DHL delivers as Rugby’s global showpiece kicks off in England

Crouch. Bind. Set. As Rugby World Cup 2015 begins in London with today’s opening match between Tournament host’s England and South Pacific powerhouse Fiji, we are read for action. Thirteen year-old Fijian schoolboy Manueli Rauqeuqe will deliver the official match ball out onto the field.

89 hotels and training sites, 192 team relocations, 205 pallets of sports equipment, 2140 drink bottles, 900 Gilbert ’MATCH XV’ balls, 307 hit shields, 196 tackle bags, 20 scrum machines – as Official Logistics Partner we know that ‘Great is in the Detail’. And that’s why the world’s leading logistics provider is up for this challenge – one of the greatest logistics challenges we have ever undertaken in the UK: delivering this year’s biggest international sporting event to millions of fans around the world.

Why are we doing it? We love Rugby

After working with England Rugby 2015 to handle all freight and logistics for the 19 teams traveling to England, our ground operations are now in full swing. We will be transporting more than 48 tons of equipment for all 20 participating nations during the Tournament – from match kit and scrum machines to tackle bags and ice baths – across 89 team base locations and 13 match venues.

We are also handling stadium infrastructure and fit-out, distributing some 400,000 tickets internationally, delivering doping samples to testing laboratories, and so much more.

We love Rugby
Why are we doing it? Simply put: we love Rugby. We have wide-ranging Rugby partnerships around the world from grass-roots level to the professional game. We know that if we master the ‘logistics’ scrum, we’ll help deliver great moments to fans around the world. 
“So that the players and their support teams can focus on bringing their best game to the pitch, making Rugby World Cup 2015 memorable for fans whether they’re watching from the stands or across the globe.”

“DHL has been planning meticulously with England Rugby 2015 over the last two years to ensure the ultimate competition in the world Rugby calendar is an unqualified success,” says DHL Express CEO Ken Allen. “Harnessing our global network capabilities and working behind-the-scenes throughout the Tournament, DHL is committed to delivering a seamless logistics operation so that the players and their support teams can focus on bringing their best game to the pitch, making Rugby World Cup 2015 memorable for fans whether they’re watching from the stands or across the globe.”

Match Ball Delivery
We’ve also searched the globe to find 48 children who will each deliver the official match ball onto the field of play during each match. Thirteen year-old Fijian schoolboy Manueli Rauqeuqe won the honor of delivering the first ball of the Tournament when his country meets host nation England for today’s home opener at one of Rugby’s finest venues: world-famous Twickenham Stadium in London. Watch more of their heartwarming stories here.

RWC2015 logistics in numbers
* 48,200 kilograms of team freight from the 20 participating nations with 26 eighteen-ton vehicles covering about 88,700 road kilometers over the six-week Tournament
* DHL will be relocating team equipment 192 times, and deliver 1,400 official match balls and 20 sets of uprights to the 13 match venues
* Training equipment is being delivered to teams across 38 training venues throughout the Tournament, to include 2,140 drinks bottles, 1,750 bibs, 1,200 cones, 560 tackle suits, 307 hit shields, 196 tackle bags and 20 scrum machines
* DHL has delivered over 400,000 tickets internationally to more than 160 countries, of the 2.4 million tickets being sold; the furthest delivery was to Invercargill in New Zealand, almost 19,000 kilometers from London

Learn more about DHL here.