Our bucket-list IV trip didn’t get off to the easiest of starts with a fire outbreak at a power station near Heathrow putting the whole trip into jeopardy. A cancelled flight, 3 hours on hold to Virgin Atlantic and plenty of itinerary re-arrangements later, we were finally on the road, 24 hours later than originally planned.  A day in the life for us tourism folk!’   Straight off the plane, we picked up our rental car and took the short drive to the iconic Newlands cricket ground (where the Western Province and Durban Dolphins women’s sides were warming up for a top of the table clash in the Pro20 series). With the stunning backdrop of Table Mountain, a stadium tour or live cricket fixture at this incredible venue is an absolute must-do for any sports tour heading to South Africa.  The rest of the morning focused on inspecting some of the great hotels that we use for our groups staying in Cape Town. Josh and I stayed at Never @ Home in Green Point. A stone’s throw away from the DHL Stadium and a short walk away from V&A Waterfront and the City Bowl, the accommodation is in a fantastic location. A perfect stay for large groups on more of a budget, with spacious dormitory and private rooms, a lovely breakfast and even a small swimming pool for recovery or relaxation. If you are looking for a good hotel in Cape Town, then my pick of the inspection would be StayEasy in the City Bowl.   Some of our previous groups have been lucky enough to experience Gold Restaurant in Cape Town, which Josh and I were able to sample thanks to our hosts’ invitation. A sumptuous 14 course African taster menu, with participation African drumming in between courses: what’s not to like! This would be my final night recommendation for Cape Town to sign your tour off in style’  Day 2 started with a 5am wakeup call for our guided hike to the summit of Lion’s Head. We completed the 5.5km incline to around 700m above sea level, in about 50 minutes, which according to our guide was a ‘good time’. The climb is certainly not for the faint-hearted with some tricky terrain and occasional rock scrambles but the views from the top are well worth the hard work. Incredible 360 views of the City Bowl, Sea Point, Camps Bay and back around to Table Mountain!  Later that morning, we headed to Aquila Game Reserve, 2 hours outside of Cape Town, for an incredible game drive experience. An overnight stay here, is an absolute must-do for any group tour heading to Cape Town. Our groups are allocated into the well-appointed hotel-like rooms in the main building, some of which overlook the stunning pool with swim up bar which is accessible throughout the day.   We were lucky enough to see 4 of the big 5, missing out on the leopards who are almost nocturnal. If staying overnight, groups also do a game drive the following morning where you are more likely to see all the big 5. Finally, the buffet food at Aquila is also incredible!  Our final day in and around Cape Town was spent in Stellenbosch, with the first stop taking us to the Stellenbosch Academy of Sport (SAS). A fantastic sporting facility for our groups to base themselves for a couple of nights and make use of the pristine pitches, indoor training centre and recovery pool.   There are also plenty of top sports clubs and schools in the area for a fixtures. The town-centre is a 10-minute walk away, boasting many restaurants and cafés with outdoor terrace seating. If staying in the centre, then The Stellenbosch Hotel with its old Victorian charm is the place to be. As Stellenbosch is part of South Africa’s wine capital, a vineyard visit with a wine tasting is a must do for our adult groups and I would recommend Vredemheim estate or Spier Wine Farm based on our experience.  The day left us with just enough time to make it back to Camps Bay to see sunset from a beach-side restaurant. Again, a must do on any tour to Cape Town and for us, a perfect way to end a magnificent 72 hours in this thrilling and vibrant capital city. 

We held our inaugural Let’s Get Touring: ‘Club Together’ fundraising evening last night at Aberdare RFC.  Hosted by Ross Harries, Head of Events at MSG Tours, our midweek events bring tourists and club members together to chat all things travel, high jinks and rugby touring.  76 players and supporters from ‘The Snakes’ will be embarking on a 12-day tour to Canada in May 2026, commencing in Montreal and taking in Ottawa, Toronto and Niagara Falls.  In 2025/6 we’re moving dozens of teams around the globe that clearly demonstrates an appetite for spreading the rugby gospel to far flung places.   ‘Club Together’ nights are part-funded by MSG, allowing clubs to sell tickets and reduce travel costs. Wales and British and Irish Lion Man of the Series in 2017, Jon ‘Fox’ Davies joined Ross on stage to recall touring tales from his numerous trips around the planet, including a timely recollection of his Wales debut in Canada 🇨🇦   Get in touch to help plan your next touring adventure and fundraising evening. 

