DHL Is Delivering For Rugby World Cup 2019

/ 9th July 2019 /

DHL continues its longstanding partnership with Rugby by teaming up with Rugby World Cup 2019 and making dreams come through for lucky Irish fans.

The partnership between DHL and Rugby World Cup 2019 continues a longstanding relationship between DHL and the game of Rugby. The partnership will see DHL again team up with one of the biggest international sporting events, which will take place in host country Japan from 20 September to 2 November 2019.

DHL was previously the Official Logistics Partner of Rugby World Cup 2011 in New Zealand and Rugby World Cup 2015 in England. As part of the 2015 sponsorship, DHL delivered over 48 tonnes of team freight, 1,400 official match balls and 20 sets of uprights to the 13 match venues, while also delivering over 400,000 tickets to more than 160 countries!

Match Balls

One of the most important deliveries that DHL will be sponsoring this year is the delivery of the match balls for the opening games of Rugby World Cup 2019. Across the globe, rugby fans between the ages of 8 and 15 were given the opportunity of lifetime: the chance to deliver these balls in person.

In Ireland, it was no different. Earlier in the year, Tommy Bowe launched the competition across our social media platforms to find Ireland’s biggest rugby fan, who could give one hell of a motivational team talk to the boys in green before their match against Scotland. The winner would be flown to Japan, where they would deliver the match ball to the referee on the pitch before the Ireland v Scotland game.

From rapping and interactive backdrops to a renditions of Ireland’s Call on a tin whistle, the kids and their parents went above and beyond with their entries – which can all be viewed by searching #DHLMatchBallDelivery on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Special Delivery

Recently, the DHL team had a very special delivery to make as we travelled north to Co. Tyrone in the rugby-branded DHL van to surprise the winner: rugby-mad Emily Irwin (pictured) from Omagh. In order to really surprise Emily, we recruited her mum and principal and brought them in on the ruse.

Emily’s school happily arranged for a group of rugby-obsessed students (including Emily) to be out at the front of the school doing rugby practice as the DHL vans arrived. Our courier Brian delivered the prize to a shell-shocked Emily, as she broke down in tears and cried ‘Have I won?’ It was such a special moment for Emily and her family and friends, and you can watch the video on the DHL Express Ireland social media channels.

Throughout 2019, DHL is co-ordinating a variety of activities, which have already included Rugby. Delivered games played across Ireland and the globe, an event with the Webb Ellis Cup in the Aviva, and sending two brave cyclists off next February to take on the challenge of cycling from London to Tokyo just in time for the tournament kick off, to raise money for charity.

Our DHL team of international logistics specialists are proud to be working behind the scenes to deliver Rugby World Cup 2019. We are also proud to be playing our part to set the stage for players and fans to create memories that will last a lifetime – most especially for Emily and her mum, Wendy.