Edusport Travel

Giniel takes Dakar podium

edusport — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 07:18:57 +0000

Giniel takes Dakar podium

January 16 2012 at 07:07am

South African driver Giniel De Villiers and German navigator Dirk Von Zitzewitz arrive to a heroes welcome in Lima at the end of the 2012 Dakar Rally.

The atmosphere in the city of Lima today was nothing short of electric. Following the drivers to the podium ceremony in downtown Lima, we literally encountered thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of cheering locals lining the streets.

This year’s Dakar Rally is finally done and dusted and after 8391km through Argentina, Chile and Peru, the 443-vehicle starting grid has been whittled down to just 249.

The big news for South Africans is that our star driver, Giniel de Villiers (navigated by Dirk von Zitzewitz) has come home third – an incredible achievement for the 2009 Dakar champion (and for the Imperial Toyota team itself) if one considers that the whole effort was put together in little more than three months and that Toyota South Africa is completely new to the Dakar scene.

Visibly relieved to see the podium after such an arduous journey, Giniel described the last few stages in Peru as having been the toughest.

“The dunes in stage 12 and 13 were very different from what I’m used to, small but very soft. It was a big challenge for us, but the Hilux had no problem getting through it all.”

Dakar’s overall victory, however, belonged to Frenchman Sephane Peterhansel in his Mini Countryman, who has finally proven himself a master on all wheels after winning his 10th Dakar and fourth win in the car category.

Second spot belonged to his team mate, Spaniard Nani Roma, while fourth overall was scooped by Leonid Novitskiy – in another Mini. The controversial American, ‘cowboy’ Robby Gordon, whose compliance with the rules had been under question, took fifth place and also laid on the aggression in his Hummer to win the final stage.

With Robbie not having been excluded from the race, Giniel’s team mate Duncan Vos only just missed making it into the top 10 overall. Still, 11th place is nothing to sneeze at, considering it was the SA Off-Road champion’s first Dakar rally.

“It was a lot more challenging than I ever imagined,” Vos admitted. “The height of the ‘sand mountains’ was really immense and some even forced us to stop and deflate the tyres.”

Fellow South African Mark Corbett, driving a Toyota-powered CR4 buggy, finished the Dakar in style, completing the final stage 14th and ranking 24th overall.

Corbett summed the race up perfectly: “Words such as relentless, gruelling, tough and tenacity take on a whole new meaning on the Dakar.”

South Africans can also take pride in two of our bikers having survived the grueling and ultra-dangerous two-wheeled race. KTM rider Darryl Curtis took 22nd overall, while Greg Raaf finished 83nd out of 98 finishers. SA’s ‘adopted’ New Zealander (Curtis’ team mate) Chris Birch finished 27th overall.

It was also a KTM affair at the very front of the biking mob, with Cyril Despres having won the two-wheeled category with a 53-minute lead over Mark Coma, despite the two having been just minutes apart in the middle stages of the rally. In the end, it was navigational errors and breakdowns that put paid to Coma´s ambitions.

Still, the race that lurks most in our minds is the car category in 2013. With Toyota South Africa having racked up the necessary experience and with the 2012 disadvantage of practicing with 2013′s power-restricting rules, a Dakar win is far from out of the question.

