Reuters
[Source: Reuters]
Tens of thousands of rugby fans began flocking to the Stade de France north of Paris — some dressed as roosters and many sporting berets — as France prepared to launch the 2023 Rugby World Cup with a blockbuster opening clash against New Zealand on Friday.
With the mercury tipping 34 degrees Celsius (93.2°F), trains from the centre of Paris were packed and walkways thronged with vocal ebullient supporters several hours before the 1915 GMT kick-off.
Bugles were blown and beer was flowing as fans began massing outside the stadium.
Not everyone was so sure of a French triumph.
Jeremy’s father Jim came down firmly on the French side, though. “Hopefully France will do the business,” he said.
The tournament was due to be opened by French President Emmanuel Macron and World Rugby Chairman Bill Beaumont at a ceremony before the match.
The ceremony will tell a story, organisers say, in the spirit of French film-maker Jacques Tati, and will be as much “a tribute to rugby as to the values that go with it, an ode to what makes France a unique place”.
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