Ben and Sam from our business development team recently traded the office for the winter sun of Lisbon and Porto. The inspection trip offered an opportunity to meet our industry partners in person and experience the depth of both cities.    Experiencing our touring centres in person helps our team develop robust and well-matched itineraries relevant to each age category; a skill easily recognised by our clients who return each season in search of exciting touring programmes. The trip started by gathering intelligence for our Portuguese tournament packages at the Universidade De Lisboa. Boasting six football and two rugby pitches, the facilities are perfect to host many teams across weekend events.   A visit to Sporting Lisbon’s stadium club shop followed tour of the Estadio do Benfica, two enriching locations for any touring group. Next on the itinerary was Benfica’s training facility in Seixal. As expected, it is of the highest quality with multiple grass and artificial pitches. This facility is a MUST for any team wanting to experience professional training sessions. When it comes to rugby tours, Lisbon is an understated destination. Both the Grupo Deportivo Direito and Belem Rugby Park have amazing facilities with gyms, artificial and natural turf, padel courts and on-site restaurants. The generous year-round climate and progressive rugby levels mark Portugal as stand out among other coastal European resorts.  Porto was the perfect cherry on top of the Portuguese cake. Despite a very quick visit to Estádio do Dragão and the FC Porto Museum, the facilities are state of the art and are the perfect destinations for a sporting group. Alongside visiting historical landmarks across the city which pay homage to the deep-rooted history of the city and the formation of the nation.  “The takeaway from this inspection trip to Lisbon is that the facilities from the football & rugby pitches to the accommodation have all been of top quality. Any team, club or school coming here will be very impressed.” “To stay beach front, have a pro coaching session at one of Europe’s top teams and play against local teams; what more would you want from a football tour?” – Sam “This inspection visit gave us a great insight into all our Portuguese tours, especially our tournament packages. They are organised in conjunction with our friends at Move Sports and played at top notch facilities.” – Ben “It was great having Sam and Ben visiting our country! They are two sport enthusiasts who have a great passion for sports. Hopefully seeing firsthand the great potential our country has to offer in sport tours will translate in a fruitful relationship.”  – Pedro, Move Sports

As we approach the end of 2024, here’s a spotlight on the MSG team\'s personal travel highlightsHere are some highlights from the team:Mark - The Barista \"My 2024 travel highlight was with my son to watch a rocket launch from Kennedy Space Center in Orlando. This once in a lifetime opportunity is an incredible example of STEM learning taken outside the classroom.\"Jen - The Performer \"The best place I visited this year was Costa Rica. It was incredible to try new, adventurous things and spot over 80 different species of animal.\"Rob - The Podcaster \"My favourite destination from this year would be Perpignan, visited as part of an MSG Tours team inspection visit. I especially enjoyed the old town there and visiting the football facilities.\"Josh - The Coach \"My travel highlight of the year would be playing on the 2p machines with my son and spending time on the beach with family in North Devon\"Lucy - The Detective \"An important travel moment for me this year was visiting New York. I went with three generations of my family for my birthday which made it all the more special.\"Ben - The Film Critic \"My favourite destination this year was Iceland, visited as an MSG inspection visit. A personal highlight was seeing the Lava Show as I loved geography in school and it was incredible to further this knowledge on tour.\"Jess - The Bookworm \"My favourite travel memory this year was taking my sister to Paris for her 18th Birthday. My highlights were seeing the Eiffel Tower, Moulin Rouge and enjoying the cuisine.\"Lauren - The Explorer \"My best visited country this year was Vietnam, which was part of a trip to celebrate the completion of my degree. A highlight from this was kayaking through caves and around the limestone islands of Ha Long Bay.