THE DELIVERY IS IN THE DETAIL – PART 4

The world witnessed some absolutely brilliant Rugby action on the pitch over the past six weeks. All-conquering New Zealand was simply supreme on their way to back-to-back Rugby World Cup wins, though the classic final battle between New Zealand and Australia kept fans on the edge of their seats to the very end.

The end is also in sight for us in our role as Official Logistics Partner of Rugby World Cup 2015, but the logistics game isn’t over now that the victors have left Twickenham.

“The Tournament is not over for us when the final whistle blows,” says Francis Ktenidis, head of DHL’s RWC 2015 logistics operations. “Things won’t quiet down for me and my crew until all the teams and their equipment have been returned safe and sound to their home countries.”

“The Tournament is not over for us when the final whistle blows.”

Francis Ktenidis

As the Tournament winded down, fewer and fewer teams and matches required logistics support, but we remained on the ball, delivering everything safely home for the teams who had been eliminated while handling the logistics needs of the teams still in the hunt. 

Many Moving Parts 
Beyond handling the teams’ equipment, we provided a comprehensive range of logistics services for Rugby World Cup 2015 that has included international ticket and volunteer uniform distribution, stadium infrastructure and fit out, and the safe delivery of the match balls and doping control samples, among others. 

Watch Part 4 of our Delivery is in the Detail video series

The team kit and Tournament equipment alone filled around 2,000 pallets, and so far we’ve managed over 800 individual transport moves. It’s been a lot of moving parts coming in all shapes and sizes, explains Ktenidis. “It really is a vast array. We’ve moved everything from bulky scrum machines to tiny training cones – we even brought over 50 kilos of New Zealand chocolate and 62 kilos of Uruguayan tea! We handled seventeen overseas moves followed by domestic transport between 89 team bases and 13 venues in 11 host cities, often against the clock on the same day. It’s been an enormous organisational effort.”

Great is in the Detail 
As the Official Logistics Partner of Rugby World Cup 2011 in New Zealand, DHL is no stranger to events of this scale, but the 2015 Tournament has presented its own unique set of challenges. One important detail has been transporting the doping control samples to the testing laboratory – a special delivery that takes place within hours of the final whistle and is absolutely vital for the integrity of the sport.

“Thirty-five couriers have been doing nothing else but ensuring that the doping samples get from A to B.”

Francis Ktenidis

This job requires a carefully planned procedure and utmost care. DHL made practice runs ahead of the Tournament and has used chill boxes to ensure the blood samples have been kept between the required two and eight degrees Celsius. 

“Thirty-five couriers have been doing nothing else but ensuring that the doping samples get from A to B,” says Ktenidis. “To date, they’ve covered over 24,000 kilometres.”

Match Ball Delivery
DHL has made ‘special deliveries’ on the pitch as well. In the run-up to the Tournament, DHL searched the globe to bring 48 children from 42 countries to the UK for one unforgettable experience – to deliver the match ball onto the field of play at each Rugby World Cup 2015 match. 

9-year-old Rosie from England won the honor of carrying the match ball for the Final at Twickenham. This phenomenal young lady is already a dedicated athlete whose love of sport stems from spending many weekends with her dad at their local rugby club.

We’ve focused on even the smallest of details both on and off the pitch to ensure that it has been one for the record books. And though the Tournament has concluded and most of the teams have returned home, there are still huge amounts of kit to be delivered. The logistics journey behind the Rugby World Cup continues.

Watch Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3 of our Delivery is in the Detail video series and discover what it has taken to deliver the largest rugby event to the world. If you prefer a good read, check out all of our rugby stories right her on DHL InMotion.