DHL delivers Rugby World Cup 2015 dream to Lankan player

20 November 2015 08:10 pm

DHL, the world’s leading express and logistics provider, has delivered a dream trip to Harsha Samarasinghe, an aspiring schoolboy-rugby player, as he became part of rugby history by being the only Sri Lankan to deliver the official Match Ball at Rugby World Cup 2015 (RWC 2015) in London
DHL Express, the official logistics partner of Rugby World Cup 2015, created a competition in conjunction with the Sri Lanka Rugby Football Union (SLRFU) to provide an opportunity for a young rugby player between the ages of eight and 15 to deliver the official Match Ball at a Rugby World Cup 2015 match.
The competition proved tremendously popular, attracting entries nationwide from 36 “A” Division Rugby playing schools. From the vast number of nominations, 80 children were shortlisted and invited to participate in a Rugby carnival to select the 20 finalists. The winner was then selected via a monitored online and SMS voting campaign. The student with the highest cumulative score throughout the different stages was chosen to represent Sri Lanka for Rugby World Cup 2015 as part of DHL’s Match Ball Delivery Programme.
DHL Express Sri Lanka Country Manager Dimithri Perera stated, “To have a Sri Lankan boy deliver the first official Match Ball at Rugby World Cup 2015 is fantastic. I am so thrilled for Harsha – it is a wonderful experience to be right in the thick of the action. DHL is pleased to deliver this experience and make a positive contribution towards young Harsha’s life.”
Harsha, a student and proud rugby player for the Trinity College Kandy team, always wanted to be a rugby player since he was little. He likened this experience to that of a “dream come true” when he walked out onto the pitch at Leicester City Stadium, housing a captivated 27,000 audience from around the globe.