Rugby fans, and fans of major sporting events are eagerly awaiting this tournament! In autumn 2023, France will host the 48 matches of the Rugby World Cup. For seven weeks, the whole country will be buzzing with excitement about the game, be it in Paris, Marseille, Toulouse, Bordeaux … Here are the answers to 10 practical questions you may have about one of the biggest and most popular events of 2023.
These are the dates to mark in your calendars. The Rugby World Cup 2023 takes place from Friday 8 September to Saturday 28 October 2023, throughout France. Some two months of competition, excitement and pleasure for rugby and sports fans.
In September and October 2023, matches will be held in nine host French cities including the commune of Saint-Denis, home to the national stadium: the Stade de France. Situated just a few kilometres from Paris, this stadium, which can seat 80,000 spectators, will host some of the biggest matches of the tournament: the opening match, the semi-finals and the final. Other cities have their share of matches: Marseille hosts two quarter-finals at the famous Stade Vélodrome. Villeneuve-d'Ascq (near Lille) at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy, Bordeaux, Toulouse, Saint-Etienne at the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard, Décines-Charpieu (near Lyon), Nice, and Nantes at the Stade Beaujoire … all have the privilege of hosting matches in this World Cup.
Would you like to find out about travel and traffic conditions on public transport during the Rugby World Cup 2023? To get to the Stade de France or the fan zones (Place de la Concorde and Saint-Denis) or find alternatives to your usual routes in case of crowds on match nights? Go to the dedicated RATP page to find all the information. In French only.
The high demand for tickets reflects the popularity of the event and all tickets have been sold. However, it is still possible to purchase a ticket on the official resale platform. Try your luck on the official Rugby World Cup 2023 ticketing website. You can buy tickets up to 24 hours before each match, from the opening match … to the final. Fans take note.
20 countries are competing to lift the coveted Webb Ellis Cup, on the pitch at the Stade de France, on 28 October 2023. There are the favourites and three-time winners of the competition: South Africa – defending champions – and New Zealand – a finalist in the previous World Cup. There are also teams that are capable of upsetting the existing order: this year France – the host country – and Ireland, who are on winning form, are serious contenders for the world title. England, Australia, and Wales also have a chance of claiming the trophy on 28 October 2023. Not forgetting Argentina, Uruguay, Chile, Namibia, Scotland, Romania, Georgia, Italy, Portugal, Japan, Fiji, Samoa, and Tonga, who might spring a surprise against the tournament favourites.
There will be no ‘observation round’ for France as they start the tournament with a big match! The French team has been drawn in a tough pool - Pool A - for the pools stage of this Rugby World Cup. In addition to France, this pool includes New Zealand, three-time winners of the tournament and among the favourites for the title, and Italy, Uruguay, and Namibia. The opening match of this Rugby World Cup 2023 promises to be spectacular when France plays New Zealand on Friday 8 September 2023 in Paris at the Stade de France at 9pm (local time)! This will be followed by matches against Uruguay on Thursday 14 September 2023 at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy in Lille, against Namibia on Thursday 21 September 2023 at the Stade Vélodrome in Marseille and against Italy on Friday 6 October 2023 at the OL Stadium in Lyon. All these matches will be played in prime time, at 9pm. An intense and challenging schedule for the French team - and exciting for rugby fans - to endeavour to reach the quarter-finals of the tournament, which take place on Saturday 14 and Sunday 15 October 2023, at the Stade de France and at the Stade Vélodrome.
© Jolan Pery
You won’t miss any of the Rugby World Cup 2023 matches in France. All the matches will be broadcast, by France Télévision, M6 and TF1. The latter is broadcasting the opening match (France/New Zealand, on Friday 8 September, at 9pm), two out of the four quarter-finals, the semi-finals, the match for third place and the final.
For those who prefer to gather outdoors and enjoy the Rugby World Cup 2023 matches in a party atmosphere, many bars will be broadcasting the matches. The Frog at Bercy Village] (25 Cour Saint-Émilion, Paris 12th) is a bar with two floors and a really lively atmosphere. La Gouttière (96 avenue Parmentier, Paris 11th) promises a relaxed and welcoming atmosphere near to Place de la République. In the Marais, Le Progrès (1 rue de Bretagne, Paris 3rd) is a typically Parisian bar. Near to Les Halles, Le N’importe quoi (16 rue du Roule, Paris 1st) is popular with cocktail fans, whilst wine lovers head to the Tambour (41 rue Montmartre, Paris 2nd), which serves food until late. There is something for all tastes.
More info on sports bars in Paris
© Julien Blanc
Rugby fans will be at the rugby village to celebrate the Rugby World Cup 2023. This fan zone will occupy the Place de la Concorde, between the Tuileries Gardens and the obelisk at Concorde. The site, at the bottom of the Avenue des Champs-Élysées, will host up to 10,000 persons, in central Paris a few steps from the Seine. Free and accessible to everyone, the fan zone is open during the tournament from 2pm to 11.30pm.
© Hadrien Picard
Before the opening match on September 8, 2023, the public attends concerts by Breakbot & Irfane (from 5 pm) and Hervé (from 7 pm). Between the two concerts, we marvel at the prowess of the gymnastics group of the Paris Fire Brigade and a Haka demonstration by the Maori group Te Matatini.
The town of Saint-Denis, at the heart of the competition since the Stade de France is located there, also offers its rugby village on the forecourt of the spectacular basilica-cathedral of Saint-Denis.
On the program: shows and concerts (Thursday and Friday), aperitifs (match days), retransmission of Stade de France matches and Les Bleus matches, sports events and gourmet market (Friday and Sunday, match days at the Stade de France).
If you're passing through Paris during the competition, whether you're looking for tickets to see a match or you want to enjoy the atmosphere in the fan zones, don't worry about your luggage. Thanks to Nannybag and its network of partner retailers, you can leave your bags, suitcases and even pushchairs safely with these retailers. The rate of €6 per item per day is very attractive.
During the Rugby World Cup, there are the official competition matches, but also many related attractions and actitivies. To find out more and take part in some of them, go to the fan zone on the Place de la Concorde. This rugby village is open during the tournament, every Friday, Saturday, Sunday and on French national team match days, from 2pm to 11.30pm. Numerous free activities and events are planned, starting with the broadcasting of the tournament matches on two huge screens on either side of the obelisk on the Place de la Concorde. Also scheduled: meetings with athletes and rugby legends, awareness-raising activities run by Parisian associations, interactive games and workshops, and refreshment areas. It is also possible to learn how to play rugby on the two pitches set up, including one for wheelchair rugby.
It is worth noting that the Wheelchair Rugby World Cup is being organized for the first time in France, in Paris, from 18 to 22 October 2023 at the Halle Carpentier and at the Accor Arena for the final.
During the Rugby World Cup 2023, there are matches almost every day between Friday 8 September and Saturday 28 October 2023. There are two stages to the tournament. Firstly, from 8 September to 8 October 2023, the 20 teams, split into four pools of five teams, will compete in the pool stage to try to reach the quarter-finals. Only the top two teams in each pool qualify for the quarter-finals, scheduled for 14 and 15 October 2023. The semi-finals take place on 20 and 21 October 2023, the match for third place on 27 October 2023, and the grand final at the Stade de France on 28 October 2023, when one team will be crowned world champions.
France is full of places for rugby fans to stay during the tournament. Here is a map with our favourite addresses.
