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Manly Junior Rugby Union 2014

MJRU U11 & U12

APRIL 2015
TOUR OF NEW ZEALAND

PARENT/PLAYER
INFORMATION BOOKLET







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Manly Junior Rugby Union has been conducting Bi-Annual Tours to New Zealand for over 30 years. Current
parents of players have participated in past tours, and now see their sons being given the same opportunity
to experience playing rugby outside their own country.

The Tour is specifically for Under 11 and U12 players in the touring year i.e. turning 11 or 12. Touring teams
are formed one year in advance by necessity, and are selected from current Under 10 and Under 11 players
who are registered with one of the four Village Clubs making up the Manly District.

A young aspiring rugby player; on tour with his mates; making new friends; meeting new families; the
experience of being billeted, whilst learning and embracing the cultural differences between the two
countries. Throw in a game of rugby or two, and thats the NZ Tour. History shows that players who go on
tour gain lifetime experiences that will hopefully bond them to their team mates and to the game of rugby
forever.

It must be stated from the outset, that the NZ Tour demands significant commitment from both the player
and his family. It is a 2 year commitment which extends beyond the year of the Tour as MJRU reciprocates by
hosting NZ Touring teams at Manly every alternate year. All players who are fortunate enough to tour NZ
must commit to hosting obligations the following year. This includes the billeting of NZ players, and a couple
of games in the July school holidays. Any player or family unable to make this commitment should not accept
their invitation to join the touring party.

A non-refundable monetary contribution in the vicinity of $800 is payable by each player selected, which
includes the hosting costs in the 2
nd
year. This is necessary to ensure that MJRU can return the hospitality in
the appropriate manner.




The touring party consists of 46 players, 23 from each age group and a 10 person Tour Management team.
The Tour is conducted on the North Island of New Zealand, commencing in Auckland and finishing up in the
nations capital, Wellington. The tour is 10 days, at this stage the tour dates are 7
th
April to 17
th
April, 2015.
There will be 4 games, training, sightseeing and a range of activities.

Traditionally, games are played against Takapuna Rugby Club (Auckland), Kahukura Rugby Club (Rotorua),
Clifton or Taranaki (New Plymouth) and Hutt Old Boys Marist (Lower Hutt). Takapuna and Hutt Old Boys
Marist also tour Australia and are our guests in Manly every alternate year.

Players are primarily billeted by New Zealand families when on tour. This is where paired players stay with a
local family for the duration of the time in that area. When not being billeted, players may be
accommodated in hotels, Maraes (traditional Maori meeting halls) or youth hostels with the Tour
Management.


OVERVIEW
NZ TOUR IN BRIEF
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Invitations to tour will be distributed to the 46 players (23 x U/10s and 23 x U/11s) after the under 10s
Gala Day at the end of June. All players that accept the invitation by completing the online forms will do so
under probation. The selection criteria outlined below will ultimately determine if a player is selected for
the final tour squad.

The final tour squad for both age groups will be selected closer to the end of 2014.

The touring party is not made up of players equally distributed across the 4 Village Clubs that have teams in
the relevant age groups. The team is representing MJRU abroad, and is selected based on the strongest
possible team combinations. Going forward, consideration is given to team and touring harmony. Players can
jeopardise their position on the tour if they fail to fulfil any of the following criteria:

SELECTION CRITERIA:

The players must be registered with one of the four Village Clubs in the year preceding the Tour, and
if selected must register and play for a Village Club in the touring year. Any player not prepared to
make this commitment should not accept their invitation.

Players and their parents must agree to contribute to all fund rasing activities from the time the
players are invited to tour, through to the completion of reciprocal hosting obligations.

Parents and players must acknowledge that players on tour will stay with, and in the care of host
families for periods of up to 3 days. During this time they will not be within the supervision of the
designated MJRU tour officials.

Players must not be seen to be exhibiting a poor attitude or behaviour that is considered a disruptive
influence on the group.

Parents and players must comply with the ARUs Code of Conduct.

There will be additional training commitments and all players will be expected to attend.

