Stuart Lock Joins MSG Family

We’re delighted to announce the welcome of Stuart Lock to the MSG family, joining our senior leadership team on Friday 9th June 2017.

Stuart cut his teeth as captain of the BUSA-winning Exeter University Rugby Club, graduating with a BSc (Hons.) and a PGCE before enjoying 14 years at the prestigious Dulwich College in a number of teaching roles including Head of Year in the Middle School.

After spending a glorious year in 2007 on a teaching exchange in Sydney (Australia) and despite enjoying London life, Stuart and Nikki decided that bringing up their young family bilingual (and near the sea!) was of significant importance.

They subsequently upped sticks in July 2014 and moved to the elegant Basque town of Bayonne in south west France. A third child arrived in May 2015 and they have not looked back since and revel daily in the multitude of cultures on their doorstep.

It’s here that we celebrate the opening of MSG’s European Division where Stuart operates in between teaching English in a local school, raising his family and coaching the U8s at Aviron Bayonnais following a Bosman transfer from their fiercest rivals Biarritz Olympique at the start of the year.

In a region that is rich in sporting history and culture, the Basque Country boasts several unique touring spots on the French side (Bayonne, Biarritz and St. Jean de Luz) whilst just across the border in Spain, Bilbao and San Sebastián offer delightful cities that cater for rugby, football, hockey, tennis, swimming and basketball tours.

Residing in the region that hosts a high volume of our touring teams provides an on-the-ground high-end customer service, delivered to the highest order by Stuart’s multi-lingual team, including the recently retired Biarritz Olympique, Aviron Bayonnais, Saracens, Wasps, Scarlets and Wales prop, Ben Broster and Tony Jones. Tony’s linguistic skills and affable personality, combined with Ben’s professional coaching and rugby nous provide an unparalleled triumvirate of skills that enable us to deliver the unexpected in customer service and travel experiences.

In 2017, we welcome the cream of UK schools to the region, including Warwick School, Hampton School, Dulwich College and Queen’s College, Taunton who are embarking on tours across the Basque Country to expand their horizons.

Stuart comments, “Being part of an exciting and ambitious brand such as MSG enables me to fulfil a long-term goal of creating incredible experiences for students.”

“Having taught for many years, and travelled the globe on many sports and educational tours, I’m excited about bringing my skill set to the business and launching our inaugural office from sunny Bayonne. Next year’s inspection trip will demonstrate to teachers exactly how well versed this region is for budding sports tourists and staff alike.”

Join us on our journey by connecting with Stuart on LinkedIn or via email to stuart@msgtours.com

Read up on Stuart Lock’s The Basque Country from a Local (in a nutshell!)