Hundreds of fans pay months in advance for rugby trips

Global Sports Travel Limited specialises in sporting trips and has sent thousands of supporters abroad to follow the fortunes of Wales' national rugby and soccer sides.

But now hundreds of people who have paid in full for the Ireland versus Wales Six Nations rugby game later this month now face paying another travel operator to get them there, or missing the game altogether.

Arrangements were made before liquidation with another tour operator, Travel City of Cardiff, to help travellers where possible.

Global Sports Travel is based in Llandarcy, Neath, south Wales, and its core business is rugby international package trips.

Around 560 people have paid the company at least �145 each for a trip to Ireland to see Wales's Six Nations tournament game at Lansdowne Road in Dublin, on 22 February.

Liquidator Grant Thornton has said arrangements have been made with another tour operator to help travellers where possible - but there will be extra costs involved.

Many fans will not get to the stadium for the match

Global Sports Travel has always specialised in sports travel, particularly for rugby fans. It has sent many thousands of people on trips to watch Wales and the British Lions.

More recently, it has been organising trips for football fans, too.

It is understood that most of those who paid to go on the Dublin trip were in small, independent groups of up to 20 people.

Richard Hawes, of Grant Thornton, confirmed that obligations to fans who had paid in full for the trip would not now be fulfilled.

"It is unfortunate that, with the Ireland game so close, travel arrangements for Welsh supporters, who have made payments for trips starting at �145 per person, are under threat. "

Grant Thornton has set up a helpline number for creditors to call with questions about the liquidation. The number to ring is 029 20877750