Players must maintain a level of health and fitness that is appropriate to their position in the team.


Non-conformance in any area may result in the player being excluded from the squad.







PLAYER INVITATION AND SELECTION PROCESS
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The Tour Management Team will most likely consist of: 1 Tour Manager, 1 Physio/Doctor, 4 Coaches, 2
Team Managers and 2 Tour Mums. The final make-up of the Management Team will be determined by the
MJRU in consultation with the Tour Committee.

These key Tour Management positions are paid for as part of the Tour travel and accommodation costs. The
Tour Management are each assigned a group of players to their care. This role carries significant
responsibility and is an important ingredient for the success of the Tour.

In consultation with the Tour Committee, the Tour Management Team is also responsible for key
organisational areas including, but not limited to;
Co-ordinating the Itinerary including: Tour matches, billeting arrangements with NZ Clubs, travel and
activities in NZ.
Quantification, design, procurement and distribution of Tour apparel and supporters gear through
MJRU gear steward Steve Painter.
Communication - production and distribution of regular newsletters to the Tour group.
Production of an On-Tour Information Booklet what to wear, itinerary, behavioural guidelines etc.
Ancillary Items such as passport verification of all tourists; obtaining player contact details, medical
information and various other administration duties.



Once selected, all players will be required to make an out of pocket, non-refundable contribution of $800 to
their tour costs, payable in 3 instalments, the 1
st
$300 is due within 14 days of acceptance of the Tour
Invitation. In addition to this, players will be required to raise $1000, any shortfall will be made up by the
family of the player.

The cost of touring with such a large group is significant. It is for this reason that a full commitment is
required from each player wishing to tour and all families are expected to contribute equally. The players
experience greater enrichment in the knowledge that they actually got themselves on tour through their
own hard efforts.
Typically the tour has been financed through key fundraising activities, this year the fund raising will include:

Playing kit sponsorships
Business sponsorship raffle
Individual player sponsorships
Raffles
Melbourne Cup Luncheon


Refer to the Fundraising Summary below and Sponsorship Opportunities document for more details.

Many parents can simply afford to pay for their son to tour, however others are less fortunate. This
collective approach to fund raising provides equality amongst all touring players, and is a key thread of the
Tour fabric. This tour is inclusive and as such, those experiencing financial difficulties should work together
with the Tour Committee to assist in providing their son the opportunity to tour.

FUNDRAISING AND TOUR COSTS
TOUR MANAGEMENT TEAM
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FUNDRAISING SUMMARY

MELBOURNE CUP LUNCH Tuesday 4
th
November. (Target $30000 - $40000)
We will need to sell tables, gather live and silent auction items, lucky door prizes and more for this event.
Below is a suggestion of items to collect.
James Forsyth is organising this event with Sally Klem and they require parental assistance.
Please contact James 0404444422 jaforsyth@seven.com.au if you can help.
MAJOR RAFFLE (Target $11500)
We need to collect prizes for this raffle, we aim to have the raffle tickets out by mid July at the latest. Tickets
will be $5 each and players will need to sell minimum $250 each. A suggestion of prizes to collect is below.
SPORTING MEMORABILIA
HOLIDAYS, FLIGHTS
HOTEL ACCOMMODATION PACKAGES
RETAIL SHOPPING VOUCHERS
HAIRDRESSING, BEAUTICIAN, MASSAGE
THERAPIST VOUCHERS
ELECTRICAL GOODS (TV, COFFEE
MACHINES, WHITEGOODS)
COMPUTER, PHONES, IPODS etc
SPORTING HOSPITALITY PACKAGES
WINE and RESTAURANT VOUCHERS
SHOW TICKETS
MOVIE, IMAX TICKETS
CAR HIRE, BIKE HIRE, MOTORHOME HIRE,
JOY FLIGHTS VOUCHERS
ARTWORK
ENTERTAINMENT VOUCHERS(LUNA PARK
PASS, ZOO PASS, DREAMWORLD,
SEAWORLD PASS, TEN PIN BOWLING,
PAINTBALL, JET BOATS, SAILING, FISHING
CHARTERS)
ROUNDS OF GOLF