RESULTS of 14th and final stage from Pisco to Lima

1 Robby Gordon (US) Hummer 22min 43sec

2 Ricardo Leal Dos Santos (Portugal) Mini +21sec

3 Krzyscztof Holowczyx (Poland) Mini +38sec

4 Giniel de Villiers (South Africa) Toyota +1min28

5 Carlos Sousa (Portugal) Great Wall +1min36

6 Lucio Alvarez (Argentina) Toyota +2min01

7 Leonid Novitskiy (Russia) Mini +2min10

8 Nani Roma (Spain) Mini +2min11

9 Bernhar Ten Brink (Netherlands) Mitsubishi +2min49

10 Stephane Peterhansel (France) Mini +3min12

OVERALL

1 Stephane Peterhansel (France) Mini – 38hours 54min 46sec

2 Nani Roma (Spain) Mini +41min56

3 Giniel de Villiers (South Africa) Toyota +1hour 13min25

4 Leonid Novitskiy (Russia) Mini +2hours 11min54

5 Robby Gordon (US) Hummer +2hours 16min53

6 Lucio Alvarez (Argentina) Toyota +4hours 05min52

7 Carlos Sousa (Portugal) Great Wall +4hours 30min24

8 Ricardo Leal Dos Santos (Portugal) Mini +5hours 03min18

9 Bernhar Ten Brinke (Netherlands) Mitsubishi +5hours 11min18

10 Krzysztof Holowczyc (Poland) Mini +6hours 59min38

MOTORCYCLES

1 Pal Anders Ullevalseter (Norway) KTM – 22min 26sec

2 Marc Coma (Spain) KTM +1min08

3 Stefan Svitko (Slovakia) KTM +1min43

4 Gerard Farres Guell (Spain) KTM +2min01

5 Alessandro Botturi (Italy) KTM +2min11

6 Olivier Pain (France) Yamaha +2min55

7 Jordi Viladoms (Spain) KTM +3min35

8 Helder Rodrigues (Portugal) Yamaha +3min41

9 Juan Barreda Bort (Spain) Husqvarna +3min44

10 Cyril Despres (France) KTM +3min51

OVERALL

1 Cyril Despres (France) KTM +43hours 28min 11sec

2 Marc Coma (Spain) KTM) +53min20

3 Helder Rodrigues (Portugal) Yamaha +1hour 11min17

4 Jordi Viladoms (Spain) KTM +1hour 40min56

5 Stefan Svitko (Slovakia) KTM +1hour 47min28

6 Pal Anders Ullevalseter (Norway) KTM +2hours 11min56

7 Gérard Farres Guell (Spain) KTM +2hours 14min22

8 Alessandro Botturi (Italy) KTM +2hours 59min04

9 Olivier Pain (France) Yamaha +3hours 17min50

10 Felipe Zanol (Brazil) KTM +3hours 25min56

Hong Kong Sevens 2012 selling fast …

edusport — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 07:33:02 +0000

Packages to the 2012 Hong Kong Sevens are selling fast! Great Value – flights, accommodation and match tickets included!!

3-night 4 star packages including flights ex Johannesburg from R18, 250 per person sharing.

4 night 4 star packages inclduing flights ex Johannesburg from R19,250 per person sharing.

Experience the carnival-like atmosphere at one of the most anticipated international sporting events of the year. Renowned for its partying fans who dress up in ‘brave’ costumes add to this electrifying atmosphere. Discover Hong Kong with its fascinating temples, architectural masterpieces, endless shopping experiences and diverse cuisine. You’ll be fascinated by its blend of old and new – a fusion of East and West which gives Hong Kong a unique character. You’ll want to return year after year!

View photos on our Facebook page:

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.220543778020706.53138.103507959724289&type=3&l=19c1a6306c

RWC FINAL: All Blacks vs France

edusport — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 09:20:33 +0000

French Supporters with Ed Hill, MD of Edusport Travel

Boks Return to SA after knock out from RWC

edusport — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 08:59:05 +0000

Warren Hill (Edusport Tour Leader) and John Smit

First RWC supporters return to South Africa

edusport — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 10:46:30 +0000

I am sure that all the clients who travelled to New Zealand for the SA vs. Wales and SA vs. Fiji match will agree that the festivities were incredible in New Zealand. Despite the SAFA’s being the All Blacks main rivalries in the tournament they gave us a warm welcome and engaged with us on a very friendly basis. I am sure some strong friendships were formed and I know that long lasting memories were made from these travels.

I hope that by now you have caught up on some sleep as we certainly made the most of the fabulous nightlife in Wellington and in Rotorua! (Some more than others…)!! I know for myself some of the incredible highlights of the tour were the Luge, Huka falls and of course our victorious match days in Wellington!

Keep an eye open on our Facebook page (www.facebook.com/edusport) for our pictures and you are welcome to post your pictures so that we can all share in the incredible memories of our tour! Let us know what the highlights for you were….

England and Australia RWC 2011 teams to visit Christchurch

edusport — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 07:00:37 +0000

Tournament organiser Rugby New Zealand 2011 today welcomed the decision of the England and Australian Rugby World Cup 2011 teams to include Christchurch in their Tournament itineraries.

