Stage and Screen to manage rugby travel for SANZAR

Stage and Screen to manage rugby travel for SANZAR

Stage and Screen Travel Services, the entertainment and sports travel management brand of Flight Centre Travel Group, has won a five-year contract to provide travel management to SANZAR – a joint venture between the rugby unions of Argentina, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, which commenced on October 1 2015.

In one of the most significant sports travel contracts awarded in Australia and New Zealand, Stage and Screen will manage travel for the body charged with running two of the world’s pre-eminent rugby competitions – Super Rugby and The Rugby Championship.

The contract includes end-to-end travel management for all games played within the Super Rugby competition between February and August, as well as The Rugby Championship including the prestigious Bledisloe Cup. Stage and Screen will oversee travel logistics for all teams including players, coaches, management and support crews from across SANZAR’s key regions.

Stage and Screen’s 20 years of experience in moving elite athletes around the world and managing group travel combined with innovative technology-based solutions were key factors in the win, according to the company’s general manager Tiziano Galipo.

“We have a broad portfolio of high profile sports clients and have worked on everything from international tours to large scale international events such as the 2015 AFC Asian Cup, one of the largest sporting events in Australasia,” Mr Galipo said.

Simon McKearney, Flight Centre NZ general manager corporate, says says the win is an exciting venture for the company and a challenge the New Zealand team are looking forward to taking on.

“It’s no secret that New Zealanders are passionate about Rugby and so it’s all the more exciting that we are going to have a role in ensuring our players are in the best possible condition for every game.”

“Our collective wealth of experience means we understand the very different needs of elite sports people and are highly skilled in managing complex travel logistics with multinational itineraries and large volumes of excess baggage."

“We’ve also got worldwide relationships with travel suppliers with whom we can negotiate directly for the benefit of our clients and we understand that every aspect of the travel experience needs to be seamless. From flight schedules, to high quality and secure accommodation and reliable ground transport, all needs to run smoothly so our teams can be physically and mentally prepared for each match. Our collective skills and experience will ensure this happens, we are definitely the right team for the job," Mr McKearney says.

Mr McKearney says that under the Stage and Screen service model, each team across SANZAR's key regions will have a dedicated Stage and Screen travel manager. This will ensure the team managers and players have a single point of contact for all of their travel needs which includes 24/7 support when and wherever required.

“As part of our unique service model for SANZAR, Stage and Screen has appointed a 'Travel Relationship Manager' (TRM), who is an experienced corporate travel leader and rugby devotee. The TRM will be on site with SANZAR each week to ensure hands-on service and effective communication among all stakeholders,” Mr McKearney said.

“Our personal service approach will be supported by Stage and Screen’s advanced travel technologies, including an online booking tool and automated reporting, which will bring greater efficiencies to SANZAR’s travel management as a whole.”

SANZAR Interim Chief Executive Officer, Brendan Morris, said Stage and Screen’s experience and service commitment would ultimately help SANZAR’s competitors perform at their best.

“Through their vast experience, Stage and Screen has demonstrated it can manage all of SANZAR’s unique requirements, from the logistics of large group multinational travel to the individual menu preference of each player. SANZAR is confident that our teams’ travel management will be in very capable hands and we look forward to a long and rewarding partnership together.

ENDS

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