MAJOR SPONSORS (Target $10500)
There are several sponsorship packages available. These funds will be spread amongst the players. The
details of these are outlined below and will be available in another document that can be sent to prospective
sponsors. Barry Van de Water (Under 10s Manager) is looking after Tour Sponsorships. These sponsors will
have their logos on the jerseys, training tees, in the tour booklet and various other places. Please contact
Barry if you could assist. 040167980 vandewaterb@stgeorge.com.au
GOLD SPONSOR $5000 One only
The GOLD sponsor will be the naming sponsor, they will receive the highest level of exposure. The benefits of
purchasing the GOLD sponsorship are:
Logo on front of all players tour jerseys
Logo on all players training shirts
Logo on all polo shirts
Logo and details on the MJRU website Tour page
Full page colour advertisement in the official Tour Booklet
Logo and details on all Tour letterheads and official correspondence
Logo and details on the various social media pages
Advertising opportunities at the Melbourne Cup luncheon
A certificate of appreciation
A framed and signed tour jersey

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SILVER SPONSORSHIP $2500 One only
The benefits of purchasing the SILVER sponsorship are:
Logo on back of all players tour jerseys
Logo on all players training shirts
Logo and details on the MJRU website Tour page
Full page colour advertisement in the official Tour Booklet
Logo and details on the various social media pages
Advertising opportunities at the Melbourne Cup luncheon
A certificate of appreciation
A framed tour squad photo

BRONZE SPONSORSHIPS $1500 Two available
The benefits of purchasing a BRONZE sponsorship are:
Logo on back of all players shorts OR logo on all left sleeves of tour jerseys
Logo on all players training shirts
Logo and details on the MJRU website Tour page
Half page colour advertisement in the official Tour Booklet
Logo and details on the various social media pages
Advertising opportunities at the Melbourne Cup luncheon
A certificate of appreciation
A framed tour squad photo

HOODIE SPONSOR RAFFLE (Target $10000)
We will be selling 100 tickets at $100 each ticket to businesses. This is approximately two tickets to be sold
per tourist. Four businesses will be drawn out; 1
st
will have their logo on the front, 2
nd
will have their logo on
the back and 3
rd
and 4
th
will have their logo on the sleeves of the tour hoodie. These funds will be
distributed amongst the players.








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INDIVIDUAL PLAYER SPONSORS (Target $11500)
Each player will be asked to get an individual business/company sponsor. The individual sponsors will be on
the sleeve of the playing jersey and listed in the tour booklet. There is no specified amount for this
sponsorship, the committee has estimated the target based on each player getting minimum $250 from their
individual sponsor. If a player can attract an individual sponsor for $1000 then that has taken care of their
$1000 target. The additional fund raising they do will go towards assisting other tourists reach their target.
The minimum cost of the Individual Player sponsorship is $250, the investment can be increased at the
discretion of the sponsor.
The benefits of purchasing an INDIVIDUAL PLAYER sponsorship are:
Logo on right sleeve of your players tour jersey
Logo and details in the official Tour Booklet
Details listed on the MJRU website Tour page
A certificate of appreciation



There are many other key roles/areas that need to be filled by volunteers. A tour committee is being formed
and those on the committee will require the assistance and support of all families.
The Committee will oversee all aspects of the tours fund raising and organisation, they will meet regularly in
the lead up to the tour. The committee will comprise of 5-6 parents from each age group. The Tour
Committee will form sub committees that will take responsibility for the Melbourne Cup Luncheon, raffle
and sponsorship as well as the organisation of the Tour itinerary. We require expressions of interest from
those parents who are keen to be a part of the Tour Sub Committees.
At this stage the tour committee is:

11s - Dean Michniewicz Jason Woolford James Forsyth Sally Klem
10s - Barry Van de Water Brandon Ward TBC TBC



MJRU encourages parents and extended family members to participate in the Tour as supporters. This can
be in the form of an organised tour group [subject to popularity], or alternatively by making your own
arrangements. History suggests that the Tour functions best without continual parental involvement, and as
such MJRU asks that supporters only interaction with the Tour group be at the games and after match
functions. Previous tours indicate that the combination of a free travel itinerary for supporters, combined
with the Tour matches, provides sufficient contact with the players to give them a sense of comfort, in
particular for those tourists who are unfamiliar with being away from family and loved ones.

