The Cup, the most coveted prize in world rugby, began its journey today at East Midlands Airport where it was driven and carried to the plane by England's 2003 World Cup winner and 2015 Rugby World Cup ambassador, Will Greenwood.

Local schoolchildren, donning flags of each of the 15 countries on the tour's route, helped guide the trophy on its way to the plane as they formed an honour guard at the airport.

It will now embark on a trip to some of the most iconic and remote areas of the globe as it builds momentum and excitement ahead of the 2015 Rugby World Cup in England and Wales.

"Having witnessed the excitement when we brought the Webb Ellis Cup back to England after winning Rugby World Cup 2003, it is now a great honour to send the trophy off on its journey as we start to build the excitement for Rugby World Cup 2015," said Greenwood.

"I have got no doubt that the trophy will capture the imagination of loyal fans and people that are new to the game as it travels around the world."

The international Trophy Tour is being delivered by England Rugby 2015 in partnership with Land Rover and DHL.

Land Rover, one of few Worldwide Partners of the World Cup, is set to provide a fleet of vehicles for the tournament organisers.

As well as this, the British car manufacturer, alongside DHL, was given the opportunity to support the Cup on its Tour across the globe, providing "vehicles on the ground to deliver the Cup to each of its destinations", according to brand experience manager Mark Cameron.

England's 2003 Rugby World Cup hero and 2015 Rugby World Cup ambassador Will Greenwood began the Webb Ellis Cup's international Trophy Tour as he carried it to a plane set for Japan ©Getty Images



Following on from its work at the 2011 Rugby World Cup in New Zealand, Land Rover will use the Tour not just to show off the capabilities of its cars, but to help develop rugby and rugby enthusiasm in some "quite remote communities that don't really see much rugby".

The trophy's first destination will be Japan, where it is set to land in Tokyo on Thursday (May 22).

The Cup will spend five days in the city visiting communities where rugby is well established, such as Keio University, as well those that are new to the game, such as Yamanashi.

It will also visit iconic landmarks such as the Asakusa Old Temple and the sumo at Ryogoku Kokugikan, where fans and newcomers to the game will get a chance to catch a glimpse of it.

The visit is timed to coincide with the top-of-the-table Asian 5 Nations 2014 clash between Japan and Hong Kong, which is also the decisive qualifier for who will secure the Asia 1 spot at the 2015 World Cup.

That match will also be the final event at the iconic National Stadium in Tokyo before it is closed and rebuilt in time for Rugby World Cup 2019 and 2020 Olympics and Paralympics. 

After its trip to Japan, the Cup will move to Australia, followed by Fiji, Madagascar, Kenya, South Africa, Argentina, Uruguay, China, the United States, United Arab Emirates, Italy, Germany, Romania and France.

During its Tour, the Cup will not only visit well established rugby communities but areas unseen before by the rugby scene, including the foothills of Mount Fuji, the Australian outback and the beaches of Fiji.

Following the Cup's departure from East Midlands Airport, Debbie Jevans, England Rugby 2015 chief executive, said: "When we bid to host Rugby World Cup 2015 we made a commitment to excite audiences around the world about the event.

"The Rugby World Cup Trophy Tour is a great opportunity to celebrate the values of the Game with fans in both established and new rugby markets in the months leading up to the tournament.

"As a future Rugby World Cup host and an emerging force in world rugby, Japan is a perfect first stop for the trophy.

"We look forward to what promises to be a warm welcome in Tokyo."

Contact the writer of this story at [email protected]


Related stories
May 2014: Torch Relay-style Rugby World Cup trophy tour unveiled as England 2015 mark 500 days to start of tournament