The Village Rugby has taken up residence with a view of the Champs-Élysées. This fan zone with giant screens and DJs will be able to accommodate up to 39,000 people to follow the matches.
By Clément Machecourt, with Thibault Cealic for the video, Thibault Cealic
Published on 09/06/2023 at 5:00 p.m.
D-2 before the start of the Rugby World Cup, with a shock opening match between France and New Zealand on Friday September 8 at 9:15 p.m. at the Stade de France. The two teams will be able to count on the fervor of the 80,000 people that the enclosure can accommodate, but also on the spectators who come to the Rugby Village.
This fan zone, located Place de la Concorde, will be able to increase its capacity from 15,000 to 39,000 people. Various activities and food stalls will be offered from September 8 to October 28.
READ ALSORugby World Cup: on which channels to follow the competition
Up to 39,000 spectators
Amid the construction helmets and Fenwicks bustling about in the future Rugby Village, a little imagination is still needed. “We have finished the installation at 98% assures Isadora Soutan, project manager of the Village Rugby. The official opening will therefore be on schedule, Friday, September 8 at 2:30 p.m. The shop is open, and is already starting to see customers.
Behind the blue palisades, 15,000 people will be able to watch most of the matches from Thursday to Sunday, from 2 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. jostling too much, to follow the meetings.
But for the opening match between France and New Zealand, the fan zone will extend over the entire Place de la Concorde to accommodate up to 39,000 people. Two giant screens will be mirrored behind the first two. This XXL configuration will be permanent if the Blues of Fabien Galthié reach the final stages of the competition, that is to say from the quarters. In this case, traffic will be completely interrupted and diversions will be put in place.
On the occasion of the Rugby Village, traffic on the Place de la Concorde will be limited until November 8.
Two-way traffic will be put in place to guarantee the usual traffic flows during the operation of the Village. ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/wyh06aDCnA
— Paris (@Paris) September 5, 2023
Live music and drinks
Between the two giant screens, an oval stage, a nod to the rugby ball, has been installed. With the obelisk and its golden tip in the background, DJs and artists will put on a show between two matches. About twenty stands are spread around the edges of the enclosure with food-trucks, bars and the various sponsors of the competition. The Parisian culinary heritage will be honored with a restaurant Le Bouillon, which will have the same menu and the same prices as the establishments found in the capital. Up to 200 people can come and eat seated at the table.
Further on, we are finishing the installation of two artificial turf pitches, including one reserved for wheelchair rugby. Activities around the practice of the oval ball will be offered, for young and old alike.
Exceptional site
“We have a site worthy of the event,” welcomes Pierre Rabadan, deputy mayor of Paris in the sports department. The fan zone, which cost 3 million euros, is right in the heart of Paris, with the Champs-Élysées in perspective. On the side of the entrances and exits, one opens directly onto the Tuileries Garden.
The three metro lines (1.8 and 12) from Concorde station end just a few meters from the Village Rugby. Another asset to refuel, wishing to keep the gauge of 39,000 until the end of the competition.
