Total Sports Tours NZ

22/12/2024

https://mailchi.mp/0683d1cfa25f/total-sports-tours-wishing-you-a-merry-christmas-and-a-happy-new-year Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

As 2024 comes to a close, we want to take a moment to reflect on what has been an incredible year for Total Sports Tours, and on the schools, clubs, and teams we’ve been fortunate enough to work with. From unforgettable local matches to the growing excitement for our international tours, it’s be...

18/12/2024

2024

What has your year been like? Enjoyed it? Achieved your goals? Made new friends? Had new experiences?

Total Sports Tours has had a great year. Because we helped so many people achieve all of these things.

Next year we plan to do more of the same. Check out our 5* reviews then ask yourself if you want to part of the TST experience.

Send us a message. We would love to help you.

See you in 2025!

16/12/2024

The West Coast Wilderness Trail starts in Greymouth and finishes just south of Hokitika. I am riding this with my son over three days. We both have e-bikes. Some might say that’s cheating. But it’s not, of course. It means we are both covering about 100 km in relative comfort. It only enhances the experiences: both of us enjoying the magnificent scenery, getting some exercise, spending time in good company, sharing new experiences. . . it’s awesome!!

Sounds a bit like one of our 5 star Google reviews!

08/12/2024

Summer has arrived in Christchurch. The weekend saw temperatures in the high 20’s. There is a beach here called Taylors Mistake. You have to drive over the Scarborough Hill to get there. It’s about 500m long and has a cove shape. The surf can really pump there in a big sea. I love the beach and can laze around in the sun, sand and sea all day. My daughter asked if her and a friend could spend the afternoon there. And so we did. The water was ‘so warm’ according to them both. It was about 17 degrees, not bad for this time of the year. But if you’re from the tropics or Australia, that’s way too cold. I chickened out when the sun disappeared behind the clouds and the Easterly picked up.
Looking out to sea, hearing the sound of the ocean, and watching a couple of young teenagers having fun in the waves was more than enough to consider it an afternoon well spent. We have taken many groups to the Christchurch beaches, and a number have taking the plunge despite being well out of season. To take to the water is a dare some have not been able to resist. However, I’ll be waiting for the sun and a proper heat blast before my thin skin and cold aversion is nullified!
Hello summer and happy beaching. . .

Phil Robson

04/12/2024

Who is excited for the Women’s Rugby World Cup next year?

It’s going to be bigger and better than ever…

More teams

More supporters

More games

More media coverage

More sponsorship

Will you be watching?

02/12/2024

I want to send a shout-out to the game of Volleyball.
I have been playing social volleyball for 20+ years. It was something that the PE staff I worked with did on a Friday afternoon once the students had left. It was always a lot of fun and very competitive. It relied so much on skill and team work, but because there is a net between the teams, the contact was only ever between you and the ball. A number of us ex-staff got together last Friday for a friendly hit. I haven’t laughed so much for a long time. The skills mostly returned, just without the agility and jump power. This ‘older’ group will be taking on the current school staff next week in the annual Ex Vs Current volleyball match. Some 60+ year olds will be amongst both sides. Others will be 20 years younger, but all will be competitive. There are not too many other sports that would allow for such an age-gap provision.
It’s a fantastic game and the beers following will illustrate once again that sport does its best to keep you young and connected with old mates.
Phil Robson
Total Sports Tours

28/11/2024

Friday funny…..

26/11/2024

Total Sports Tours - 20 Year Celebration -

Thanks to the team! It has taken a team to last for 20 years in business. We were delighted to see so many present at our celebration. Original team members included past Director and old friend, Richard Taylor, current staff member Louise Smith who has been there for the past 16 years, Business Adv...

26/11/2024

Where will your sport take you?

You play sport in NZ but where could your skills take you?

Anywhere in the world!

With Total Sports Tours we can arrange tours in numerous countries where your sport is championed.

Imagine playing rugby in South Africa or cricket in Sri Lanka...

For all the places you could go, head to https://www.totaltours.nz/outbound-tours

And email us at [email protected] if you'd like to find out more.

17/11/2024

Off sport this week. . . despite the fact that there is plenty to talk about. One point AB loss to France - ouch! I have seen hundreds of parents enjoy a sports tour experience with their child. With younger tour groups it is not uncommon to have as many parents as there are players. To be alongside your child while they experience the despair of defeat, elation of a win, the physical and psychological knocks, the ribbing from teammates, strange surrounds and unfamiliar culture, is a wonderful and significant bonding affair. The joy of sharing these and so many more facets of a touring experience with your son or daughter is beyond measure.

