The Rugby World Cup kicks off in France on September 8. Prior to that, a giant rugby ball with over 6,000 chrysanthemums will parade past the most beautiful spots in Paris. The idea came from event florist Damien Da Rocha of Atelier D in Paris. He chose the chrysanthemum, a flower he is particularly fond of and which meets all the criteria to make this a success.
Damien Da Rocha has had Paris brightened up before. Last year, he was the florist who put up a red and pink floral heart in Paris for the #lovenotwar campaign. Damien Da Rocha: "Floral art is a powerful tool to convey emotions and messages and to move and bring people together. Rugby, as in all English-speaking countries, is very big in France. And with the World Cup taking place in France, the sport is very much alive. In my opinion, flowers and sport go very well together."
Chrysanthemum creation
The huge rugby ball is lit up with over 6,000 white and green chrysanthemums. Da Rocha: "I love these big, colorful, vibrant flowers. They lend themselves perfectly to this kind of arrangement. In our daily work in the studio, they are flowers you can really count on. They are beautiful and robust, easy to work with, they stay fresh for days, and with the wide choice of colors, shapes, and sizes, they always adapt to our bold planning and creations."
Being a florist is a top-class sport
When Da Rocha is asked if he is a sportsman himself, he laughingly replies, "Making this oval rugby ball with chrysanthemums is a technical feat and comparable to sports. As an event florist, you are doing top-class sports anyway. You work in a team, you are constantly on the move, you have to innovate yourself, make customers happy, and keep up to date with new trends, regulations, the latest products."
For the Win
The chrysanthemums were made available by Stichting Chryson, the partnership of chrysanthemum growers and breeders who jointly run the 'Just Chrysanthemum For the Win' campaign. With this campaign, the growers emphasize that with a chrysanthemum, you have a flower in your hands, with which you can score with customers through color, volume, variety, shelf life, and applicability, among other things.
For more information:
Stichting Chryson 
Tel.: +31 (0)6 51493362
www.justchrys.com