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From left: Sri Lanka Rugby Football Union Secretary Nalin De Silva, Sri Lanka Rugby Football Union Vice President Lasitha Gunarathne, DHL Keells Country Manager Dimithri Perera and DHL Keells National Commercial Manager Mario De Silva
Official Match Balls will be delivered to the Rugby World Cup 2015 courtesy of DHL
A once in a lifetime chance for a Sri Lankan child to have the ultimate experience as a rugby player and a fan
One young avid Sri Lankan rugby player will be the envy of many, as he is entrusted the distinct honour of presenting the official Match Ball to a referee at the Rugby World Cup 2015 match (RWC) in England.
Deutsche Post DHL Group, the world’s leading mail and logistics services group, and the global logistics partner of the RWC 2015 will select one lucky child between the age of 8 and 15, to attend the Tournament.
Unveiling the ‘Match Ball Delivery’ campaign, DHL Express Sri Lanka Country Manager Dimithri Perera said, “DHL has a strong heritage of supporting rugby globally and we’re proud of our partnership with the Tournament that enables us to deliver such a unique opportunity.”
“The prize is an inspiring once in a lifetime opportunity for a Sri Lankan child to play a special part in the Rugby World Cup 2015,” he added.
The prize package for the lucky winner includes two tickets to the match and a RWC 2015 DHL Merchandise Kit; which includes a uniform, a DHL rugby ball, return flights and transfers to the match city/venue, two nights’ accommodation, and a thank you gift of a Match Ball delivery photo as a keepsake. A parent or guardian will also have the opportunity to accompany the winner.
DHL is giving the same opportunity to 47 other children across rugby playing nations, and a child will hand-over the ball at the start of each of the 40 pool matches and eight knock-out matches.
To kick off the Sri Lankan campaign and be part of the biggest rugby event in the world, DHL recently announced their selection criteria.
DHL will work together with the Sri Lanka Rugby Football Union (SLRFU) to organize a competition to select an initial 80 school children from among the 36 Division ‘A’ schools who play the game. The selected children will then participate in a Rugby Carnival.
To inspire and promote the game’s techniques among these children, a special rugby clinic will be held with the participation of the National Team. Based on their rugby skills, 20 children will be then selected.
An online voting campaign will be carried out to shortlist finalists while DHL Sri Lanka together with Rugby Football Union (SLRFU) will decide the winner based on a pre-determined selection criteria.
“Sri Lanka has a very strong sporting culture and we are happy to help inspire our local youngsters, offering them this unforgettable experience to be active participants in one of the world’s most exciting rugby games. The promotion also presents a unique opportunity to support the development of rugby in Sri Lanka and a great way to encourage more youngsters to play.” Perera noted.
