Peak performance sports travel for Harlequins

Quins! That’s how many of us know Harlequins Football Club, the English Rugby Union team who play in the English Premiership. Home for them is Twickenham Stoop in London, where they’ve lived for more than 100 years.

As cup and league winners, it’s all about peak performance for the rugby team. Their travel arrangements and changes have to reflect that, so they can focus on the game and tournament at hand.

2015 final of ECPR Challenge, 80 strong-team travelling to Lyon with 2 weeks notice

Tackling those complex needs

It’s November 2015 and the Quins are facing challenges with travel. It’s always complex organising travel for a team that’s moving around a lot and is determined by whether fixtures change. That’s where we stepped in to help.

Travel especially ramps up towards the end of the season when there’s more last-minute trips. Fixtures can only be decided once the game before is played. And it’s not just players that have to get on the road quickly but management and support staff too. Not to mention all of the team’s excess equipment – lots of extra baggage.

Room for focus

Quins’ players require different accommodation to most travellers. Every room needs to be large enough to accommodate in-room massages and dining. It keeps distractions at bat and players in peak physical condition.

Because the team don’t know who they’re playing until the last minute, our team make sure that hotel rates are flexible with late cancellation options. We’re more than capable of managing those contracts and keeping the team on track.

Lisa and the team are real support for us; they are there every step of the way and understand the tight schedules, the inevitable last-minute nature of our travel and the challenge of travelling as a group. Lisa comes back with great options and solutions and always goes the extra mile! The team have changed the way I book travel for the better, positively challenging our buying patterns and having real experts on side has made a huge difference.

Graeme Bowerbank, Head of Operations @ Harlequins Football Club Ltd

Semi-finals in Lyon

Harlequins made it to the final of the ECPR Challenge, facing Montpellier in Lyon. It was up to our team to ensure the 80-strong team could travel and have the right accommodation with just two weeks’ notice. But it’s all part and parcel for our guys. Hotels options were sourced and directly negotiated with to get the best prices and flexibility. All that excess baggage was handled. The emergency assistance team was briefed should any out-of-hours calls come in.

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