\"Muskan - The Perfectionist \"My trip to Saudi Arabia was such a special and transformative experience. Visiting historical architecture and religious sites brought me closer to my faith and being there with my family made it even more meaningful, and it’s something I’ll always cherish.\"Summer - The Farmer \"My highlight of the year was going to the Amalfi Coast on a boat trip and exploring the town. Another highlight was having dinner looking over the cliff on the Sorrento Coast while watching the sunset.\"Laura - The Mother \"The best trip of my year was visiting Kos, Greece. It was special to me as I visited with my family and we really enjoyed exploring the island and emmersing ourselves in the culture.\"Sam - The Miller \"As a football fan, my travelling highlight this year was visiting Berlin for the Euro Final. It was possibly the only chance I have to watch the England Men\'s football team play in a major sporting final with my dad.\"Elliemae - The Cheerleader \"My favourite place I visited this year was the Peak District. We hiked for hours and I really enjoyed the feeling of accomplishment and seeing the views \"Julia - The Florist \"The most important place I visited this year was Italy. I went to learn about my family history and visit where my Nonna was born and raised.\"

Apprenticeships at MSG Tours As a small business, we believe it is important to give young people the best start possible. A key way to achieve this is through apprenticeships. Primarily, we partner with EMA Training for Marketing and Finance courses. Ben, our current Sales and Marketing Coordinator, completed his Level 3 Content Creator last year and Jess has just recently started her Level 4 Marketing Executive Apprenticeship with EMA. Here are their apprenticeship stories. Jess “I have been an apprentice with EMA now for over a year based in their Derby Hub, starting my Level 3 Digital Marketing Apprenticeship in June 2023. During my time with EMA, I completed exams for each module and attended portfolio sessions to help me achieve my best possible grade. Overall, I achieved a Distinction in my Level 3 and I’m so grateful for the help and support I received throughout my course. I’ve been on the Level 4 Marketing Executive Apprenticeship for a few months and already love the new learning. The in-person sessions allow for a high level of teaching and the opportunity to socialise with other apprentices on the same course, where we all learn from one another. I think Marketing Apprenticeships with EMA are a brilliant alternative to College/University, it allows you to get your qualification whilst working full-time. Gaining confidence and experience from work and the theory and knowledge behind marketing when attending college.” “Apprenticeships are a great way to start your career, or boost your current knowledge, within a chosen industry. Not only this but you develop much more than the knowledge and skills of a subject, you get practical on the job experience, grow your professional network and earn while you learn! Seeing Jess progress from level 3 and now doing her level 4 Marketing Executive apprenticeship is testament to her hard work and commitment but also the opportunities that apprenticeships offer with on-going progression.” – Stuart Reddish, Digital Trainer Mentor, EMA Training Ben “When I finished my A-Levels at school, I was unsure what to do going forward, when someone recommended EMA to me. I didn’t want to go to university, so an apprenticeship was definitely the way for me. I started my Level 3 Junior Content Creator apprenticeship in September 2022 and eventually completed it in April 2024. Since finishing my course, I have stayed on at MSG Tours and have become a Sales and Marketing Coordinator. The Content Creator course that I did was perfect for me as I started with very little knowledge of the industry.  Thanks to the teaching of Stu Reddish and the EMA tutors, I was able to learn everything I needed to and then apply it to my role in everyday life.”Elsewhere in MSG We have expanded our roster of apprentices with Summer and Muskan starting Level 3 Assistant Accountant Apprenticeships with EMA, working to achieve an Advanced Diploma in Accounting. In other departments, we recently hired our first Business Administration apprentice as Elliemae commenced her level 3 course with DBC Apprenticeships. We are excited about the future with EMA and DBC and look forward to continuing these partnerships for many years to come. The door is always open for new talent. Join MSG Tours and turn your passion for travel into an exciting career. Send us your CV to be part of a team that inspires unforgettable adventures!

