It will be responsible for the transportation of tournament and team equipment from around the world to the 13 match venues in England over six weeks in September and October 2015. The equipment will include an estimated 1400 rugby balls, 200 kicking tees and 200 tackle bags.
It also carried the 4.5 kg Webb Ellis Cup on its global network between the four former holders of the Trophy: New Zealand (the current holder), Australia, South Africa and England in the last week of October 2013. The trophy was handed over by DHL and cup chaperone - legendary former New Zealand player Grant Fox - to former Rugby World Cup winning players from each country for a brief local celebration with fans, before it was delivered to Dublin, Ireland for the inaugural IRB World Rugby Conference.
In South Africa, the Webb Ellis Cup touched down in Johannesburg for a whistle-stop tour starting with a press briefing at Ellis Park and culminating with a coaching clinic in Diepsloot run by some of South Africa's most celebrated rugby legends including Joel Stransky and Chester Williams.
"We are excited to be joining forces once again with the IRB to deliver Rugby World Cup 2015," said Hennie Heymans, MD of DHL Express South Africa. "The group sees synergy between a sport that is built on teamwork, passion and a will to win and the values that we strive to bring to life every day for our customers. We are actively involved in rugby the world over, both through flagship global partnerships such as this one and through our participation in local clubs and grassroots initiatives. We will be working hard behind the scenes to support and match the world class performance that fans will surely be treated to on the pitch."
Rugby World Cup chairman, Bernard Lapasset said, "We are delighted to be renewing our successful partnership. The reappointment of a globally renowned brand and a world leader in the logistics industry further underscores the event's considerable global prestige, with the tournament's commercial programme set to be finalised in record time.
"We look forward to collaborating further with it in the promotion of rugby around the world as the sporting community looks forward to what promises to be an exceptional England 2015 tournament that will engage and inspire new fans and participants through the host nation and around the world."
The partnership continues a longstanding relationship between DHL and the game of rugby. It was official logistics partner of Rugby World Cup 2011 in New Zealand and was a naming rights sponsor of the recent 2013 British & Irish Lions Tour of Australia. The company also currently partners with Harlequins in England, the DHL Stormers in South Africa, the Irish Rugby Football Union and a number of tournaments within the IRB Sevens World Series.
Other initiatives to support rugby development around the world have included partnerships with rugby federations, tournaments, clubs and school programmes as far afield as Fiji, Hong Kong, Kazakhstan, Romania and Canada.
Rugby is the fastest growing sport in the world, played in over 100 countries, with 102 million global viewers watching the final of Rugby World Cup 2011.
