Temsa’s first ever converted team coach went to Leeds Rhinos earlier this year. routeone was invited to take an exclusive look at the Safari HD12 tailored for the team
Transport is an important consideration for any sports club.
Not only does it take players to and from games, but it also provides them with the ideal opportunity to spend the journeys together as a team.
While hiring a standard coach is fine, nothing beats having the luxury of a dedicated team coach that has been specified to a team’s exact needs.
It also makes a statement and gives players peace of mind that everything they need is at hand before and after a game.
In February this year, Super League rugby club Leeds Rhinos acquired its own team coach following a unique sponsorship deal, which saw Turkish manufacturer Temsa become its official transport partner.
The deal includes sponsorship of the team’s kit, as well as dugout and LED ground board branding at Leeds Rhinos’ home stadium – Emerald Headingley Stadium – which has recently undergone a £45m redevelopment.
It also means the rugby team gets exclusive use of a Leeds Rhinos-branded Temsa Safari HD12 that is fitted out to the players’ requirements.
Kevin Sinfield, Director of Rugby, Leeds Rhinos, says: “Every season, Rugby League becomes more and more competitive, so we are constantly looking for new ways to gain a competitive advantage on the field.
“Having a dedicated team coach that is tailored to our specific sporting requirements helps to ensure the players are in the best possible physical and mental condition when they arrive at the stadium.”
Winning combination
The dedicated team coach is not only a first for the professional rugby league club, but it is also the first coach converted to team coach specification by Temsa, which has seen substantial growth in the UK through an exclusive partnership with Arriva Bus and Coach.
“Temsa wanted to continue this growth and brand awareness in the UK and we felt one of the best ways to do that would be to align it with an elite, top-level sports team,” says Arriva Bus and Coach Managing Director Andrew Cullen.
“The partnership with Leeds Rhinos is ideal because it’s a successful Super League team and Arriva Bus and Coach’s Cleckheaton site is only a few miles away from Leeds, so it seemed like a winning combination.”
Andrew worked closely with Leeds Rhinos Commercial Director Rob Oates to turn the sponsorship deal into reality.
“We are always looking for new partners and one of our key drivers was to get more involved with big international companies,” Rob explains.
“So, when Andrew approached us on Temsa’s behalf, it was the perfect opportunity.
“It’s the first time we’ve had a dedicated coach that’s in Leeds Rhinos’ branding and looking as good as it does – it’s fantastic for us.”
One of the other key deciding factors behind the partnership was the shared values between the two businesses.
Says Andrew: “Rugby is a sport that is considered clean and very family orientated. When the Temsa team came and visited Leeds Rhinos, it is something they recognised and totally bought into.”
Team requirements
With the deal in place, it was time for the Leeds Rhinos staff and players to decide exactly what they required in a team coach.
“We went to Arriva and asked what the options were. Then Andrew met with our support staff and one or two players and asked them what they wanted, any niggles they had and what they would change if they could. And we’ve tried to incorporate all those things,” says Rob.
The team’s specifications were then taken to coach conversion specialist AD Coach Systems in Stoke-on-Trent.
Says Andrew: “The way AD Coach Systems has converted the coach means it is all modular. Everything comes out and there’s no permanent modifications that cannot be rectified ready for resale as a 53-seater coach.”
Coach details
Leeds Rhinos took delivery of the Temsa Safari HD12 in March.
It is 12.2m long and has 38 upgraded half-leather seats with three-point belts. Each of the seats also have grab handles and USB ports.
Power is from a DAF MX-11 engine coupled to a ZF EcoLife automatic gearbox.
Tables have built-in cup holders and additional USB ports. There are also four LCD screens with Sky TV, as well as on-board wi-fi.
The servery over the centre sunken toilet has a microwave, coffee machine and sink. This is complemented by two fridges, additional to the standard bottle cooler in the dash.
Completing the look is wood-effect flooring under the seats, while the walkway is carpeted.
The team coach is operated by Leeds-based Fourway Coaches, which has been supplying a coach and driver to Leeds Rhinos for the last 15 years.
As well as the coach, the team also has a dedicated driver – Peter Anderson – who has become “part of the team” over the 12 years he has driven them to and from games.
“The partnership with Fourway hasn’t changed, which is great,” says Rob. “Fourway deal directly with Arriva Bus and Coach and the Temsa coach comes via the operator, so it works out perfectly.”
Home comforts
Most importantly, the team coach is a big hit with the players too.
Leeds Rhinos player Mikolaj Oledzki tells routeone the importance of having a team coach and how it is already having a positive impact on the team.
“As we travel a lot, having a dedicated coach is very important for the whole team – the staff and the players – because it gives us peace of mind that everything is taken care of in terms of transport and having the right facilities onboard,” explains Mikolaj.
“It has everything we have at home and everything we need to be able to prepare and relax before games. Some games you win and some you lose, so it’s important that you can travel home in comfort and reflect on the game.”
Looking the part
The layout of the coach with the tables also means it brings the team together more.
“I particularly like the tables because you can sit together and we can eat more comfortably. We usually play cards on our way to games,” says Mikolaj.
“It’s ideal because we don’t have to turn around to talk to each other or shout down the coach to get people’s attention anymore.
“Leeds Rhinos is one of the biggest clubs in the rugby league and it’s important that when we turn up to away games and to other places as a team, we look professional.
“It’s important that we look the part and this coach reflects that.”
Genuine afterlife
Temsa’s partnership with Leeds Rhinos is at least a three-year deal, but Andrew predicts the coach will be upgraded throughout these years.
The intention is to resell this coach on as a team coach. However, the flexibility of the HD12 will really appeal to a lot of operators.
“It is easily reconfigurable, which means it has a genuine afterlife once the sports club is finished with it,” says Andrew.
“The HD12 can be upgraded to an extremely high specification for the team coach and then reconfigured back to the standard seating if desired for more ‘normal’ HD12-type work.”
Arriva Bus and Coach is already receiving a lot of interest in the Temsa option from other sports teams and operators for next year, he adds.
“Converting a Temsa to the high specification required of a team coach demonstrates that it works at the highest level.”
