How to plan a university sports tour abroad

Who needs to approve a university sports tour?

There are usually two layers. The first is your students' union or university sport department, which controls club activity, insurance and use of the university's name. The second is the governing body of your sport, which may need to approve overseas matches.

Do not pay deposits until you know which approvals apply.

What should the tour proposal include?

Cardiff's guidance gives a good checklist of what organisers must supply, and most unions ask for something similar:

• Participant details and student numbers, destination and accommodation address.
• Transport arrangements and a day-by-day itinerary, including departure and return times and key events.
• The activities planned, including social activity.
• A risk assessment relevant to the location and activity, and an emergency procedure.
• Insurance provision, plus registration of club equipment that is travelling so it can be covered.
• An accident report form and a contingency plan for weather, transport failure and member drop-out.

Our university travel risk assessment guide explains what a suitable assessment contains.

How do you build the tour around fixtures?

Start with the fixture list, not the flight search. The kick-off time sets the latest safe arrival time, and everything else is planned backwards from it: rest, training, accreditation or kit checks, the airport transfer and the flight. Our sports team travel logistics guide sets this out in detail.

• Arrival buffer: many organisers arrive at least the day before for short-haul fixtures so a delayed or cancelled flight can be recovered. Long-haul tours need extra days to adjust.
• Return plan: allow for warm-down, medical checks and transfers after the final match, and for a late finish.
• Coach transfers: drivers must follow legal drivers' hours rules, which include a 45 minute break after 4.5 hours of driving and daily driving of 9 hours, extendable to 10 hours twice a week. Ask the operator to confirm the schedule complies before you fix match-day timings.
• Accommodation: ask about team meal times, secure kit storage and recovery space.

How do flights, kit and baggage work for a sports tour?

Ten or more passengers on the same flights often qualifies for a group fare, but thresholds, deposits and name deadlines differ by airline; see how group flight bookings work. Add sports equipment to the booking at the same time as the seats, because airlines limit bulky baggage per aircraft.

Rules vary widely. British Airways accepts golf bags as one checked item where the fare includes checked baggage, and caps checked bags at 32kg. Ryanair treats sports equipment as a separate paid item with a 20kg limit, or 30kg for bikes. On UK hand luggage rules, cricket bats and golf clubs are allowed in the hold but not the cabin. Check the airline's current page, because fees change. Put match kit and essential medical supplies across several bags so one lost bag does not stop a fixture.

What insurance covers a tour?

Do not assume the union's cover is enough. Cardiff's union provides public liability and personal accident cover for registered activities, but says it does not cover travel, personal equipment or belongings, and that personal accident benefits exclude repatriation. The RFU's catastrophic injury insurance covers affiliated clubs only if RFU approval has been granted, and excludes medical and legal expenses, so the Oxfordshire RFU says separate travel insurance is required, including repatriation if a player is injured in a match.

Check that the policy covers contact sport at the level you play and any excursion activities, and that players have declared medical conditions. A GHIC is not a substitute for travel insurance. See fieldwork insurance for the general approach.

How do you handle conduct, welfare and anti-doping?

• Conduct: Cardiff's guidance reminds organisers that a registered tour represents the university and the union, even in social settings. Brief players on the code of conduct, curfews and local laws before departure.
• Medication: carry controlled drugs in hand luggage with a prescription or letter, and check the destination's rules with its embassy. Controlled medicines brought back to the UK are limited to three months' supply under GOV.UK rules.
• Anti-doping: UK Anti-Doping advises athletes to check every medicine on Global DRO against the current WADA Prohibited List, which changes each 1 January. A Therapeutic Use Exemption may be needed.
• Emergencies: agree who the home contact is, who accompanies an injured player to hospital, and how the rest of the squad is supported. See the group travel emergency plan.

How Roamly can help

Roamly plans group flights and travel logistics for university and sports groups, including equipment bookings, transfers and accommodation planned around the fixture. We can supply the itinerary and supplier details your union asks for. Approval and insurance stay with your union and governing body. Use the free trip timeline builder, or contact us with your fixture dates and squad size.