An Overseas Sports Visit (OSV) is to be encouraged and can be undertaken by Unit, Corps and Army teams. In specific circumstances, an individual can also apply to participate in an OSV. Such visits give the opportunity to compete against opposition of a different culture and in many cases train and/or compete in challenging conditions. They can also be used to reward achievement, as a means of developing team spirit and as a pre/post season preparation/finale. An overseas visit can also be used as a recruiting and retention tool. They are fun and for many is a welcome change from the current high level of operational commitments.
Recently, individuals have competed in Holland, France, Morocco, Antarctica, USA and Egypt. Army, Corps and Unit teams have competed in a range of sports in USA, Portugal, Brazil, South Africa, Barbados, Canada, Philippines, Hong Kong, Sri Lanka and Spain.
An Overseas visit will normally require Authority (ASCB or equivalent), Staff Clearance (chain of command) and Diplomatic Clearance (from host and any transit country). The procedure for organizing a tour/visit is in AGAI Vol 1, Ch 5 – Sport (available through Defence Connect).
The Overseas Application Form is available here: OSV Application Form (downloadable MS Word document).
The application form for UK based sports visits (for Representative sports teams only) is available here: UK Based Sport Visit Application Form (downloadable MS Word document).
