The aim of the project is to identify weekends when it would be possible to put on return inter-island day trips for competitors as well as spectators. It is hoped that through improved co-ordination it will be easier for competitors to get off the island, have time to play their matches, and get back all in one day.

Catriona McAllister, Jersey Sport CEO, said: “Since beginning this job in Jersey this summer it’s been clear that co-ordinating and arranging inter- island travel, particularly day trips, is one of the biggest challenges facing local clubs and teams. We think we can make a real difference in this area and work with travel providers, sports groups and the Guernsey Sports Commission to better organise fixture scheduling, by targeting a few key weekends in the year when return journeys can be scheduled specifically for teams and their fans.

“While in some circumstances it would be good for a series of smaller sports to coincide their fixtures and therefore travel together, in other circumstances some teams can struggle to find enough seats if there are too many events clashing on the same weekend.”

Condor Ferries and Blue Islands are among the organisations collaborating on the project. Condor Ferries’ CEO Paul Luxon, said: “Condor recognises the importance of inter-island travel and includes day trip options within the current schedule. We also assist many key fixtures and schedule bespoke sailings and offer discounted rates to sporting groups. We are keen to support Jersey Sport along with their counterparts in Guernsey and welcome such an initiative to co-ordinate sports cluster weekend dates so we can play our part in offering transport services between the islands.”

Rob Veron, Blue Islands CEO, said: “We are passionate about inter-island sport and regularly operate additional charters to ensure fixtures go ahead. We recognise the importance of such fixtures amongst our island communities and are looking forward to being part of this project to facilitate even more inter-island sport, and encourage all teams to engage with Jersey Sport.

"The more information we have and the earlier it is available, the more we can do to match up travel requirements in each direction to ensure we can offer our lowest possible fares.