Rugby’s most prestigious prize, the Webb Ellis Cup, has arrived in France for the final visit of the Rugby World Cup Trophy Tour.
This is the 15th stop on the Trophy Tour which has reached the end of its 12 month journey around the world as part of a celebration of Rugby. Previously the Webb Ellis Cup has visited Japan, Australia, Fiji, Madagascar, South Africa, Argentina, Uruguay, USA, UAE, China, Italy, Romania, Canada and Germany.
The Webb Ellis Cup is in Paris for a three day visit and will see Wales and Racing Metro centre, Jamie Roberts, and former French International’s Dimitri Yachvili and Serge Betsen join the Trophy Tour as it visits a number of locations in and around the city.
This morning Land Rover’s Least Driven Path drove out of Paris to the famous Champagne region. Accompanied by Land Rover Ambassador and former French International Dimitri Yachvili, the Webb Ellis Cup journeyed to Epernay and the surrounding villages. Along the way Yachvili, a member of the French team that reached the Final of Rugby World Cup 2011, delivered the Trophy to a grassroots Rugby festival at local club Rugby Epernay Champagne, giving children from the club’s youth section the chance to see the iconic Trophy.
Land Rover Ambassador Yachvili, who gained 60 caps for his country, commented: “Children like this at clubs across France are the future of the Game so a memorable experience such as seeing the Webb Ellis Cup will hopefully inspire them as they continue to develop in the sport.”
This afternoon the Trophy visited some iconic locations around the city including the Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe before heading to a local Rugby club. Paris Olympique Rugby Club will host the Trophy Tour during their weekly training session, giving players a chance to see the Webb Ellis Cup.
Tomorrow some young aspiring Rugby players will get their chance with Rugby’s biggest prize as it visits pupils at Lycee Carnot.
The final day of the Trophy Tour starts with DHL’s last ever Rugby Vs. the World Challenge at CSM Gennevilliers Rugby, where two sporting heavyweights will battle it out in Rugby vs. Handball. Former France flanker and two-time Rugby World Cup Semi-Finalist Serge Betsen will take on legendary France captain and former World Handball Player of the Year Jackson Richardson. With the score at 9-5 in favour of Rugby, both athletes will have to be on their game in three unique challenges as they seek victory for their sport in the final encounter of the series.
The three day visit will finish at the British Embassy residence where Wales and Racing Metro centre, Jamie Roberts, will join children from four local schools for a Rugby Tournament in the gardens. The day will be rounded off with the Webb Ellis Cup as special guest at a reception for the local Rugby community, hosted by the British Embassy.
Following the conclusion of the international part of the Rugby World Cup Trophy Tour, the Webb Ellis Cup is set to embark on a 100 day Trophy Tour around the UK and Ireland, starting on June 10. For more information please click here.
Rugby World Cup, the third largest global sporting event behind the Olympics and Football World Cup, takes place in England and Cardiff between September 18 and October 31. The Tournament will be hosted in 13 venues in 11 cities across the country. France is in group D along with Ireland, Italy, Canada and Romania. They will play their matches at Twickenham and the Olympic Stadium in London, Stadium MK in Milton Keynes and Millennium Stadium in Cardiff. The remaining tickets are on sale at tickets.rugbyworldcup.com.
This is the first time Rugby’s most coveted prize has been showcased around the world and is being delivered in partnership with Land Rover and DHL – two long supporters of the Game and Rugby World Cup 2015 Worldwide Partners.
Adrian Knight, Marketing Manager of Land Rover France, said: “Land Rover has journeyed to a wide variety of places and communities across the 15 legs of the Rugby World Cup Trophy Tour and the French instalment of the Least Driven Path has stayed true to the promise to take the Webb Ellis Cup somewhere it has never been whilst also taking in some iconic French culture. Land Rover’s Rugby World Cup 2015 campaign, ‘We Deal In Real’, aims to champion the amateur clubs at the heart of the Game, as it is clubs such as Rugby Epernay Champagne, where the sport’s roots are, that fuel the nation’s passion for Rugby.”
Michel Akavi, CEO of DHL Express France, said “We are looking forward to the visit of the Webb Ellis Cup in Paris and the showcasing that will be organized around it. DHL is proud to help connect Rugby around the world and build the excitement for the Tournament in England. France is the final of 15 international destinations on the Trophy Tour that has lasted 12 months, visiting places such as Japan, South Africa, Canada and we will be sure to make it a real celebration of Rugby before the Trophy returns to the UK.”