From 8 September to 28 October 2023, Paris and the Paris region will be buzzing with excitement as France hosts the Rugby World Cup, a top world class event. As well as the official competition with its matches, there will be a huge programme of events and activities for fans and enthusiasts to enjoy in connection with this key sporting event of autumn 2023.
© Rugby World Cup 2023
The Rugby World Cup 2023 in France is more than a sporting event! During the tournament, Paris is organizing numerous rugby-related events. The Philharmonie de Paris has a special rugby weekend culminating in the projection of the Quarter-Finals of the competition on a big screen. During the projection, the matches are accompanied in music with an orchestra performing works by Beethoven, Beyoncé, and Queen. Admission to these match-concerts is free with advance booking. Concert dates on 14 and 15 October 2023.
Ground Control, a festive, gourmet venue near the Gare de Lyon, not only broadcasts all the matches, but also offers encounters with rugby players and introductory rugby sessions.
As for the Maison de la culture du Japon à Paris, this cultural centre puts the spotlight on Japanese rugby in an exhibition, that runs from 17 to 28 October 2023, combined with a talk by Thierry Dusautoir, a former captain of the French rugby team.
And for fans wanting to get closer to the action, the spectacular International Wheelchair Rugby Cup 2023 is taking place for the first time in France, from 18 to 22 October 2023, at the Halle Carpentier (for the knockout stages from 18 to 21 October 2023) and at the Accor Arena.
© Rugby World Cup 2023
The Rugby World Cup 2023 in France is not only to be experienced in the stadiums! From 8 September to 28 October 2023, the Paris Rugby Village on Place de la Concorde, between the Avenue des Champs-Élysées and the Tuileries Gardens, welcomes all rugby fans. This free venue is open on Thursdays - during French team matches - and every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from 2pm to 11.30pm.
Two huge screens will be set up there to follow all the matches in the tournament. For the Opening Match between France and New Zealand, scheduled for 8 September 2023 at the Stade de France, four huge screens will be installed. For keen sporting enthusiasts, two pitches - one for rugby, the other for wheelchair rugby - will be available to use, with introductory workshops programmed.
© Hadrien Picard
On Friday 8 September 2023, before the opening match between France and New Zealand, the rugby village on the Place de la Concorde will be hosting two concerts:
Between matches, visitors can browse the photobooths, of the France 2023 official store, see exhibitions and enjoy lively DJ sets. For a quick bite to eat, there will be refreshment stands and food stalls, plus the French bistro Bouillon.
There is also plenty happening at Saint-Denis, a municipality bordering Paris, where the Stade de France is located. Situated on Place Victor Hugo, at the foot of the Basilique-Cathédrale de Saint-Denis and 10 minutes on foot from the Stade de France, the Saint-Denis Rugby Village is open for 16 days, between 8 September and 28 October 2023. The main fixtures - from the Opening Match to the Final - will be transmitted on screen. And, as in Paris, there will be entertainment, shows and concerts. A gourmet 2-hour walk combining history, heritage, and gastronomy, organized by the Plaine Commune - Grand Paris Tourist Office, is also part of the rich programme of events!
© Rugby World Cup 2023
The perfect opportunity to get close to your favourite players! During the 2023 Rugby World Cup, it will be possible to attend certain training sessions open to the public. Three teams will be based in the Paris Region, including ... the French team!
The French Team Base Camp is at Rueil-Malmaison, in the Hauts-de-Seine at the Stade du Parc. At home, the French team will certainly attract a large crowd.
An outsider for this World Cup, the Welsh team will be based at the Stade de Porchefontaine in Versailles, from 29 August to 10 October 2023, until the end of the Pool Stage.
The team from Tonga, an archipelago in the South Pacific, is preparing for its World Cup in Croissy-sur-Seine, in the Yvelines.
© Rugby World Cup 2023
The Paris Region is at the heart of the 2023 Rugby World Cup with its Stade de France. The stadium, located in Saint-Denis, north of Paris, will host no fewer than 10 of the 48 matches in the tournament. On 8 September 2023, the France v New Zealand match kicks off the tournament, with several Pool matches and, in particular, knockout matches:
