England deaf rugby union tackle South Africa tour flying Virgin Atlantic style

• England Deaf Rugby Union (EDRU) men’s and women’s teams travelled to Johannesburg with Virgin Atlantic to play a tour against South Africa, Australia and Japan 

• Virgin Atlantic partnered with the team, which is made up of deaf and hard of hearing players, to ensure British Sign Language (BSL) trained cabin crew were onboard the team’s flights 

• Content documenting the EDRU’s journey has been released today ahead of International Week of the Deaf (20 – 26 September 2024)

Virgin Atlantic has partnered with English Deaf Ruby Union (EDRU) to support the men’s and women’s team on their tour of South Africa. The airline supported the team’s tour and provided British Sign Language (BSL) trained cabin crew onboard the team’s flights as part of the airline’s commitment to making travel inclusive for all.

Content documenting the EDRU’s journey to South Africa as they enjoy the Virgin Atlantic onboard experience has been released today ahead of International Week of the Deaf. The content celebrates the achievements of the incredible team members and their eight months of hard work and dedication. It can be viewed here.

Corneel Koster, Chief Customer and Operations Officer at Virgin Atlantic, said: "We’re delighted to partner with English Deaf Rugby Union and support their tour of South Africa. We believe that everyone should have the opportunity to travel and take on the world, and we are committed to making our flights accessible and inclusive for all our customers. We are proud of our British Sign Language trained cabin crew, who provided a warm and personal service to the teams on tour"

Gloria Mills, Chairperson, England Deaf Rugby Union, said: "We’re very grateful to Virgin Atlantic for their generous support and for making our travel experience so comfortable and enjoyable. Our teams are excited to represent England and compete against some of the best deaf rugby teams in the world. We hope that our partnership with Virgin Atlantic will also help to raise awareness and recognition of deaf rugby and inspire more deaf and hard of hearing people to get involved in the sport and experience the incredible travel opportunities that can come with it"

For further information please contact the Virgin Atlantic press office at press.office@fly.virgin.com. 

About Virgin Atlantic    

Virgin Atlantic was founded by entrepreneur Sir Richard Branson in 1984, with innovation and amazing customer service at its core. In 2023, Virgin Atlantic was voted Britain’s only Global Five Star Airline by APEX for the seventh year running in the Official Airline Ratings. Headquartered in London, it employs more than 8,500 people worldwide, flying customers to 30 destinations across four continents throughout the year.     

Alongside shareholder and Joint Venture partner Delta Air Lines, Virgin Atlantic operates a leading transatlantic network, with onward connections to over 200 cities around the world. In February 2020, Air France-KLM, Delta Air Lines and Virgin Atlantic launched an expanded Joint Venture, offering a comprehensive route network, convenient flight schedules, competitive fares and reciprocal frequent flyer benefits, including the ability to earn and redeem miles across all carriers.  Virgin Atlantic joined SkyTeam in March 2023 as the global airline alliance’s first and only UK member airline, enhancing the alliance’s transatlantic network and services to and from Heathrow and Manchester Airport.       

Virgin Atlantic has been pioneering sustainability leadership for more than 15 years, committing to Net Zero by 2050 and continuous action that reduces environmental impact.  The airline operates one of the youngest and most fuel-efficient fleets in the skies, with an average age under seven years. In October 2022, Virgin Atlantic welcomed its first A330-900’s to the fleet, continuing its transformation towards 100% next generation aircraft by 2028.  In November 2023, the airline led a consortium to deliver the world’s first flight across the Atlantic on 100% Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), demonstrating that 100% SAF can be used safely as a drop in fuel in existing infrastructure, engines and airframes. The need to scale production is an industry imperative and Virgin Atlantic is committed to radical collaboration across the energy chain to support commercialisation ahead of 2030.      

For more information visit www.virginatlantic.com or via Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @virginatlantic.