► Another one-off Defender unveiled
► This one’s to celebrate Rugby World Cup
► Spearheads 100-day Webb Ellis Cup tour
Land Rover has built a one-off Rugby World Cup 2015 Defender to transport the Webb Ellis Cup on a nationwide tour ahead of this autumn’s championship in Great Britain.
The bespoke Defender has an illuminated, temperature-controlled trophy cabinet in the boot to showcase the diminutive rugby trophy, last won by England in 2003’s memorable final against Australia. It will tour the UK and Ireland in a 100-day roadshow in the run-up to the Rugby World Cup.
It was created by Jaguar Land Rover’s nascent Special Vehicle Operations team, the specialists who make go-faster products such as the Range Rover SVR tested here and go-faster F-types. The company is pushing the Defender hard in its last year on sale – designer Paul Smith has already penned his unique one-off Defender.
Another Thames-side publicity stunt: the Rugby World Cup
The Rugby World Cup 2015 Defender is based on a long-wheelbase 110 Station Wagon 2.2 diesel, wrapped in promotional livery, rugby colours and stadium-style auxiliary lights for the night-match experience; it was unveiled this morning in a publicity stunt in central London, as Land Rover floated a giant 8.2m-high rugby ball 25 miles down the Thames from Tilbury Dock to the middle of town.
Former England veteran Lewis Moody drove the Defender to the event. It should keep the Webb Ellis Cup safe – it’s shrouded in protective security glass and special climate control is designed to prevent fogging (often a problem in the ageing Defender).
Land Rover is a major sponsor of this autumn’s Rugby World Cup. The nationwide tour starts on 10 June 2015, in the run-up to the championship’s opening ceremony in Twickenham on 18 September.