DHL Announces Partnership with the 2013 British & Irish Lions Tour to Australia

-DHL is the naming rights partner for the 2013 British & Irish Lions Tour to Australia

- DHL further extends its global support of rugby

Bonn / Sydney - -DHL, the world’s leading logistics company, today announced it has become the naming rights partner of the much anticipated British & Irish Lions Tour to Australia in June and July.

The DHL Australia 2013 Lions Tour further strengthens the company’s extensive portfolio of rugby partnerships around the world. DHL’s support of rugby is almost as far reaching as its network, extending to local rugby teams and competitions in countries as far afield as the UK, US, Kenya, the Netherlands, South Africa and Fiji. DHL also successfully delivered rugby to the world in 2011 as the Official Logistics Partner of Rugby World Cup 2011 and was a partner of the 2005 DHL Lions Series in New Zealand.

“Rugby is about determination, teamwork and dedication, and these qualities resonate very strongly with DHL,” said John Pearson, CEO Europe and Global Head of Commercial, DHL Express. “We are delighted to be continuing our partnership with the British & Irish Lions Tour this year, and thrilled to be building further on our global ties with Rugby. We look forward to engaging with the fans of both the Lions and Australia before and during the tour!”

The Australian Rugby Union thanked DHL for its support of what was shaping up to be a record-breaking Tour.

“DHL is one of the world’s most iconic Rugby partners and a natural choice as the naming rights partner for the Tour. A British & Irish Lions Tour is unlike any other event in the world sport and we are extremely excited to partner with DHL to deliver what promises to be the most successful Tour in Australian Rugby history. With only a handful of tickets left, the DHL Australia 2013 Lions Tour is shaping up as the must-see sporting event of the year,” said Bill Pulver, Chief Executive Officer, Australian Rugby Union.

The Tour kicks off in Perth on Wednesday 5 June when the Lions take on the Western Force at Patersons Stadium. The Lions play nine matches in total, including three Test matches against the Qantas Wallabies. When the Lions last toured Australia in 2001, 300,000 tickets were sold to 10 matches. The DHL Australia 2013 Lions Tour is currently on track to exceed that with a predicted 400,000 tickets to be sold to the same amount of games.