With an eye towards 2025, we are looking to increase the number of footballing tours. The first stop on this mission was to Lloret de Mar and Barcelona where members of the team experienced the trips that enrich and develop groups’ skills.  Group Travel Coordinator Sam shared his insights after his first inspection visit with MSG:   “From the moment we gathered at the airport, there was a buzz amongst us as we looked towards our first Inspection Visit. Our arrival at Hotel Samba in Lloret de Mar set the tone with an evening buffet and balcony views of the town, even if we were greeted by the Spanish rain.   Lloret de Mar proved to be an excellent destination thanks to its convenience. Everything is within a 20-minute walk with a bowling alley, bars, the beach, and an abundance of sporting facilities on your doorstep.  20 minutes from Lloret, you’ll find Soccerland, a sporting facility comprising of 9 pristine pitches, tucked away behind a vineyard. The pitches are amazing and perfect for any football fanatic, they made me eager to dust off my boots and have a kick around!    Around the Catalonia region, they have three top-flight Spanish teams: Girona FC, RCD Espanyol, and of course FC Barcelona. First for us was Girona FC.  The community-based club was very generous in showing us all corners of the stadium including the pitch side along with talking us through the intriguing history of the Champions League club. This experience was insightful, and we’d love to start offering it to our touring sides.    Next was RCD Espanyol’s training ground. From first team and youth training pitches to the second & Women’s team stadium, multiple weight gyms, and a memorial to the late great Dani Jarque, a high-performance coaching session combined with a stadium tour will have you feeling like a professional player. The women’s second team were training when we arrived, my coaching head instantly took over as I watched on in awe. The others had to drag me away or I would’ve stayed there all night.   La Masia, the training ground of FC Barcelona was on another level! The top-class facility is a must for any sporting tour. Having crossed paths with members of the women’s first team entering for their final training session before taking on Real Madrid the day after, we saw the men’s first team area, the pitches – where visiting groups can even have training sessions and the Johan Cruff stadium where the second team and women play.    20 minutes from Lloret, you’ll find Soccerland, a sporting facility comprising of 9 pristine pitches, tucked away behind a vineyard. The pitches are amazing and perfect for any football fanatic, they made me eager to dust off my boots and have a kick around!    Since returning, my opinion has been cemented that it is the perfect location for social activities and footballing prowess. Barcelona has it all, from cultural sightseeing to the aforementioned sites of RCD Espanyol & Barcelona.    Football tours to this part of Spain are a must! Loret De Mar and Girona, or Barcelona you won’t be disappointed.” 

MSG\'s Jen and Jess Hit the Road Jen is our Operations Team Leader, responsible for creating incredible tours (especially in the USA) and supporting our ever-growing team of tour operators.  Jess is MSG’s Marketing Executive Apprentice, bringing your incredible tours to life through written and social media content, graphic design and email communications. Jess Recently, I had my first on-the-road experience with MSG. Jen and I travelled to South Wales and Bristol to visit our soon-to-be touring schools. With tours ranging from art and economics in New York to basketball in Orlando, these schools were gearing up to learn outside the classroom, improve their sports skills and have once in a lifetime experiences.  Starting at MSG HQ in Derby at 06:00, we travelled to Tredegar Comprehensive School to begin planning their forthcoming return tour to New York City. This was a perfect opportunity to grow our client relationship and to develop their art tour from earlier this year.    After wishing Tredegar well, we headed over the Prince of Wales Bridge, taking photos along the way of the picture-perfect day.   The next school meeting took place at Bristol Metropolitan Academy who were warming up their basketball skills for Orlando, Florida – following their successful trip with MSG in 2023. A tour of this nature helps students gain confidence, create stronger friendships, and extend strong bonds with teaching staff.  We met the teachers and ran through any final questions they had following the recent hurricanes in Florida.   They expressed to us the importance of the trip and what the travel opportunity meant for the students.  Jen and I assured the teachers of our on-tour support and the back-up plans covering their detailed tour program.  