Rugby Singapore and South Africa Rugby plan to bring rugby fans to HSBC World Rugby Singapore Sevens

Partnership includes technical support for World Seven Series, sharing of coaching expertise and South African training stints for young Singapore talents.

SINGAPORE, 3 Feb 2016 – Rugby Singapore Pte Ltd (RSG) and the South Africa Rugby Union (SARU) are pleased to announce that SA Rugby Travel has been appointed as the official travel agent for the sale of HSBC World Rugby Singapore Sevens 2016 travel packages.

“SA Rugby Travel is the only travel agent to receive an exclusive status for the HSBC World Rugby Singapore Sevens,” explained Rugby Singapore’s Chairman Low Teo Ping. “Our partnership with SARU goes beyond just tickets and revenues, they have also been advising the Singapore Rugby Union (SRU) on technical areas on and off the pitch and providing Rugby Singapore the support for running the World Rugby Sevens coming to Singapore this April. We had full access during last month’s Cape Town Sevens when RSG Commercial Manager Douglas Danapal and Operations Manager Han Lee travelled to Cape Town to understand the tournament operations and rights delivery for local and global sponsors.”

Singapore rugby enjoys a close relationship with SARU which has sent its SA Sevens Academy developmental sides to the Republic regularly to compete in events like the Singapore Cricket Club (SCC) Sevens. Last year’s SCC Sevens was won by SA Sevens Academy squad led by rising star Rosko Specman who scored a tournament-high 10 tries.

The speedster with his signature dreadlocks was the DHL Impact Player of the Tournament in Wellington last weekend with 17 tackles, seven breaks, 27 carries and six offloads to help South Africa to their second consecutive cup final on the current HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series, where they were beaten in a last-minute thriller by hosts New Zealand last Sunday. South Africa won Cape Town Sevens for the fourth consecutive year before that and currently top the Series standings after three legs with 54 points, two points ahead of two-time defending champion Fiji and 12-time Series winner New Zealand (47 points).

“South Africa is a rugby powerhouse and two-time world champions,” added Low. “Naturally Rugby Singapore has been working with SRU to ensure that local rugby benefits from our unique partnership with SARU. Beyond just bringing South African fans to Singapore for the World Rugby Sevens, SARU has offered to conduct clinics for local coaches and players during the Singapore Sevens tournament week. I’m sure it will be an inspiration to our young players to meet stars like Specman and long-time Blitzbok captain Kyle Brown”.

In addition, Low outlined plans for young talent from the HSBC Singapore Sevens “Heroes in the Making” program to be sent to South Africa – Rugby World Cup winners (1995, 2007) and reigning Commonwealth Games champion – to learn, train and absorb the culture.

The appointment of SA Rugby Travel follows a rigorous selection process to find the right partner to ensure Springbok fans are expertly serviced on the wide choice of travel packages available. Official SA Rugby Travel fan packages for Rugby’s showcase event are now on sale from SA Rugby Travel. Flight and match ticket only packages are available and begin from as little as R 10 375 (excluding airport taxes).

“We have had a strong interest from South African fans and the corporate world to travel to Asia for world class rugby since we launched SA Rugby Travel,” said Jurie Roux, CEO of SARU. “The current HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series is seen as the Road to Rio and I’m not surprised if South Africans are keen to experience Sevens rugby in Asia. I’m sure SA Rugby Travel will ensure an outstanding fan experience for our travelling fans to Singapore.”

Bryan Coetzee, Director of sports for SA Rugby Travel, said: “We are pleased to be appointed as Official Agent for the HSBC World Rugby Singapore Sevens. We hope to bring rugby fans to visit Singapore for a world-class sports and entertainment experience at the world’s largest dome structure that is the Singapore National Stadium. From what we have heard, the Singapore Sevens offers more than rugby and overseas fans can expect an integrated experience around the city-state with great food, exciting nightlife and iconic attractions.”

The World Sevens Series moves on to Sydney this weekend and then travels to Las Vegas, Vancouver, Hong Kong, before arriving in Singapore. Expect world-class rugby and non-stop entertainment for fans of all ages on the weekend of April 16 and 17 as the HSBC World Rugby Singapore Sevens rocks, rucks and rumbles at the iconic National Stadium. Two-day transferrable passes for adults range from SGD 50 to SGD 150, while prices for children under 12 start as low as SGD2. All prices exclude booking fees.