Bali 10's 2005 - The Tyrone Defence!

Having won the mighty Cup ("Tyrone") in 2004 with a gutsy effort with players from 6th grade right through to 1st grade, we are determined to go back and defend our title in 2005. The idea of the tour is to go over, play some good hard 10's rugby first up at the Grand Bali Beach Hotel Resort where the tournament is held, win the tournament and then talk ourselves up for the rest of the week.

The 2005 Bali 10's will be held on the weekend of the 1st and 2nd of October (a long weekend in Sydney). The plan is for everyone to fly to Bali on Friday Sept 30 flights permitting. There are a number of options for how long you can stay - just the weekend or the following Thursday if you want a 7 day stay - but most people enjoy a full 8 days of relaxing round Bali and return the following weekend (Sun Oct 9, essentially an 8.5 days stay - with only 5 working days needed for annual leave from work). Some guys are staying for 2 weeks.

There is no limit on how many guys we can take on tour - the more the merrier - as we can enter two sides and non playing tourists are welcome. Girlfriends, wives, partners etc are also welcome to make the trip as Bali is an easy place for them to amuse themselves while we play rugby. The tour is a great way to meet and play rugby with Colleagues from other grades that you may not have had much contact with throughout the year as well as make some international rugby mates. A good turn out should help us attract more international teams to our own Bondi 10's next year.

Per person costs for flights and accommodation for the full week will be approximately $2000 (based on twin share). However, sponsorship and other fundraising activities like raffles and a party will, as previously, help reduce this charge substantially and cover your kit costs as well as helping raise money for Bali related charities along the way. We will be looking to do the same this year so if you are keen to come, expect to put a lot in to help to raise funds for the trip - it really doesn't take too much effort but it is worth it.

If you want to know more about the tournament, costs etc and what you can do round Bali afterwards please email me but you can also have a word with either Nick Love (nick@soundbuzz.com or 0404 846382 ), Ben 'Judy' Garland (Benjamin.Garland@barclaysglobal.com or 0403249182) or Stephen Kann (stephen.kann@au.abnamro.com or 0412383823) - they can talk you through how the tournament works and what there is to do in Bali. I should point out that the vast majority of guys who went last year are going again because the tour was so good.

Find out more about the Bali Tour 2005 Corporate Raffle or becoming a Tour Sponsor.

Here's what some of last year's first time tourists had to say about the Bali trip:

• "I'm pretty sure it was the best rugby tour that I have been on. I can't remember too much but I think we won the 10's and decided to celebrate with a few quiet drinks. Next thing I knew, I woke up in Sydney a week later with a headache....brilliant!!", Gareth Gower

• "Hold me!", Liam Brosnan

• "It's a big island and nobody knows us. Let's go f*cken mental", Anonymous.

• "Some of the best shopping outside of Oxford St! Two thumbs way up!", Stephen Kann