The Webb Ellis Cup arrives in Germany

Rugby’s most prestigious prize, the Webb Ellis Cup, has arrived in Germany as part of the Rugby World Cup Trophy Tour.

This is the penultimate stop on the Trophy Tour which is approaching the end of its 12 month journey around 15 countries 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 and Canada. To view the videos click here.

The Trophy will spend one day in Bonn followed by two days in Heidelberg.

This morning the Webb Ellis Cup visited some of the iconic sites in Bonn which included Old City Hall and the Beethoven Monument.

This afternoon DHL host a very special ‘Get To Know Rugby’ event with local schools and clubs visiting the Deutsche Post DHL global headquarters for a chance to see the Trophy and take part in skills clinics with the German National team.

There’s more action as DHL’s Rugby Vs. the World Challenge enters its penultimate round with a clash of the heavy hitters in Rugby Vs. Football. German national team captain Sean Armstrong will fly the flag for Rugby as he takes on FC Bayern Munich legend Hasan Salihamidžić in three unique challenges to determine who will emerge as champion for Germany.

Tomorrow the Mayor of Heidelberg will welcome the Trophy into the area at an event at the town hall which will also be attended by players and other local dignitaries. Heidelberg is regarded as the Rugby heartland of Germany, with British students introducing to the area in the 1800s.

On Saturday the Webb Ellis Cup will visit a children’s Rugby tournament at TSV Handschuhsheim Rugby Club, who play in the top league of German Rugby, the Rugby-Bundesliga.
Hosted by the club and the German Rugby Federation, Deutscher Rugby-Verband, the tournament will see children from the Heidelberg area aged between six and 14 years old play across three different age group competitions, while getting the chance to see the iconic Trophy. Players from TSV Handschuhsheim, of which the local Land Rover dealership Geisser is a co-sponsor, will be in attendance.

Land Rover will continue its commitment to take the Webb Ellis Cup to places it has never been during the afternoon when TSV Handschuhsheim players accompany the latest Least Driven Path on a scenic drive to Heidelberg Castle.

The visit will conclude with the Webb Ellis Cup as guest of honour at a dinner hosted by Deutscher Rugby-Verband at Heidelberg Castle to celebrate Rugby in Germany.

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. 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.

Christian Uhrig, Marketing Manager of Jaguar Land Rover Germany, said: “The Rugby World Cup Trophy Tour demonstrates Land Rover’s commitment to all levels of Rugby around the world, particularly in a region such as Germany where the game is still developing. The importance of giving children in Heidelberg the opportunity to see the coveted Webb Ellis Cup cannot be underestimated as we aim to inspire a new generation of stars in the Rugby heartland of Germany. It is activity such as this that will bring Land Rover’s Rugby World Cup 2015 campaign, We Deal In Real, to life as we champion the clubs at the heart and soul of the game.”

Wolfgang Albeck, Managing Director of DHL Express Germany & Austria, said: “We are delighted to deliver Rugby’s premier prize and welcome the Webb Ellis Cup to Germany. Rugby is fast-growing here with the national team making great progress in recent years. As a longtime supporter of the game and Official Logistics Partner of Rugby World Cup 2015, DHL is proud to play a part in introducing the sport to a new audience.“