RWC 2011 winning captain Richie McCaw handed over the Webb Ellis Cup to Rugby World Cup Limited Chairman Bernard Lapasset during an official trophy handover ceremony in Dublin earlier this week. The trophy will be used for promotions ahead of the 2015 RWC.
McCaw held aloft the Cup just over two years ago at Eden Park after the All Blacks beat France 8-7 to end a 24-year wait for a second RWC success and in the two years since the trophy has toured New Zealand and allowed thousands of fans to get up close to it.
Last year the Great Rugby Road Trip took the Webb Ellis Cup to 41 towns and cities from the far north to the deep south of the country.
The Cup recently embarked on another epic journey with Rugby World Cup 2015 Official Logistics Partner DHL, leaving New Zealand and stopping off in the three other countries to have lifted to trophy before arriving in Ireland on Sunday.
"It is a funny old thing to hand it back, but I think every time I see the Cup I always get reminded of the amount of energy and what you have got to put in to winning the thing," McCaw said.
"Looking forward to 2015 it will take the same amount of that type of work and attitude and everything coming together and you have got to be prepared to do that if you want to win it again.
"Having to hand it back I think that has probably been a reminder to myself what happens in two years' time as a lot of work needs to go in again," he added.