The final stop on our trip was Clifton College, preparing for their inaugural MSG tour to New York City in October. The visit allowed us to get a better understanding of the aims of the trip and how the day-by-day content will benefit the students heading into exam periods. The long journey was worth it as it helped both Jen and I enhance our school relationships and gain intelligence in creating the most suited learning outside the classroom experiences.  What the client visit gave me: Allowed me to understand the logistics and planning that goes into an MSG tour, from both the teachers’ side and our operating staff.  .It showed me how much teachers care for their students, want them to have the best experiences and will use their personal time in doing so when going out on tour.   This was my first visit to Wales, and I thoroughly enjoyed all the jokes from the team about me remembering to bring my passport …  

MSG Welcome Jess and LaurenJess - Marketing Coordinator Education and Interests  I grew up in a small area in Derbyshire, attended all the local schools and worked part time in hospitality alongside my GCSE’s. I started my 3D art and design course at college, studying a mixture of photography, fine art, graphic design and Architecture. This course inspired me to go to the University of Lincoln to start a Degree in Interior Architecture. After a year of study, I decided that university wasn’t for me. I enjoyed interior design and architecture as a hobby but no longer as a career. However, I still enjoyed graphic design and started to research what other career I would enjoy.  Marketing Apprenticeships I started my research and discovered the world of marketing. I then came across EMA Training and applied to some of their open vacancies. After interviewing for my Level 3, I was added to the talent pool which ultimately led to finding an employer and starting the course, which I recently completed achieving a distinction. I am progressing my knowledge and career by starting my Level 4 Marketing Executive course at MSG Tours. Travel I have always loved to travel. My most recent family trip was to sunny Florida for a week where we visited all the parks and attractions that I have been dreaming of trying. Then we headed to Playa De Carmen in Mexico, for my favourite destination of the holiday, for another week of amazing sunshine, jet skiing, beaches and the seeing the local wildlife.   I also visited Amsterdam for a brief city break in December, visiting the Heineken Experience, Fabrique des Lumières and a canal boat cruise. My dream destinations are Australia to see the Sydney Opera house and enjoy the beaches and the lovely weather. As well as Thailand to travel around the islands such as Phuket and Ko Samui and would love to be able to visit them both one day! LaurenEarly Years I have always loved to travel; I first found my love for travel when going on a variety of family holidays during my childhood.  In secondary school I volunteered for a month in Tanzania with the aim of improving the quality of schools and wildlife conservation work. This led us to travel around and visit the likes of the town of Moshi, city of Tanga, the capital Dodoma, Siha, one of the seven administrative districts of Kilimanjaro and the town of Mwanza.  Before embarking on a safari, we camped out in the bush with elephants. I finished the trip by completing the PADI scuba diving qualification after relaxing on the white sandy beaches.  This trip ignited my interest in travelling! Sports and Education Sports have always been a big part of my life: football, cricket, netball, swimming and martial arts. I also went onto be a swimming teacher for 5 years.  I chose to do a BSc in Sport and Exercise Science, at the University of Derby (which I finished this May.) This course bought me face to face with the world of sports tourism, it combined two large parts of my life, and I decided it was the industry that I want to work in.  Travel To celebrate finishing uni’, I spent a month touring Vietnam and Cambodia, starting in Hanoi and ending in Siem Reap. Vietnam is a country that’s been at the top of my bucket list for a while and is possibly my new favourite place. There are too many highlights of this trip to single out one: both the Vietnamese and Cambodian cooking classes, kayaking through Ha Long Bay, cycling Ninh Binh’s mountains and visiting Angkor Wat were all amazing. I returned home to attend a very rainy (but entertaining) British Grand Prix at Silverstone.  I am looking forward to my journey at MSG Tours and the ongoing travel opportunities the role presents!  As a small business, we believe it is important to give young people the best start possible. A key way to achieve this is through apprenticeships. Primarily, we partner with EMA Training for Marketing and Finance courses. Ben, our current Sales and Marketing Coordinator, completed his Level 3 Content Creator last year and Jess has just recently started her Level 4 Marketing Executive Apprenticeship with EMA. Here are their apprenticeship stories.

