St Helens fans make their way to Australia for the World Club Challenge

Gerard Songsters’ Dave Howarth, who arranges day trips by coach for fans of Dentons Green Pub, is flying Down Under with a group of around 25 fans on an organized trip in association with Catalan Sports Tours.

Meanwhile, other fans have made their own arrangements to venture to the other side of the world.

READ > The Saints’ 26-man squad have traveled to Australia

The Saints tour also represents a rare opportunity for ex-pat fans living in this part of the world to see their beloved team up close, as the Red Vee makes an appearance in Australia for the first time since 1997.

Saints players train on Sydney beach this week (Image: St Helens RLFC)

Dave and the group set off on Saturday, stopping in San Francisco en route and arriving in Sydney on Tuesday 14th February. There they meet with about 50 others who arrive on Wednesday.

The trip will take them to attractions such as Bondi Beach, a tour of the Sydney Cricket Ground, visits to various NRL club grounds in the area and the Blue Mountains, among others.

A tour group from the Gerard Songsters will head down under to see Saints (Image: Bernhard Platt)

“The excitement is building because we know this time we’re going to be going down in four days,” said Dave, 52.

“As far as I know there are about 80 in it and we will have a coach for the day of the match and there are about 15 expats in there.

“There could be up to 400 to 500 Saints fans over there. It should be a great week.

“I’m looking forward to a trip of a lifetime.

“It’s a different kind of holiday than going to Tenerife or mainland Spain, for example.

“It will be an experience for everyone who goes there.”

David Howarth (Image: Submitted)

Dave says he’s hoping to find a bar or venue that can serve as a ‘hub’ for all Saints fans heading to Sydney and will be posting details and updates via the Gerard Coaches Twitter page.

The Saints meet the Penrith Panthers in the World Club Challenge on Saturday, February 18, seven days after taking on the St. George-Illawarra Dragons in a warm-up game in Wollongong.

The games are also part of the NRL Pre-Season Challenge, which includes all 17 Telstra Premiership Clubs and Saints.

• Follow @GerardCoaches on Twitter for updates from Dave on the journey.