Derby tours company swoops for counterpart

Derby-based Rayburn Tours has swooped for Sports Tours – a provider of sports tours and tournament festivals throughout the UK and Europe.

Rayburn specialises in educational trips, ski trips and sports tours for schools as well as concert tours for both youth and adult groups.

The company employs 90 staff and with the addition of Sports Tours will be responsible for sending over 40,000 passengers around the world each year.

Magma Corporate Finance advised Rayburn on the deal.

John Boyden, Rayburn Tours chairman, said: “We are delighted to be joining forces with Sports Tours, which means that we are now ideally placed to expand our current offering.

“We are grateful to Shaf Bheda and Mark Tuckwell at Magma, who worked with us very closely to guide us through the process and whose expertise was invaluable during the transaction.”

Shaf Bheda, senior manager at Magma, said: “Rayburn has an extremely ambitious and dynamic management team and this acquisition means they are now one of the leading providers of football, rugby, hockey and tennis trips for groups in the UK.

“Magma has worked closely with Rayburn for a number of years so has seen the business go from strength to strength. We are extremely pleased to have advised Rayburn on the deal and very much look forward to working with the business going forward.”