France is preparing to host the Rugby World Cup in 2023. With 48 matches set to take place across 10 host cities, the organisers are promising a 45-day celebration in a spirit of openness that transcends sport. While we wait, here’s a preview of the event...
Following its staging of the 2007 tournament, France is having a second turn at hosting the Rugby World Cup in 2023. Highly anticipated by fans of the oval ball, the event promises to go beyond this and capture everyone’s imagination.
52 days of festivities The 10th Rugby World Cup will take place from 8 September–28 October 2023, 200 years after the creation of the sport. What a way to reconnect with the founding spirit of rugby and celebrate the event throughout the seven weeks of the competition. The party will take over France, starting with the 10 host cities where matches will be held: Bordeaux, Lille, Lyon, Marseille, Nantes, Nice, Paris, Saint-Denis, Saint-Etienne and Toulouse.
"We are rugby, we are 2023" This is the slogan of the 2023 World Cup. It’s not necessary to play or even be a supporter to “be rugby”. Rugby is expressed well beyond the field: more than a sport, it’s a state of mind for those who share the virtues of self-sacrifice, collective commitment and respect. The 2023 World Cup wants to raise these values to the roof and invites the 600,000 expected visitors to share them.
Break the rules Rugby was born during a surge of freedom in November 1823, with a ‘disruptive’ gesture by William Webb Ellis. During a football game, the British student grabbed the ball with both hands as far as the opponent goal. It was this wish to ‘break the rules’, surprise, and indulge the unexpected that the organisers have seized as a source of inspiration for 2023.
The world’s greatest players A exceptional competition with exceptional players. The World Cup carries the seal of the greatest players in history: iconic captains (Sean Fitzpatrick, John Eales and Richie McCaw), wingers (Jonah Lomu, Bryan Habana, Mitchell Drew and Shane Williams) and strikers (Grant Fox, Gavin Hastings, Dan Carter and Sir Jonny Wilkinson). On the French side, Frédéric Michalak and Thierry Dusautoir gave the full measure of the French flair against the All Blacks in 2007. In 2023, players will total 600, from 5 continents and divided into 20 teams. We can’t wait!
By France.fr
The magazine of the destination unravels an unexpected France that revisits tradition and cultivates creativity. A France far beyond what you can imagine…
