Date of Issue : 7 September 2011
The Webb Ellis Cup - Rugby World Cup 2011
New Zealand Post will issue its first 3 D stamp on 7 September to commemorate Rugby World Cup that is going to be held in November in New Zealand. The Webb Ellis Cup stamp has been produced using Motion stamp HDR 3D technology. This highly collectable magnificent Motion stamp is laser perforated. The Webb Ellis Cup stamp is also available on a first day cover, featuring imagery of the Webb Ellis Cup and the distinctive Rugby World Cup 2011 brand. This innovative dazzling stamp will be a collectable item for sport lovers and unique stamp collectors.
The Rugby World Cup is the premier international rugby union competition. The event is organised by the sport's governing body, the International Rugby Board (IRB), and is contested by the men's national teams. The inaugural tournament was held in 1987, hosted by both Australia and New Zealand, and it is contested every four years. The tournament is one of the largest international sporting competitions in the world.
The winners are awarded the William Webb Ellis Cup. William Webb Ellis was the Rugby School pupil who – according to popular myth – invented the game by picking up the ball during a game akin to one of the many codes of medieval football. South Africa are the current World Champions, having won the 2007 Rugby World Cup final in France on 20 October 2007 with victory over England, the 2003 World Champions. Rugby World Cup 2011 will take place in in New Zealand.
Rugby World Cup 2011 Special Coin
The 2011 Webb Ellis Cup Coin is the first coin in the 2011 coin programme and the New Zealand Post official Rugby World Cup 2011 product range. The one-ounce pure silver proof coin showcases the competition’s prize at its centre, with the Webb Ellis Cup shining through in special high-relief 24-carat gold gilding.