I went to a Coldplay concert in Auckland last week with my teenage daughter. There’s no way I could drag her along to a test match at Eden Park, so this was as close as I would get to sharing something with her in this magnificent stadium. What a night. Just brilliant in every way.

And we’ll never forget the 2 hours sharing this moment together. A treasured memory, which is what any parent strives for.

15/11/2024

Leap into the Weekend!

Give it everything you’ve got

Whatever sport you play

Keep warm!

10/11/2024

As age creeps upon me and claws at my joints making everyday tasks increasingly difficult, I occasionally reflect on the miraculousness of the younger me now viewed through the exploits of those I see, read about or listen to. I too once played sport at an elite level where every measure of my physical capacity was tested, I took to the hills and walked for days over treacherous terrain with hulking loads, I disappeared under the ocean in marginal conditions where your equipment and wits were all that counted, and now know those experiences can never be repeated, only remembered.

I have been listening to a podcast called Real Survival Stories. As much as I felt that my physical limits had been reached in moments during my ‘peak’ years, I do not doubt that that the extension of my capacity to endure was still somewhere far beyond my sense of it. Listening to these stories of people enduring the most horrendous predicaments, with death just inches away, I cannot help but be awestruck by humankind’s capacity and ability to do miraculous things. This can be witnessed across a multitude of disciplines. I see it when I watch sport and my favourite game, rugby.

Ireland and the All Blacks went at it over the weekend. As a disciple of the game, I reflect occasionally on what it takes to play at this level. It is more than most can imagine. And there is more in us all than most can imagine. It is a frontier best explored when the body is young and supple. In your book of life, dedicate a chapter to sport, you might find it features heartily in your epilogue.

Phil Robson
Phil’s Philosophy

08/11/2024

What sets us apart from other tour operators?

One of the things that makes us uniqie is our relationships with sporting heros. Legends of sport who believe in what we do and willing to impart their wisdom to your kids.

Sir Steve Hanson. One of those legends.

05/11/2024

Hump Day Humour

How is your brain this morning?

Thanks
cjrugbyprep

03/11/2024

Wow! Sport can be so exciting!

The All Blacks played England on Sunday morning. I watched the replay at midday. All media was silenced so I didn’t know the result. I found myself wincing a fair bit of the time as the AB’s fumbled their way through the game, with moments of delight as well when they crossed the line. Just in front for most of the game, and then somewhat behind as England seemed to have the upper hand in the later stages of the game, the All Blacks found a way through Tale’a brilliance and nudged ahead with just minutes left in the game. It was so tense!

England are a hard team to lose to. You will hear about it for a long time afterwards! With three minutes to go and just 2 points in it, mid-fielder Lienert-Brown was yellow carded. The resulting penalty kick struck the upright and the ball was then knocked on, resulting in a scrum under the posts. At the death the ball was won from the scrum and Ford took at drop goal and missed that too. AB’s win by 2 points. What a game!

I am a little embarrassed to admit the last 3 minutes I had to read about as I couldn’t watch. When Lienert-Brown was sent off I thought that was it. England would win now. I waited till I had calmed down a bit before checking the score. What a ride! You gotta love sport for the emotion it can wring out of you.

Phil Robson
Total Sports Tours

29/10/2024

The Kiwi's versus the Kangaroos Pacific Nations League Test was held in Christchurch over the weekend. A terrific sell-out crowd packed in Apollo Projects Stadium. It was a boisterious, parochial audience that roared it's way through a pretty dominant Australian performance. It was wonderful to see a game such as this brought to Christchurch, as we don't get many internationals. . . actually internationals of anything much really! Not big acts anyway. You see, Apollo Projects Stadium was built in 100 days, mostly out of scaffold, after the 2011 earthquakes. It was a temporary measure, designed to be pulled down roughly four years later. Well, it's now been 12 years! It's not a great advert for our beautiful city.
But standby sports fans. . . Te Kaha is just 18 months away. Our new 30,000 seat, roofed, state-of-the-art stadium is taking shape downtown. It has already changed the skyline and is not far away from changing the way we enjoy live sport, live concerts, live shows and a whole lot more.

Mark my words - Christchurch is on the cusp of an economic and cultural boom. The countdown is on.

24/10/2024

Being able to work with rugby legends like Scott ‘ Razor’ Robinson is one of the bonuses of running a business like Total Sports Tours.
Having their support and genuine appreciation of what we do is something we will never take for granted.

Thank you Razor - for your help, your time and your knowledge.