Rugby Festival – Old Boys – Sidney 2010
Festival Information
Location: Sydney, Australia
Dates: Sept. 26 to Oct. 3, 2010
I expect there will be well over 150 teams from 25 countries or so.
Festival Brochure
You can find the festival brochure at the below link that provides details for the week’s activities:
https://www.goldenoldiessports.com/resources/go-rugby-sydney-festival-brochure.pdf
Travel to and from Australia
As a condition of entry to the Festival, all participants must use Air New Zealand or travel on a “Star Alliance” carrier or partner airline over routes that Air NZ does not fly. It is too soon to sort this out including cost*. I expect we will have a good idea and be able to book a group flight in the early Fall 2009. All air travel arrangements are to be made with our travel agent, O’Keefe Travel as well as pre- or post-festival vacation travel.
* Cost as of today to fly to and from Philly to Sydney (with plane changes in LA or San Francisco and Auckland, NZ) is $1100 per person. You do not have to fly out of Philly. In the end, anyone on the Group Flight will have to fly out of the US (either LA or San Francisco) together.
Hotel
Until I have received deposits per below I cannot firm up the hotel. Hotels are allocated to teams on a strictly ‘first deposited, first booked’ basis. I want to get the hotel selected ASAP.
The hotel (based on input from Aussie friends) that is our first choice to stay at is the Novotel Hotel on Darling Harbour. Website is:
https://www.accorhotels.com/gb/hotel-1181-novotel-sydney-on-darling-harbour/index.shtml
Costs and Payments
There are 2 main costs associated with this Festival. One mentioned above is travel to and from. The other is the Land Package cost which is based on our choice of accommodations and also includes a nominal fee to MARS to cover incidental and other related team costs. See below regarding what is included in the Land Package. We plan to arrive one day ahead – on Saturday, Sept. 25 – of what is referred to as Day 1 (Sept. 26) to allow every some time to acclimate themselves after a long trip. You may travel even earlier and catch up with the team on Sept. 25 as we will be having our Team KO Party on that evening. To get to Sydney by Sept. 25 if you are leaving the US to do so, means that you will fly out on Thursday, Sept. 23 as we lose a whole day crossing the International Date Line from the east to the west.
Everyone who goes must purchase a Land Package to attend the Festival.
There is also a NEW Policy that requires me to book the Land Package within 45 days of the Team Entry. Hotel rooms cannot be held without a deposit. I have not entered the team as of yet and will not until I am assured we have enough Martians planning to go and I have the deposit money necessary to pay the first deposit.
All payments that I make for this Festival are paid in Australian Dollars (AUD) based on conversion to US Dollars on the day of the transaction. This past year there has been a wide fluctuation in the US value against foreign currencies as you should know. Currently it is in our favor at $1.49 AUD per $1 US Dollar as of today. A year ago it was almost 1 to 1. For planning purposes, I am using $1.33 AUD per $1 US for now as a basis and will adjust this as necessary to keep everyone on par with the actual conversion when the final payment is made next June.
Your RSVP and deposit ($300 US per person) is needed by March 1 so I can book the team.
The GO cost for land package shown in brochure) only is AUD2299 per person for double occupancy (1 double bed or 2 twins).
For 3 persons per room: pricing is AUD2099.
Double Occupancy cost per person will be $2000 US or for 3 persons per room it will be $1850 US – these are PER PERSON costs. This includes a non-refundable deposit of $75. MARS higher cost than the Land Package is used for various team costs.
Here is the payment schedule that needs to be adhered to: – please make checks payable to “MARS Rugby” and send to me:
Steve Cohen
116 N. Lakeside Dr. E.
Medford, NJ 08055-8472
Payment Schedule per person
Due March 1, 2009: $300 deposit per person (includes $75 non-refundable deposit)
Due March 1, 2010: $225 deposit per person
Due June 1, 2010: balance of land package cost
Cancellation and Refunds
A full refund of deposits paid (except for non-refundable MARS deposit) will be available up until March 1, 2010.