Estilo Sports Travel have put together an itinerary and approximate cost for a Supporters Tour based on
the draft itinerary. Please ask for a copy of the Supporters Tour itinerary. Cost is based on a minimum
number of passengers travelling together. Steve from Estilo Sports Travel is happy to assist with any of your
travel arrangements, he can be contacted on 0448018995 or steve@estilosportstravel.com.au
KEY ROLES AND COMMITTEES
SUPPORTERS TOUR
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Players are assigned a tour buddy, and these pairings are billeted by our New Zealand hosts for up to 2-3
days at a time. The Tour Management Team will determine the tour buddies. In certain circumstances
individual requests regarding buddies will be considered.

Billeting is a proven and particularly successful arrangement, and allows the boys to get to know their fellow
players and experience life the New Zealand way. It is hopeful that when MJRU host touring NZ teams, billets
are assigned to those players, with whom they stayed with, fostering friendship potentials that can last a
lifetime. When players are billeted, the Tour management team stay in a centrally located hotel.

A Marae is a Maori communal meeting place that serves religious and social purposes. When staying in a
Marae, guests must observe the traditional Maori customs and rules. Marae guests are provided with a
mattress and clean sheets and share bathroom and kitchen facilities. The Tour Management stay in the
Marae with the players. Staying in a Marae is a truly unique experience and a privilege that must be treated
as such.



PASSPORTS
Any player or Official selected to tour is expected to have a current passport, or be able to obtain a passport
at least 3 months in advance of the tour departure date.
The cost of obtaining a passport to travel is at the individuals expense.

EXPECTATION TO TRAVEL WITH THE TOUR GROUP
All selected players are expected to travel and remain with the Tour group at all times, even when the
players family are Tour Supporters. In the interests of the Tour, parents are requested to make separate
travel arrangements or travel as part of the Estilo Sports Travel Supporters Tour. This request is in the
interests of all involved in the Tour, and in recognition of the smooth management and logistical
requirements of touring.

MEDICAL and INSURANCE
The Tour Committee is responsible in obtaining and updating all players known medical conditions of each
player. Please complete the relevant medical forms online. This information is required as a duty of care and
is made available to billeting families as a courtesy. Players insurance is included in the out of pocket
payment made by parents. Travel insurance is through Cover more Insurance. Individual policy numbers will
be forwarded to all tourists.







BILLET and MARAE ACCOMMODATION
TRAVEL CONSIDERATIONS
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Anyone wishing to make enquiries in relation to the Tour is encouraged to contact a member of the tour
committee.

Dean Michniewicz 0412134992 dmichniewicz@sacs.nsw.edu.au
James Forsyth 0404444422 JaForsyth@seven.com.au
Sally Klem 0418168263 s.klem@bigpond.com
Barry Van-de-Water 0401679808 vandewaterb@stgeorge.com.au
Jason Woolford 0419436881 jason@fspnb.com.au
Brandon Ward 0410536275 brandon_ward@b-f.com




If for whatever reason a player has to withdraw from the Tour after the squad is selected or a players
probationary acceptance to tour is not granted due to failure to adhere to the selection criteria, it is at the
discretion of the Tour Committee if a replacement player will be invited to tour. The conditions by which the
replacement player is granted a place on the tour is also at the discretion of the Tour Committee.

A refund of the Player Contribution Fee will be payable less 20% for administration costs. Any monies raised
by the withdrawing player will remain in the Tour Funds and is not refundable.



TOUR RELATED QUESTIONS
WITHDRAWALS - POST SQUAD SELECTION