“Both teams were due to play matches in Christchurch, but the devastating earthquake of February 22 of course changed those plans so we are grateful that the team are able to do their bit to raise the spirits of the city,” said RNZ 2011 CEO Martin Snedden.

England team manager Martin Johnson and several team members will spend time in the city on September 7 ahead of their opening match against Argentina in Dunedin on September 10.

Australia team members will travel from Hanmer Springs on September 28 undertake a variety of community activities prior to flying to Nelson for their match against Russia. This will include a tour of the new Fanzone at Hagley Park, a fund raising lunch and school and hospital visits.

“I thank Martin Johnson and Australian coach Robbie Deans for making team members available for these visits during what is an intense time for any RWC team,” said Mr Snedden.

“But I know they will mean a lot to fans in Christchurch and the wider Canterbury area who should have been looking forward to seven RWC 2011 matches had it not been for the tragic events of just over six months ago.”

The New Zealand team has already announced plans to base themselves in Christchurch from September 17 to 20 ahead of their key pool match against France at Eden Park on September 24.

“The New Zealand Government, the Christchurch City Council, the NZ 2011 Office and many others have worked hard to ensure the people of Canterbury can still share in the excitement of this Tournament. The Hagley Park Fanzone, REAL New Zealand Festival events and now these team visits will I am sure help people feel a real part of this fantastic six week celebration that is nearly upon us.”

Christchurch Mayor Bob Parker says, “It was very disappointing to lose our matches, but Cantabrians are still getting into the spirit of Rugby World Cup 2011 and these team visits will certainly help them to feel part of the hype. We look forward to welcoming members from both the England and Australian teams to the Garden City.”

Official Travel and Hospitality Programme: Tickets packages are still available through the Official Travel and Hospitality Programme. Email info@edusport.co.za to book your packages now.

About Rugby New Zealand 2011 Ltd (RNZ 2011): RNZ 2011 was established in June 2006, following the selection of the New Zealand Rugby Union (NZRU) as the Host Union for RWC 2011 by the IRB Council in November 2005. It is the organisation responsible for the planning and delivery of RWC 2011 in New Zealand on behalf of its shareholders, the NZRU and the New Zealand Government.

About IRB Rugby World Cup: IRB Rugby World Cup is the third largest sports event in the world. The inaugural tournament took place in 1987 and it is held every four years. In 2007 the sixth tournament was held in France and enjoyed a cumulative worldwide broadcast audience of more than four billion.

For the latest on RWC 2011 visit www.rugbyworldcup.com

Edusport appointed sales agent for 2014 FIFA World Cup™

edusport — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 11:29:53 +0000

IMPERIAL Holdings’ tourism division subsidiary, Edusport Travel, has been named the exclusive hospitality programme agent in South Africa for 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™ and the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup™.

Through its partnership with MATCH Hospitality, it will provide local fans with a range of exciting packages for the 2014 FIFA World Cup™. This includes tickets, accommodation, transport and tourist activities in Brazil.

Managing director of Edusport Travel, Ed Hill, said: “This is a really exciting opportunity for Edusport Travel and the Imperial Holdings Group. Soccer is a major passion in South Africa and, with Brazil already being a popular destination for South Africans, we believe that many local companies will choose the 2014 FIFA World Cup™ as an ideal incentive opportunity.

“Our experience will ensure that our hospitality clients will be well looked after in Brazil for the 2014 World Cup™ with a variety of packages for obtaining ticket inclusive hospitality packages, booking accommodation and arranging all travel arrangements.“

Hospitality package sales for the 2014 FIFA World Cup™ will commence November 2011, and thereafter Official Commercial Hospitality Packages will be offered exclusively by Edusport to South African-based companies, clubs, organisations and individuals wanting to attend.

Imperial Holdings Acquires 75% of Edusport Travel

edusport — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 10:01:52 +0000

Media Release

31 March 2011

Imperial Holdings Tourism division expands its reach in the tourism sector

Acquires 75% of Edusport Travel, an established sports and incentive travel agency

Imperial Holdings (“Imperial”) is pleased to announce the acquisition of 75% of Edusport Travel (Edusport), an established group sport and incentive travel company. Edusport management will retain a minority shareholding in the company.

