International rugby’s greatest tournament is coming to France in 2023. Find out about the stadiums và the cities where the matches will be played.
A guide lớn the venues for the Rugby World Cup in France
In 2023 France is the host country for the most prestigious competition in international rugby union. Twenty teams will take part in the Rugby World Cup, which has been held every four years since 1987.
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South Africa will be defending the title they won in japan in 2019, but will face stiff competition from the traditional rugby powerhouses in New Zealand, nước australia and England, all previous winners.
The hosts will also be among the favourites, having won the Six Nations Championship in 2022. France have been runners up three times, but have never won the Webb Ellis Cup, so could 2023 finally be the year for ‘Les Bleus’? They will certainly be backed by passionate crowds wherever they play.
Here is our guide to lớn the nine venues for the 2023 Rugby World Cup.
French fans will create a fantastic atmosphere at their team’s matches
When is the Rugby World Cup?
The Rugby World Cup France 2023 is being held over a seven-week period in autumn 2023. The opening match of the tournament takes place on Friday 8th September, with the final on Saturday 28th October.
Where are the Rugby World Cup matches being played?
The 10th Rugby Union World Cup is being played at venues across France. Some are in traditional rugby hotbeds like Toulouse and Bordeaux; others at stadiums more used lớn football than rugby – but all are in major cities with excellent transport links.
Stade de Bordeaux, Bordeaux
Only seven years old, the Stade de Bordeaux is new lớn the oval ball, but with a capacity of 42,000 it promises to lớn be a worthy Rugby World Cup venue. It looks fantastic too – the stadium was designed by architects Jacques Herzog và Pierre de Meuron.
Bordeaux has a đứng đầu flight rugby team, the Bordeaux Bègles, but is slightly more famous for its wines! Explore the vineyards, the museums & elegant shopping arcades in one of France’s most beautiful và cosmopolitan cities. It is sure khổng lồ be a great place lớn visit during the tournament.
Five pool matches are here, including Wales v Fiji on September 10th – a tricky encounter for the Welshmen và a chance to see Fiji playing their exciting brand of không tính tiền flowing rugby.
If you're planning khổng lồ drive to lớn Bordeaux for the tournament, take a look at our Calais lớn Bordeaux driving guide.
Stade Pierre Mauroy, Lille
England have two matches in Lille, the closest venue lớn our Calais terminal
Only an hour and a half’s drive away from Calais, Lille is the closest host đô thị to the nhanluchungvuong.edu.vn Le Shuttle terminal. So Lille offers fans from the UK their best opportunity of catching a game at the Rugby World Cup France 2023. England have two pool matches here & Scotland one.
The Stade Pierre-Mauroy in Lille is an ultra-modern venue with a retractable roof. A special feature of the stadium, the ‘Boîte à Spectacles’, allows half of the pitch to slide back over the other lớn transform the venue into an arena for concerts or sports such as basketball.
Proud of its tradition of festivities and fine food, Lille is a welcoming city filled with generosity & warmth. Thanks to lớn its chất lượng charm, Lille offers visitors a tempting set of Flemish cheerfulness và French elegance, making it a fascinating place khổng lồ visit.
OL Stadium, Lyon
The third biggest venue for the competition, the Olympique Lyonnais stadium in Lyon will play host khổng lồ some of the biggest names in rugby. France, New Zealand, australia and Wales all have matches here, with the Wales-Australia clash on 24th September surely the highlight.
Visitors lớn Lyon are in for a treat. The đô thị is celebrated as one of the food capitals of the world. There are some incredible food markets, while the traditional ‘bouchons’ restaurants serve the local specialities of beef, pork & delicious wines.
Lyon’s climate means rugby fans will still be able to bask in warm temperatures in September and October, & make the most of the city’s other attractions such as its river cruises, golf courses & green spaces.
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Stade Vélodrome, Marseille
The Stade Velodrome is one of Marseille’s iconic sights
The most southerly venue, Marseille, is an unforgettable city. Its stadium, the Stade Velodrome, is one of the most famous in French sport, home to the French football giants Olympique Marseille và host of many iconic matches at football World Cups và European Championships.
England play their opening match of the tournament here against Argentina on September 9th, while Scotland, France và defending champions South Africa all have pool games in Marseille. Two of the quarter-finals are played here too.
Marseille has always been a cosmopolitan city, mở cửa to the world from its prime position on the Mediterranean Sea. Fans looking for things to bởi during their time in Marseille should climb up to lớn Notre-Dame-de-la-Garde, the hilltop church which overlooks the city, stroll through the legendary Panier district, or relish a bouillabaisse, the traditional Provençal fish stew, at the Old Port.
