Happy 200th Birthday Rugby

Sir Bill Beaumont, World Rugby Chairman and at the Rugby World Cup 2023 opening conference said:

“It was 200 years ago that our sport was born and there can be no better place to celebrate our birthday than here in France.

“We know that this nation will be a magnificent host, not just here in Paris but the length and breadth of a nation that loves major events and loves rugby.

“We believe Rugby World Cup 2023 will be rugby’s ultimate celebration of togetherness. And why? We’ve received incredible support from the highest office to the smallest villages. Never has a nation been so ready and so excited to host.

“We have a record number of international fans – some 600,000 fans will be coming to experience the best of rugby and the best of France.

“We have seen some incredible welcomes for the teams including 12,000 greeting Ireland in Tours. I was lucky enough to be in Versailles last night, Paris on Saturday and Lyon on Friday. They were unbelievable, the welcome and the support from the local community.

“The stage is set, now it’s down to the teams to perform. I think it’s fair to say that the action will be compelling, spectacular and unpredictable.

“Indeed it will be an event of firsts. We welcome Chile for the first time, the first time we have welcomed three South American teams. Portugal making their first appearance since they last played here in France in 2007.

“We also believe that the Rugby World Cup should be about more than an exceptional event. We should project our values, make an impactful contribution to society and inspire new players and fans.

“I would like to congratulate our friends on the organising committee, the FFR and government for their leading and impactful initiatives under the Rugby Accord banner.

“Today I’m delighted to confirm the launch of our We Are Rugby promotion, showcasing the sport’s collective commitment as an inclusive, respectful tournament. And as we look to the future and continue to work with partners to create a sustainable, impactful and equitable global calendar we can confirm that the top three teams from each pool in this tournament will qualify directly for Rugby World Cup 2027 in Australia.

“We are also committed to continuing to work with our unions and partners in the game to deliver a global calendar and a competitive structure. That will enable more nations to have more opportunities to qualify and compete in the Rugby World Cup. But more about that as the tournament progresses.

“I would like to thank the French government, the host cities, the FFR, France 2023 organising committee and most of all the fans and the French public for putting on what will be absolutely a special show.

“We have enjoyed a superb partnership with everyone involved, from the highest office to the thousands of volunteers ready to make every single game a great experience.

“So, the stage is set, the teams are ready, France is ready, let’s get this wonderful Rugby World Cup started.”

Amélie Oudéa-Castéra, French Minister for Sport and the Olympic and Paralympic Games

On an exceptional 12 months for sport in France:

“From 8 September, 2023, to 8 September, 2024, the closing date of the Paralympic Games, we will experience an exceptional sporting year, in an exceptional period for France. This Rugby World Cup promises to be exceptional. It’s the first time France has hosted the entire event on home soil.”

On the support of the public for Rugby World Cup 2023:

“[A total] 91 per cent of French people support the event, and 74 per cent want to follow it. It’s a source of great pride for our country to host the world’s 20 best teams and their staff, as well as international dignitaries and over 600,000 foreign visitors, for 51 days.”

On government involvement in the tournament:

“It’s a source of pride and responsibility. I would like to highlight three dimensions of the State’s action in this regard:

“Firstly, the state has been working for months alongside the France 2023 Organising Committee, with the support of World Rugby, to ensure that the organisation is as irreproachable as possible.

“Preparations for this World Cup have involved a great deal of cross-functional work that has involved many members of our government in various aspects of the organisation, with renewed governance at national level and local implementation under the authority of the prefects.

“As far as security is concerned, we will take stock on Wednesday morning (6 September) with the Minister of the Interior during a dedicated press conference.

“But I can tell you we will have 5,500 security personnel mobilised every day. On some days, there will be 7,000. They will complement the 5,000 private security guards in the stadiums of the nine host cities for the duration of the competition, as well as resources organised by local authorities themselves to provide security in the ‘fan zones’ that will be the Rugby Villages.”

On public transport for Rugby World Cup 2023:

“We have coordinated a national mobility plan. This plan includes an increase in staffing at airports, for which 600 agents have been recruited to streamline border controls, and also at stations, with a specific plan put in place by the SNCF [railway], notably at Gare du Nord and Gare de Lyon.

“In conjunction with the organising committee and the regions [of France], we have promoted a number of additional services. Regional rail capacity has been increased, as have bus and tram services before and after matches, and between the stadiums and the Rugby Villages, with particular attention to services for anyone with reduced mobility.

“These plans have been drawn up with a view to promoting sustainable mobility. For the first time, an exhaustive measurement of the carbon impact will be carried out by the Organising Committee. Together, we have set two operational targets: one for spectators, who will make 88 per cent of their journeys by train, and one for the teams, with 80 per cent of journeys made by train or bus.”

On public health during the tournament:

“On the health front, an instruction was issued before the summer to organise medical assistance at competition sites and also to anticipate exceptional health situations, including a late heatwave.”

On potential schedule conflicts with other sports:

“We have had to deal with some sometimes thorny issues, such as changes to the timetable to find a balance between rugby and football in World Cup stadiums. I would like to pay tribute to the Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP), Uefa and the Fédération Française de Football (FFF), who have helped us find the right solutions.”

On grassroots involvement:

“We have worked on public involvement in the event. The State is working alongside host cities to offer entertainment in fan zones, with the Ministry of Agriculture providing €2million [£1.71m] in support for the eight rugby markets that will enable us to showcase the French ‘art de vivre’, our gastronomy, and quality local produce in these fan zones.

“The government has also set up a social ticketing scheme, with 5,500 seats available to healthcare workers, who are on the front line every day in safeguarding the health of the French people.

“With the help of the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Education, we have worked hand in hand with the organising committee to provide an exceptional adventure for the 7,000 children in La Mêlée des Cœurs, in association with the Maîtrise Populaire de l’Opéra-Comique. [In total] 1,500 of them will sing the anthems, live at the opening match, and at the knockout phase matches at Stade de France and in Marseille.”

On the social legacy of Rugby World Cup:

“The French government wanted this World Cup to illustrate a new model for sporting events that our country wishes to promote, namely events that are more responsible, more inclusive and that leave a lasting and useful legacy.

“On the social front, I wanted the Organising Committee, following the example of what we had done for the Olympic and Paralympic Games, to draw up a social charter with our social partners, which was signed on 5 April, 2023, in order to take full account of all issues relating to working conditions; health and the well-being of the Organising Committee’s teams; as well as the fight against all forms of discrimination, the inclusion of social and environmental integrity clauses in contracts awarded by France 2023 and, finally, access for very small businesses and SMEs to these various contracts, with very convincing results on all these points.”

Remarks from Alan Gilpin, Chief Executive Officer for World Rugby

On the excitement building around the tournament:

“To be at the stage we’re at, with the excitement we’ve got, is truly amazing.

“I’m a bit of a veteran of these things now and I don’t think there has ever been a Rugby World Cup, ever been an event in rugby that has been as eagerly anticipated, with the excitement that’s building not just here in France but around the world for this tournament. So it’s a really important moment.

“We’ve got great guests coming to our great party. The teams are incredibly well prepared. Bill [Sir Bill Beaumont, Chairman, World Rugby] mentioned it – we’ve got three South American teams for the first time. They will bring a different flavour to the tournament. We’ve got Chile as debutants in a Rugby World Cup, Portugal back for the first time since Rugby World Cup 2007 and we’ve got a lot of guests coming from overseas to watch those teams.

“And like any great party we need that bit of magic, that great entertainment, and I think again we are going to see 48 very special games. If the quality of rugby in the last couple of months is anything to go by, we’re going to see some very entertaining matches, and that’s the important part of this moment in time for us as we, like every sport, look to make our great game more accessible, more relevant to more fans around the world. Nothing does that like a Rugby World Cup.

“We saw a part of that last year in the spectacular Women’s Rugby World Cup in New Zealand. I think we’re going to see the biggest engagement of any rugby event ever for this tournament and that allows us to springboard forward and to really use this moment, use this great platform as a growth driver for the game, for boys and girls, men and women around the world to enjoy rugby either as spectators, hopefully more people take up the game. We’ve just announced increases in participation in rugby around the world since the pandemic. That’s fantastic but there’s a lot more to do and this is a moment that will allow us to take that next step.”

On what success will look like for this tournament:

“I think for us success looks like a great tournament with great rugby with excited fans. I was lucky to be part of the Rugby World Cup here in 2007. I think France puts on a great show. It’s a great major event host, as we know – not just in the matches, but that atmosphere that surrounds the event. Success is what happens on the field but everything around that and hopefully [we’ll see] some great rugby that people will remember for a lifetime.”

Jacques Rivoal, Chairman of Rugby World Cup France 2023

On the building excitement in France before the opening match of Rugby World Cup 2023:

“There were over 12,000 people in a stadium in Tours to welcome the Irish team. In Versailles, we welcomed Wales with a guard of honour made up of more than 200 youngsters from the junior section of the local rugby club. There was also the inauguration of the megastore in Place de la Concorde, where queues stretched for 200 metres before it opened its doors.

