘Explorer’ package. There will be options to suit every Lions fan and Lions Rugby Travel have rounded up four of the most popular below.
For more information and booking information visit www.lionstour.com or call 0844 788 4070.
Four package options from Lions Rugby Travel
1: Explorer Five Provincial games Tour – From £2,199 per person (16 nights, from 1 June to 18 June, see the Lions play Western Force in Perth, Queensland Reds in Brisbane, Combined Country in Newcastle, New South Wales Waratahs in Sydney and ACT Brumbies in Canberra).
See the Lions build up to the Test series and beyond with a five provincial game ‘Explorer’ package. With the security of official match tickets and flights, this tour provides an authentic and truly memorable Australian experience with some top class rugby against the finest sides in Australia.
2: Escorted Three Test Tour with Melbourne Provincial – From £6,399 per person (18 nights, 18 June to 8 July 2013, see the Lions take on Australia in Brisbane on Saturday 22 June, in Melbourne on Saturday 29 June and in Sydney on Saturday 6 July and includes:)
Without question the most popular Tour option, a three Test Tour will be an undoubted hit with Lions fans. Not only will you see all three major Test matches against the Wallabies but also discover Australia on an 18-night experience to the heart of a great country. From Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney, also soak up the stunning delights that include iconic Uluru, Phillip Island in Victoria, Cairns, the gateway to the Great Barrier Reef and the stunning Hayman Island.
3: Escorted Full Tour (including Hong Kong) – From £13,999 per person (40 nights, 28 May to 8 July, including all three Test matches and six provincial games).
The complete Lions experience. From the moment the team touches down in Hong Kong to the sound of the final whistle after the third Test in Sydney, you will be with them every step of the way. A 40-night extravaganza that will take in seven cities, 10 matches that include all three Test matches and six against Australia’s Super XV teams and a host of other great Australian hotspots that include the wine region Hunter Valley, the Gold Coast, Uluru, Canberra and Cairns on the ultimate Lions Tour of a lifetime.
4: Explorer Three Test Tour – From £3,399 per person (18 nights, 18 June to 8 July 2013, see the Lions take on Australia in Brisbane on Saturday 22 June, in Melbourne on Saturday 29 June and Sydney on Saturday 6 July).
An ‘Explorer’ package is a great way to be part of the Lions experience that creates the flexibility to stay with family or friends. This package provides the security of official match tickets and international flights but also combines the freedom to explore Australia in the way that best suits your chosen style of Tour.
All escorted ticket, travel and accommodation packages include the following:
Return international economy class flights from London Heathrow to Australia (or Hong Kong)
Return transfers from the airport to the hotel
Accommodation on a twin/double share basis including breakfast (single room supplements apply)
Internal travel between destinations
Exclusive British & Irish Lions Official Merchandise Pack including official replica Lions Shirt
Exclusive invite to the eve of Test match special events (Test match packages only)
Official match tickets for the relevant games within the package
Experienced representatives will be based in Australia supporting clients throughout the Tour
· Exclusive Access to the Lions Supporter Village (Test Match venues only)
· Access to team training (Full Tour packages and All Five Provincial)
All Explorer Package options include:
Return international economy class flights from London Heathrow to Australia
Exclusive British & Irish Lions Official Merchandise Pack including official replica Lions Shirt
Exclusive Access to the Lions Supporter Village (Test Match venues only)
Official match tickets for the relevant games within the package
The British & Irish Lions
The British & Irish Lions have been touring to the Southern Hemisphere since 1888; the forthcoming tour to Australia in 2013 therefore coincides with the 125th Anniversary of The Lions concept. The key fixtures of the 2013 Tour are:
· Saturday 1 June: Barbarians v British & Irish Lions, Hong Kong
· Saturday 22 June: 1st Test Australia v British & Irish Lions, Brisbane
· Saturday 29 June: 2nd Test Australia v British & Irish Lions, Melbourne
· Saturday 6 July: 3rd Test Australia v British & Irish Lions, Sydney
HSBC Sponsorship
HSBC has a long-standing investment in rugby around the world from the pinnacle of the British & Irish Lions Tour to the thousands of children who are introduced to rugby for the first time through HSBC’s numerous community rugby programmes. HSBC’s association with The Lions began with the 2009 Tour of South Africa, and HSBC is the first sponsor ever to renew as Principal Partner. The bank will use the sponsorship to engage customers, staff and fans across four of its key markets of the UK and Ireland, Hong Kong and Australia.
List of the fixtures
Please find below a list of the British & Irish Lions fixtures for the 2013 Tour to Hong Kong and Australia
Date Match Location
Sat 1 June Lions v Barbarians Hong Kong
Wed 5 June 2 Lions v Western Force Perth
Sat 8 June3 Lions v QLD RedsBrisbane
Wed 12 June 4 Lions v Combined Country Newcastle
Sat 15 June 5 Lions v NSW Waratahs Sydney
Tue 18 June 6 Lions v ACT Brumbies Canberra
Sat 22 June 7 Lions v Australia Brisbane
Tue 25 June 8 Lions v Melbourne Rebels Melbourne
Sat 29 June 9 Lions v Australia Melbourne
Sat 6 July 10 Lions v Australia Sydney