Stade de la Beaujoire, Nantes
Four pool games will be played at the Stade de la Beaujoire in Nantes, the tournament’s most westerly venue. Driving to lớn Nantes from Calais takes 6-7 hours. The Japan-Argentina clash on 8th October could decide one of the qualifiers from Pool D.
The stadium is the home ground of football club FC Nantes and has a capacity of 38,000. It staged matches during the football European Championships of 1984 & 1998 FIFA World Cup as well as three matches during the 2007 rugby World Cup. One of these, Fiji’s 38-34 win over Wales, was one of the highlights of that tournament.
Nantes itself is a quirky & trendy đô thị full of culture, history, beautiful gardens and parks, superb restaurants and shops. Don’t leave Nantes without a ride in the Grand Éléphant – bigger than even the bulkiest prop forward!
Stade de Nice, Nice
The Stade de Nice, also known as the Allianz Riviera stadium, is one of the newest tournament venues, having only been opened in 2013. It hosted matches at UEFA Euro năm 2016 and the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2019, & is trang chủ to French Ligue 1 side OGC Nice. Leading French rugby club Toulon play occasional matches at Stade de Nice.
Lucky fans of Wales, England and Scotland will all be descending on the Côte d’Azur for pool matches.
With 300 days of sunshine per year, an autumnal visit lớn Nice will still feel lượt thích summer khổng lồ a UK rugby fan! Try the Mediterranean gastronomic specialities of pan bagnat, pissaladière or socca in one of the many restaurants hidden away in the typical narrow streets of the thành phố or on the piazzettas. Alternatively, pack a picnic and head lớn the beach!
Stade de France, Saint-Denis
With a capacity of 81,000, the Stade de France is the largest stadium in the country. It was built for the FIFA football World Cup of 1998, which the hosts won in thrilling fashion. It has not always been a good luck charm for ‘Les Bleus’, however, as France lost there in the final of UEFA Euro năm nhâm thìn to Portugal.
More matches will be played at the Stade de France than any other. It will host the opening match – a mouth-watering clash between France and New Zealand – three further pool games, two quarter-finals, two semi-finals, the bronze final and the final itself. France play three of their pool matches there.
Saint-Denis is a vibrant suburb of Paris only around 10km from the centre of the city. A 5-minute metro ride will get you there from Gare du Nord. The atmosphere on the journey to lớn France matches will be incredible!
Stade Geoffroy Guichard, Saint-Étienne
A classic among French sports stadia, Stade Geoffroy Guichard originally opened in 1931. It is synonymous with its football team, AS Saint-Étienne, who have played there throughout its history. Known as ‘l’enfer vert’ (‘the green hell’) because of the green shirts worn by Saint-Étienne và the intimidating atmosphere the fans create, the stadium hosts four matches during the Rugby World Cup.
It will be the green & gold of Australian fans that will pack out the 42,000 capacity venue for their two games here.
Saint-Étienne has a rich industrial past & was considered the industrial capital of Europe in the 19th century. It values its distinctiveness và pioneering spirit and is the only French đô thị to be designated a city of Creative kiến thiết by UNESCO.
Stadium de Toulouse, Toulouse
Of all the host cities Toulouse is the one where a love of rugby is felt wherever you go. Its club Toulouse are multiple domestic đứng top 14 champions & European Champions Cup winners. Famous French players khổng lồ represent Toulouse include Thomas Castaignède & Gaël Fickou. The club play major games at the Stadium de Toulouse, but its usual home ground is the smaller Stade Ernest-Wallon.
The Stadium de Toulouse, known as ‘Little Wembley’, hosts five games during the Rugby World Cup.
The ‘Pink City’, so called because of the colour of bricks used in all of its notable buildings, welcomes you with the friendliness you’d expect from a rugby-loving community. If fans get a day to lớn explore Toulouse they should make for the Basilica of Saint-Sernin, the photography museum at Galerie de Château d’eau, và La Citié de l’Espace, the space museum.
Rugby World Cup 2023 fan Zones
Where can you see the Rugby World Cup even if you haven’t got a ticket? There is expected to be tín đồ zones in most (if not all) of the host cities, but the fan hâm mộ zone venues will be confirmed by the organisers closer khổng lồ the tournament.
Follow the Rugby World Cup with nhanluchungvuong.edu.vn Le Shuttle
Fans interested in purchasing tickets can register on the official Rugby World Cup France 2023 ticketing website.
It is sure to be a scrum, but if you are lucky enough khổng lồ emerge with a ticket, why not combine it with a holiday in France? You might even be tempted to follow your country from game to game around the country. Lượt thích a nippy winger surging down the touchline, nhanluchungvuong.edu.vn Le Shuttle doesn’t mess around và can get you lớn France in around 35 minutes – less time than a half of rugby!
