THE DELIVERY IS IN THE DETAIL – PART 5

New Zealand beat Australia in a thrilling conclusion to the 2015 Rugby World Cup. After an amazing tournament, DHL takes a look back at what we managed to accomplish in terms of tournament logistics.

After New Zealand beat Australia in the 2015 Rugby World Cup Final for their second straight title, a group of guests gathered in DHL’s hospitality lounge to talk about the exciting final and hear insights from some of DHL’s Rugby Ambassadors. Among them was Warren Gatland, the current coach of the Wales national team and a former player for the New Zealand All Blacks, who spoke of the immense pride the players from New Zealand take in donning their nation’s jersey.

You can almost physically feel yourself grow two inches when you wear the All Blacks jersey.

Warren Gatland

“You put that All Blacks jersey on, and you can feel the responsibility that it means to wear that for New Zealand,” Gatland said. “You can almost physically feel yourself grow two inches when you wear it.”

Gatland’s words had particular resonance for one guest listening to the post-match breakdown: Francis Ktenidis, DHL’s head of logistics for the Rugby World Cup.

WATCH: DHL wraps up logistics for RWC 2015

Pride, a sense of responsibility, and cohesive teamwork were essential elements for the All Blacks’ victory in the Final, but also key traits for DHL to pull off the massive logistics effort required to make the Rugby World Cup a success – right down to the pride in wearing the DHL uniform.

“We kitted them out with jackets and rugby jerseys, so they looked and felt the part,” Ktenidis said. “They felt an identity towards the tournament.”

‘Flawless’ execution

Looking back on the tournament, which saw DHL handle logistics for all 20 teams and the tournament organizers (England Rugby 2015) for a total of over 800 equipment moves, Ktenidis said he is most proud of how his team executed “flawlessly” throughout the course of the six-week event. 

Meet DHL’s Match Ball Delivery Winners!

While Ktenidis and the DHL team made every effort to remain “invisible” to the teams, sometimes DHL came through in a very noticeable way. Schalk Brits, who played for third-place South Africa during the tournament, accidently left a pair of shoes behind at one of the team’s hotels. All it took was one phone call to get them back.

“A DHL guy came and picked it up and brought it all the way from Birmingham to Newcastle. That's pretty sweet for me,” Brits said, adding that DHL also transported golf clubs for many of the Springbok players to while away the hours between matches.

Control the controllables

Of course, DHL’s services extended far beyond transporting forgotten shoes and golf clubs. Many of the deliveries made during the tournament were crucial to the success of the matches and the teams. That included training equipment for each team and doping control samples taken in and out of competitions. These processes ran in the background as far as the players were concerned, but that doesn’t mean their importance was lost.

“We have a saying: ‘you can control the controllables,’” said former All Black and DHL Rugby Ambassador Ali Williams. “If I am worrying about if my bag is there, or if the scrum machine is there, then I'm losing focus on what I can actually really control. DHL controlling their controllables is delivering a product and all the stuff that we require.”

You can control the controllables.

Ali Williams

This, according to Ktenidis, is what made DHL’s contribution to the tournament such a success.

“It is about the team you've got around you and having the right people in the right slots,” he said. “It's very much like a rugby team. What you expect of your scrum half you don't expect of your forwards, you don't expect of your backs. They are all specialists in their own areas, but then it all comes together to deliver this fantastic result.”

In the end, DHL managed a result that made everyone involved in the logistics effort proud to wear the red and yellow jersey.

The Rugby World Cup 2015 is over, and all the teams' equipment has been shipped back home. Have a look back at Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, and Part 4 of our series chronicling our logistics efforts behind the scenes, or read all DHL rugby content here. And be sure to stay tuned for more on the horizon from DHL and rugby, including our new partnership with Rugby Sevens!