USA Rugby, Venatour Renew Partnership

USA Rugby and Venatour, an international sports tour operator based in the United Kingdom, have renewed their partnership ahead of the Rugby World Cups in 2031 and 2033 in the United States.

Venatour will an additional office in Denver to provide service to USA Rugby members, allowing communication on the same time zones and in-person presentations. Venatour Sports Travel was formed in 2012 by former rugby player Gareth Chilcott with the goal of providing tour packages to fans, schools and clubs.

“International playing tours are a wonderful growth experience that we are pleased to continue offering to member clubs through Venatour,” said Bill Goren, USA Rugby chief executive officer. “The opportunity for members to both see the world and experience the love of rugby with fellow clubs in numerous countries, is a huge part of the global rugby culture and growth metric for our community. In partnering with Venatour, we’re confident in knowing our members will have the best-in-class experience at their doorstep through this collaboration.”

The international tours allow players to compete against opposition of the same age and skill level, while also featuring off-field socializing, tourist excursions and the opportunity to watch professional matches. Venatour specializes in taking fans to 6 Nations matches, Rugby World Cups and numerous summer and autumn international matches.

“The team at Venatour and I are very proud to be associated with USA Rugby and can’t wait to introduce all rugby players in the United States to the rugby community over this side of the Atlantic,” said Chilcott. “I toured the U.S. in my playing days many times and there, more than most places, the rugby communities combine seamlessly and have similar appetites to the matches and the all-important camaraderie around the games. Seeing the best of the UK and Europe while combining it with your favorite sport sounds pretty perfect to me and we can’t wait to get our first tours started with USA Rugby and offer our expertise across the U.S.”