Hayley Hayes, 60, from Newport, Wales, hasn’t been on a proper summer holiday in eight years because of her husband’s love of sport – but she’s now won a trip of a lifetime to Svalbard, Norway
A woman who has gone without a proper summer holiday for eight years, due to her husband’s passion for sport, has been rewarded with the trip of a lifetime — without him in tow.
Hayley Hayes, from Newport, Wales, hasn’t enjoyed a summer getaway in almost a decade. Their summer plans have long been dictated by major sporting events, allowing husband Anthony, 66, to watch his favourite fixtures — meaning the couple typically holiday at other times of the year.
Yet even then, a large chunk of their time away is still taken up by sport. A trip to India in 2024, for example, coincided with test match cricket, and when the couple — who married in 2016 — returned to India the following year, they found themselves there during the Six Nations.
Despite a four and a half hour time difference, Hayley pulled on her Wales rugby shirt and sat up with her husband for late-night and early-hour match screenings from their holiday accommodation.
Now, the 60-year-old retiree has been handed the chance of a lifetime — a journey to Svalbard, Norway, a cold weather landscape that has long captivated her — alongside her friend Rebecca, while her sports-loving husband stays home to follow his beloved fixtures.
Hayley was named the winner of giffgaff’s Fair-play Summer Fund, an initiative designed to help people break down the barriers preventing them from having a great summer and make the season feel a little more equal.
Speaking about her trip of a lifetime, Hayley said: “I was literally both bouncing up and down and crying with excitement when I found out I’d won and would be going on a cold weather summer holiday I could only previously dream about.
“I’m fascinated by the landscapes of Svalbard, and in particular the varied wildlife that calls the island home.
“Since my husband absolutely does not tolerate the cold, a wintry weather trip was never going to be on the cards for us, so this prize delivers on two fronts. Summer is turning into a whole new adventure for me.”
Juggling sports and summer holiday plans isn’t just a balancing act for Hayley and Anthony. Research revealed that more than a fifth (21%) of holidaymakers regularly check the sporting calendar before booking a trip.
A poll of 2,000 holiday-goers discovered 22% have booked, changed or adjusted their travel plans because of a sporting event, with 42% of those scheduling activities around matches.
A quarter of fans have cut their trips short to return home for a sporting event, while 14% admitted they’ve previously cancelled a holiday altogether because of sport.
Half of respondents who were still away watched or streamed live sport, according to the OnePoll findings. Of those, a quarter have tuned in from a restaurant, while 14% have followed the action poolside.
Time differences don’t stop dedicated supporters either, with 21% waking up early or staying up late to catch their favourite team in action.
And some admit to going to remarkable lengths to avoid missing a moment on holiday – with 5% of all those polled confessing they’ve watched while in the middle of sightseeing.
Others have been willing to spend extra to stay connected, with 10% paying for Wi-Fi access and nine% using mobile data despite incurring roaming charges.
giffgaff internal data backs up this demand for watching sports abroad, as it saw large data roaming surges during the football this summer with international matches seeing uplifts of up to 90% for key matches.
Kate Dohaney, CEO for the mobile and broadband provider, which is currently giving data boosts on SIMs starting from just £8 per month, said: “We launched the Fair-play Summer Fund following new data that showed many of us feel like summer doesn’t always play fair.
“From rising costs and hidden charges to missing out on experiences that matter, we wanted to help tackle some of these. This season, we’ve provided even greater value on our SIM plans so our members can stay connected for less.
“We’ve also helped 200 people solve their summer sting via our Fund, and are delighted to be sending Hayley to Norway as her fairness fix so she doesn’t have to miss out on the summer trip she’s always dreamed of.”