“Supporters have packed their bags, booked their hotels and are preparing for an exciting stay in France. Foreign supporters will stay in our beautiful country for an average of 15 days.”

On local involvement:

“From all corners of France, 4,800 volunteers are working hard to offer visitors the best possible experience. This will be a truly regional World Cup, with 10 host cities and towns showcasing the richness and variety of our lands. More than 80 per cent of the French population will be less than two hours away from a match.

“The strength of the event will be the ability to mobilise all stakeholders in such an adventure. Pierre Villepreux once said: ‘In a rugby team, there are no passengers, only a crew’. The same applies to our organising committee.

“With the French Ligue Nationale de Rugby, we have worked to adapt the French professional rugby calendar. We benefited from the confidence of World Rugby to organise this World Cup. This collaboration was made possible by a high level of professionalism at all times. Together with World Rugby, we are a real team.

“Local authorities have responded to the challenge of hosting national teams, and not just the major rugby capitals. Rugby is taking root in every region. Local authorities have helped us roll out dedicated projects. They will organise Rugby Villages to promote a sustainable, circular economy and healthy, local food.

On the ticketing service:

“Our ticketing service has been a great success, with 1.8 million tickets sold to date, 55 per cent of them to French fans.

“It has also been a success with businesses. [A total of] 38 companies are competition partners and are helping us to create this event, in particular by supporting us in all our action plans on corporate social responsibility.

“I would also like to mention the enthusiasm of the press, with 4,000 accreditations.”

Florian Grill, French Rugby Federation president

On the legacy of Rugby World Cup 2023:

“Ultimately, we aim to have 100,000 registered women in rugby in France, including 70,000 players and 30,000 managers, coaches and referees. This is considered a material part of the tournament’s legacy.

“There will also be salaried positions, thanks to the Campus 2023 programme for apprentices set up in conjunction with the government and France 2023, which will take shape in French rugby and help to structure the clubs.

“We also need to revitalise France’s ‘rugby regions’, particularly in the Overseas Territories, where at least five players in the French teams come from – as well as areas in France where the game remains insufficiently well established. We want to relaunch rugby from the bottom up.

“With government support, we aim to improve facilities, in particular accessibility for people with reduced mobility, and to increase the number of women playing rugby, because this is a real challenge. Building changing rooms for women will help increase the number of clubs that can offer women’s rugby. This is a major challenge for the future of French rugby.”

On ‘intangible benefits’ of hosting Rugby World Cup 2023:

“This French team has the ability to put a smile on the face of the nation, to excite, to show that we can be united – that we can be a nation, to use the words of the President of the Republic.

“It’s the most wonderful mission of all, and you can see that the players and staff are completely committed to it. They understand it is so important for the country.

“I’m also thinking of the 1,950 clubs in France that, locally, make the nation by creating links between individuals. They enable people of all origins, religions and socio-professional backgrounds to meet and mix. I want to take advantage of the media coverage of this World Cup to highlight the social role played by these grassroots clubs.”

On impact clubs can make:

“Over and above their sporting role, clubs play an educational role. Rugby, which began in schools 200 years ago, teaches values of respect that are essential to society and to living together. This is a chance to highlight their sporting role, educational role and also civic role. Finally, and this will be enshrined in the statutes of the Fédération Française de Rugby (FFR), we want to make the FFR a federation with a mission. For us, the federation goes beyond sport and plays a societal role.

“Our clubs, local organisations and regional leagues have created and will develop adapted rugby sections for young people with disabilities, because disability is part of life and has its place in our clubs. Health rugby sections will also be set up to deal with issues such as cancer and diabetes. All clubs can welcome children with unhealthy weight issues – boys and girls alike. With us, they’ll find a second family. This is not a flaw in rugby, quite the opposite. We’re more than happy to welcome them. We know that obesity is a scourge on society and the cost it can represent for the community.

“Some clubs can go into the struggling neighbourhoods in their towns and into rural regeneration areas. They have a role to play locally. Some clubs have set up job dating schemes, in partnership with the government, for long-term jobseekers, with exceptional rates of return to employment.

“Some clubs work on inclusion issues and combat discrimination, racism, homophobia and transphobia. All these issues are addressed by the clubs, who are key players in French society.”

“Our intangible heritage is to build this federation with the mission that we all hope and pray for. I wish you all a great World Cup and I wish you all the best for Les Bleus.”