Commenting on the acquisition, Imperial Tourism division CEO Moeketsi Mosola, said: “Edusport is a great strategic fit for our business. This acquisition will ensure we can grow our presence in the corporate sport events market. The company has an extensive and quality footprint which will offer us exposure to international sporting events, and builds on our existing business in this area. This acquisition will be earnings enhancing for Imperial and create synergies with the existing touring and coach fleet operations of the group.”

Edusport has successfully built a niche in catering to the inbound and outbound sports markets, and is one of the leading sports and incentive travel agencies both in South Africa and internationally.

It has acted as an official agent to a host of local and international sporting events including the Soccer World Cup, the Cape Argus Pick and Pay Cycle Tour, the Comrades Marathon, and the International Cricket World Cup and Rugby World Cup tournaments. It also organises outbound package tours to major international sporting events and world renowned sports clubs including those in the English Premier League.

The acquisition provides the opportunity for Imperial Tourism to expand its offering into the events, leisure and transport market. As South Africa’s leading sports and incentive travel company, Edusport builds on Imperial’s already impressive Car Rental and Tourism division’s offering; namely Springbok Atlas Tours, Springbok Atlas Coach Charters, Grosvenor Tours, Eastgate Safaris, Europcar and Tempest Care Hire..

Edusport Managing Director, Ed Hill explains: “Edusport and its clients will undoubtedly benefit from Imperial’s long term ambitions for its tourism division. The synergies between the Tourism division’s other companies will add considerably to the benefits Edusport can offer to our clients and suppliers.”

Edusport has an established and experienced staff and management team that will remain dedicated to the business led by Ed Hill, Managing Director, and James McIntosh, Commercial Director.

Over the past 18 months Imperial has invested in the executive management team of its tourism division to maintain and encourage the entrepreneurial sprit of each company as it expands its reach in the sector. Moeketsi Mosola, the previous CEO of SA Tourism now heads up the division, whilst Garry Lotter has recently been appointed the Managing Director of Springbok Atlas.. Garry was formerly with “& Beyond” (previously known as Conservation Corporate Africa), one of the world’s leading safari travel operators. Craig Drysdale has been promoted to Chief Executive Officer of Springbok Charter which has a fleet of over 160 vehicles for coach charters in South Africa and Namibia.

The Essential Guide to the Hong Kong Rugby Sevens

edusport — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 11:04:25 +0000

By Rory Boland, About.com Guide

Package Details Here….

From Hong Kong and Dubai to Vegas, London or Wellington, the Sevens World Series is one giant rugby party….where is your favourite tournament?

The Hong Kong Rugby Sevens is much more than Asia’s biggest sporting event, the annual arrival of the tournament to town signals city wide celebrations, in the nearest thing Hong Kong has to mardi gras. Inside the stadium, fans dress up, drink and, if there’s time, watch one of the rugby world’s best tournaments. Outside, pubs, bars and restaurants offer special Hong Kong Rugby Sevens deals to lure in the thousands of fans who couldn’t squeeze inside the stadium.

What: Hong Kong Rugby Sevens Tournament
When: 25th -27th March, 2011
Where: Hong Kong Stadium, Causeway Bay

What is Sevens?

Sevens is a cut-down, speeded up version of traditional rugby. Far quicker, higher scoring and with less rules, Sevens has a far wider appeal than the original fifteens version. The Hong Kong Rugby Sevens is the main event in the larger Sevens tournament which tours the world, with the ultimate champions decided on points earned from all of the tournaments. The Sevens game is often used as training ground for players to prove themselves, before moving onto fifteens. Two of the finest players to grace the Hong Kong tournament have been Jonah Lomu and David Campese, who fine-tuned their game in several years of Sevens’, before going on to dominate world rugby.

Do I need to be a rugby fan?

While the rugby is undoubtedly first-class, much of the crowd turns up for the booze and the atmosphere and not the rugby. The fun of the fast and furious Sevens game is that is lasts under fifteen minutes anyway, and most of the time in the stadium is dedicated to getting into the carnival atmosphere. Even if you’re not a rugby fan, attendance is still highly recommended.

Where can I experience the best of the Sevens?