MSG’s Jen Ellis Takes Berlin by Storm MSG’s own Tour Operator, Jen Ellis recently travelled to Berlin with Kazakhstan school, Haileybury Almaty for their WWII themed history trip. This was her account of the tour: There are many things you can say about Berlin… disappointing isn’t one of them. A city that’s full of history, stories, free speech, and beauty, it captures a country that has been through an incredible journey and has come out telling its tale. I accompanied Haileybury Almaty – an independent school from Kazakhstan – on their History Study Tour. With a curriculum focus on WWII and the Cold War, there was a wealth of experience and learning to be had around Berlin. We started with a walking tour which covered a multitude of historical importance: Prussian inspired architecture, memorials for lives lost, a simple line of bricks across the city representing the divide of the Berlin Wall. The group were not divided in the opinion of how incredible the guide was at sharing these stories. Standing in the square where the forgotten library is marked and looking at the windows of the university building where Einstein once stood and watched the Nazi party burn his life’s work, it puts into perspective how important stepping outside and walking in the footsteps of history is.   In the city, there are so many wonderful opportunities to learn outside the classroom and bring out the inner historian in everyone. Not only this but hitting the heights of the Berlin TV Tower and watching the sun set at dusk across Berlin from the Reichstag Dome will last in the memories of these intrepid explorers. My time with the group was short but we were able to squeeze in some bratwurst, pomme frites and even watch Hertha Berlin smash their rivals 5-2 at the Olympiastadion Berlin: what an atmosphere and bucket list moment!  The group will continue their historical journey by following the journey of the millions of Jews that were ostracised and exiled to concentration camps away from Berlin. On an overnight coach the group will reach Krakow, Poland to explore a beautiful city risen from the ashes of a harrowing history. The students will take in a study tour of the Auschwitz – Birkenau Concentration Camp and see the results of those major decisions made in Berlin by the leaders of the Nazi Party. Leading to the real outcome of the tour – students being able to relate and humanise the statistics thrown at them in a classroom to better themselves. They’ll walk where those who are emblazoned across their textbooks once lived and breathed and empathise with those that lost their lives, experiencing the voices of today and see the influences from which it came.

The Land of Fire and Ice: a Geographer\'s Dream Travelling the rugged landscape, you get the feeling of being on a different planet. With terrain that wouldn’t look out of place in a space movie, you know that below the surface this country is alive and ever-changing.  Iceland offers so much to budding explorers who want to expand on their classroom learning when in the field. It holds great examples of: Tectonic landscapes Volcanic activity Climate change The effects of earthquakes One of the pivotal stops for a study tour for Iceland must be the Southern Coast. Here you’ll see great basalt rock formations jutting out onto the black sand beaches created from volcanic eruptions through the ages. See the majestic glaciers with their layers of history and the impact of climate change slowly making them disappear. Take a look at the waterfalls that plunge over the edges of volcanic mountains.  Additionally, The Golden Circle is not to missed! Explore the National Park of Thingvellir. Where you can see the impact of the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates pulling away from each other and creating great cliff edges. The scenery is breathtaking! Check the phenomenon that is Geysir and the natural hot waters that explode from the earth. One of many areas in Iceland where steam will emerge from the landscape as it heats up below the surface and races to find a way out. The Golden Circle also holds a mammoth waterfall with rapids and drops that is a great example of the power of nature. Here you can delve into how Iceland uses its natural energy sources with a tour of the Geothermal Exhibition and Powerplant. Providing a fascinating insight into the storing of carbon and how the plant functions. There are so many interactive, insightful, and educational locations on this island, that you will be spoilt for choice. Just one of the highlights was visiting Vik and the Lava Show. A great example of how lava erupts is how it interacts with the environment around it and feels the heat from this demonstration. One to remember for sure!  From Geothermal Powerplants to black sand beaches to a live demonstration of how lava works, Iceland does cover it all. And with so many different choices you can select the correct elements to ensure your students receive the best opportunity to learn outside the classroom. Iceland is so different from other places I’ve travelled too previously. It’s barren but beautiful, it’s peaceful yet alive. As a living, breathing model for studies for GCSE and A-level geography, I would highly recommend you check it out! Take a look at our Iceland Study Tours Here!