For cancellations received after March 1, 2010 and up to June 1, 2010, payments are non-refundable but can be transferred to the balance of the team account.
For cancellations received after June 1, 2010 all payments are non-refundable and non-transferable.
The Land Package includes:
Three days of Rugby
Participation in the Opening Ceremony at the Sydney Town Hall and Parade of Nations
Seven night’s accommodation. Your team chooses the level and category of accommodation it wants
Welcome upon arrival
One team transfer to/from your hotel on your Sydney arrival and departure
Return coach transfers to all three social functions
A full shuttle service will be provided throughout the day on the three match days, between all hotels and the playing venues
Official social functions, meals and drinks as listed
Welcome Party: three hours of finger food, unlimited beer, wine and soft drinks with entertainment
Mid-week Picnic Day: ‘The Hunter Valley Grape Escape’ including barbeque lunch, unlimited beer, wine and soft drinks, wine and food tasting
The Grand Finale Dinner: a three-course dinner plus coffee/tea, unlimited beer, wine, soft drinks with music, entertainment, awards and dancing
Festival souvenir
Festival ‘Survival Guide’
Four editions of the Festival newspaper
Team Manager’s ‘Planning Guide’
Festival ID badges
Hospitality and information desks at selected hotels
Government taxes
Personality of the Day medallions
Post-Festival Plans
Our hotel mates from Edinburgh – the Viking Longhorns – invited us to join them in their beach town of Wollogong for a few days of their hospitality on and off the pitch. It’s about one hour south of Sydney. Website: https://tourismwollongong.com.au/
We would likely travel by commuter train there. This is not set and will be subject to team interest.
Please review the attached current MARS Roster and advise me ASAP of any corrections, including if you got this email and do not see a listing for you by name (shown at bottom of roster). If you would like your wife or significant other added to this list, please advise.
If you have any recruits for MARS, please provide me with names and email addresses.
If you wish to opt out of ALL future MARS emails, let me know as well.
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Any questions, please advise.
Your friendly THC (The High Commander)
Steve
609-714-2203 before 9pm
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World Rugby Festival 2010 – Sydney, Australia
26 September – 03 October
There is no better place to stage the 18th Air New Zealand Golden Oldies World Rugby Festival than Sydney, the famous gateway city to Australia. Air New Zealand in conjunction with Tourism New South Wales and Australian Rugby Golden Oldies look forward to hosting you in 2010.
Sydney, the gateway to Australia, is one of the worlds great cities. Easily accessible, modern and sophisticated, it has world class infrastructure, facilities and services. This, combined with its beauty and cosmopolitan lifestyle, make it a most desirable and highly regarded destination to stage the 18th Air New Zealand Golden Oldies World Rugby Festival in 2010.
Sydney is Australia’s Rugby heartland, and home of the Australian Rugby Union. It is also the home of the highly competitive Super 14 franchise, “The Warratahs” and also hosted the semi finals and final of the 2003 Rugby World Cup.
The rugby for the 2010 Festival will be played on Sydney’s Centennial Parklands located less than 5km from the centre of Sydney. The Parklands cover more than 360 hectares, and there will be provision for over 30 rugby fields within the Parklands. A central hospitality area will be created at the venue providing food and beverage, entertainment, changing facilities, information and Festival merchandising.
An official Festival Brochure is currently being compiled with a detailed version of the weeks activities, package options and pricing, as well as the official entry form. So keep an eye on the website for these details.
So dust off your boots and tell your mates to head to Sydney in 2010 for a Fair Dinkum Aussie Golden Oldies Rugby experience.
Golden Oldies World Rugby Secretariat
PO Box 6463
Wellesley Street
Auckland, New Zealand
Tel: +64 9 336 2653
Fax: +64 9 336 3330
Email: rugby@goldenoldiessports.com