The legendary South Stand is home to the most boisterous supporters and the singing, shouting and Mexican waves are generally kicked off by the South Stand crowd. South Stand supporters also doll themselves up, donning costumes from ghostbusters to cheerleaders, as they cheer the teams along. If you’re team isn’t making an appearance, you’ll be encouraged to pick an adopted country and shout them through to the final. Be warned; the South Stand is also the headquarters for the tournaments most dedicated drinkers, and while convivial, the atmosphere can be a little too raucous for some. Immediately outside the stadium is the rugby village, where, for a small fee, you can enjoy a big screen within the cheers of the actual stadium. Wan Chai’s pubs and bars will be packed during the tournament and will feature rugby sevens games of TV, as well as prizes, games and cut-price deals.

What do I need to know?

With a huge expat community turning out for the tournament, England is considered the home town favourite, along with Hong Kong, with China attracting a mixed reception of boos and cheers. Possibly due to the amount of Brits in attendance, both Australia and New Zealand tend to find themselves on the receiving end of a booing. Smaller nations such as Fiji and Samoa are popular with the crowd, while underdogs Canada and USA are also well received. One thing you can bank on, the loudest boo is always reserved for the French.

2011 Cricket World Cup

edusport — Tue, 18 Jan 2011 13:10:24 +0000

It all starts on February 19th, 2011 where Bangladesh and India will face off at Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur. The 2011 Cricket World Cup will be the tenth World Cup in its history and will be hosted by Sri Lanka, India, and Bangladesh. Pakistan was originally going to be a host, but their hosting rights were revoked when some Pakistanis attacked the national Sri Lanka cricket team in 2009.

2011 World Cup Cricket

Format The matches are in a One Day International (ODI) cricket format, sometimes referred to as Limited Overs Internationals (LOI). This is a form of cricket where only 50 overs are played per side between teams. An over is six legal ball deliveries bowled in a series to the batsman. One person from the opposing team will bowl and over, unless there is an injury.

Some One Day International matches are not always completed in one day. Typically, a second day will be reserved for the match incase of rain.

2011 Cricket World Cup Teams

African Cricket Associatio

Kenya
South Africa
Zimbabwe

Americas Cricket Association

Canada
West Indies

Asian Cricket Council

Bangladesh (Host)
India (Host)
Pakistan Sri Lanka (Host)

ICC East Asia-Pacific

Australia
New Zealand

European Cricket Council

England
Ireland
Netherlands

2011 Cricket World Cup Venues

India Venues

Ahmedabad; Sardar Patel Stadium; Capacity: 50,000
Bangalore; M. Chinnaswamy Stadium; Capacity: 42,000
Chennai; M. A. Chidambaram Stadium (undergoing upgrades); Capacity: 46,000
Kolkata; Eden Gardens (undergoing upgrades); Capacity: 82,000
Mohali; Punjab Cricket Association Stadium; Capacity: 35,000
Mumbai; Wankhede Stadium (undergoing upgrades); Capacity: 45,000
Nagpur; Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium; Capacity: 45,000
New Delhi; Feroz Shah Kotla; Capacity: 48,000

Sri Lanka Venues

Colombo; R. Premadasa Stadium (undergoing upgrades); Capacity: 35,000
Hambantota; Suriyawewa Stadium (new stadium); Capacity: 33,000
Kandy; Pallekele International Cricket Stadium (new stadium); Capacity: 35,000

Bangladesh Venues

Chittagong; Chittagong Divisional Stadium; Capacity: 20,000
Dhaka; Sher-e-Bangla Cricket Stadium; Capacity: 35,000

2011 Cricket World Cup Tournament Format

The format of the tournament is in round robin and knockout. At first, there is a group stage, where each team plays the other team. From the group stage, the top four teams of each group move to a knockout stage starting in the quarter finals.

Group A

Australia
Canada
Kenya
New Zealand
Pakistan
Sri Lanka
Zimbabwe

Group B

Bangladesh
England
India
Ireland
Netherlands
South Africa
West Indies

Live Streaming

You don’t want to miss a single game of this upcoming series of matches. Fortunately, you can stream the Cricket World Cup live from anywhere in the world as long as you have a computer and an internet connection. About the Author Javier is an avid cricket fan. Check out his website to learn more information about how you can stream the 2011 Cricket World Cup live.

By Javier Perugini – Check out his website to learn more information about how you can stream the 2011 Cricket World Cup live.