FRANCE - Stadium and Arena Development News

[m@rco]

June 2007:

[lpioe]

Nice little stadium, thanks for the updates m@rco.

[Benjuk]

Originally Posted by m@rco

Oh, the poor little trees... Genius, sit in a tree and a multi-million Euro project will be cancelled mid-way through... Do these people have a clue?

[m@rco]

July 2007

[NeilF]

Pools:



Pool A

England, South Africa, Samoa, USA, Tonga

Pool B
Australia, Wales, Fiji, Canada, Japan

Pool C
New Zealand, Scotland, Italy, Romania, Portugal

Pool D
France, Ireland, Argentina, Georgia, Namibia



Schedule:

7 September:
France v Argentina, Stade de France, St Denis, Pool D (2000 BST)

8 September:
England v USA, Lens, Pool A (1700 BST)
Australia v Japan, Lyon, Pool B (1445 BST)
New Zealand v Italy, Marseille, Pool C (1245 BST)

9 September:
Ireland v Namibia, Bordeaux, Pool D (1900 BST)
Wales v Canada, Nantes, Pool B (1300 BST)
South Africa v Samoa, Parc des Princes, Paris, Pool A (1500 BST)
Scotland v Portugal, St Etienne, Pool C (1700 BST)

11 September:
Argentina v Georgia, Lyon, Pool D (1900 BST)

12 September:
Italy v Romania, Marseille, Pool C (1900 BST)
USA v Tonga, Montpellier, Pool A (1300 BST)
Japan v Fiji, Toulouse, Pool B (1700 BST)

14 September:
England v South Africa, Stade de France, Pool A (2000 BST)

15 September:
Ireland v Georgia, Bordeaux, Pool D (2000 BST)
Wales v Australia, Cardiff, Pool B (1400 BST)
New Zealand v Portugal, Lyon, Pool C (1200 BST)

16 September:
Fiji v Canada, Cardiff, Pool B (1300 BST)
Samoa v Tonga, Montpellier, Pool A (1500 BST)
France v Namibia, Toulouse, Pool D (2000 BST)

18 September:
Scotland v Romania, Edinburgh, Pool C (2000 BST)

19 September:
Italy v Portugal, Parc des Princes, Pool C (1900 BST)

20 September:
Wales v Japan, Cardiff, Pool B (2000 BST)

21 September:
France v Ireland, Stade de France, Pool D (2000 BST)

22 September:
South Africa v Tonga, Lens, Pool A (1300 BST)
Argentina v Namibia, Marseille, Pool D (2000 BST)
England v Samoa, Nantes, Pool A (1500 BST)

23 September:
Scotland v New Zealand, Edinburgh, Pool C (1600 BST)
Australia v Fiji, Montpellier, Pool B (1330 BST)

25 September:
Canada v Japan, Bordeaux, Pool B (1700 BST)
Romania v Portugal, Toulouse, Pool C (1900 BST)

26 September:
Georgia v Namibia, Lens, Pool D (1700 BST)
Samoa v USA, St Etienne, Pool A (1900 BST)

28 September:
England v Tonga, Parc des Princes, Pool A (2000 BST)

29 September:
Australia v Canada, Bordeaux, Pool B (1400 BST)
Wales v Fiji, Nantes, Pool B (1600 BST)
Scotland v Italy, St Etienne, Pool C (2000 BST)
New Zealand v Romania, Toulouse, Pool C (1200 BST)

30 September:
France v Georgia, Marseille, Pool D (1400 BST)
South Africa v USA, Montpellier, Pool A (1900 BST)
Ireland v Argentina, Parc des Princes, Pool D (1600 BST)

6 October:
QF1: W Pool B v RU Pool A, Marseille (1400 BST)
QF2: W Pool C v RU Pool D, Cardiff (2000 BST)

7 October:
QF3: W Pool A v RU Pool B, Marseille (1400 BST)
QF4: W Pool D v RU Pool C, Stade de France (2000 BST)

13 October:
SF1: W QF1 v W QF2, Stade de France (2000 BST)

14 October:
SF2: W QF3 v W QF4, Stade de France (2000 BST)

19 October:
3rd place play-off, Parc des Princes (2000 BST)

20 October:
Final, Stade de France (2000 BST)



Locations and Stadia:

Bordeaux - Stade Chaban-Delmas, 34,440





Cardiff - Millennium Stadium, 73,350





Edinburgh - Murrayfield - 67,800





Lens - Stade Félix-Bollaert - 41,400





Lyon - Stade Gerland, 41,100





Marseilles - Le Velodrome, 59,500





Montpellier - Stade Mosson, 33,650






Nantes - La Beaujoire, 38,100





Paris - Parc Des Princes - 47,870





Saint-Denis - Stade de France, 80,000





Saint-Etienne - Stade Geoffroy-Guichard, 35,650





Toulouse - The Municipal Stadium, 35,700

[Wezza]

Are there matches being held in Wales & Scotland as well? :confused:

[3tmk]

yes I'm confused too as to why there are matches being played outside of France

[NeilF]

It seems to be a tradition when played in the Northern Hemisphere to use stadia in other nations. In a way, it's a good thing for local support, with Scotland playing in Edinburgh and Wales in Cardiff. It also allows for stadia with much larger capacities to be used. The last RWC in the Northern Hemisphere was Wales in 1999, which used grounds all around the UK and France. Sadly, some of these were places that only held 8,000 to 15,000, so it's nice to see that the smallest stadia in France are holding upwards of 35,000. You can take any RWC in the Northern Hemisphere to mean that it's "hosted" by the stated union and that the final will be in that country. Frankly, I think, although I may be wrong, that two stadia outside of the host union's country is the closest the Northern Hemisphere has come to having a rugby world cup held in one country. It's also the first time that non-rugby specific stadia have been used in such abundance; again, for example, in 1999, I believe that Hampden Park was the only non-rugby specific stadium used.

[gorgu]

Originally Posted by NeilF

It seems to be a tradition when played in the Northern Hemisphere to use stadia in other nations. In a way, it's a good thing for local support, with Scotland playing in Edinburgh and Wales in Cardiff. It also allows for stadia with much larger capacities to be used. The last RWC in the Northern Hemisphere was Wales in 1999, which used grounds all around the UK and France. Sadly, some of these were places that only held 8,000 to 15,000, so it's nice to see that the smallest stadia in France are holding upwards of 35,000. You can take any RWC in the Northern Hemisphere to mean that it's "hosted" by the stated union and that the final will be in that country. Frankly, I think, although I may be wrong, that two stadia outside of the host union's country is the closest the Northern Hemisphere has come to having a rugby world cup held in one country. It's also the first time that non-rugby specific stadia have been used in such abundance; again, for example, in 1999, I believe that Hampden Park was the only non-rugby specific stadium used.

Neil you are very correct, after NZ hold theirs I think Japan should be given the chance, then it should be a joint Ireland and Scottish World Cup, doing this would mean that the world cupos would have been the the following countries:

Australia / New Zealand 1987
UK and France (England hosted the Finals) 1991
South Africa 1995
Wales 1999
Australia 2003
France 2007
New Zealand 2011
Japan 2015
Scotland / Ireland 2019
Italy 2023

WOuld mean ALL of the worlds rugby playing nations had had a world cup, actually I might swap Japan with either Italy of Scotland / Ireland, that way it would be Asia Pacific - Europe - Asia - Europe.

What do you reckon?

[spud]

games are being held in wales & scotland because the french "bought" their vote when bidding for the world cup.....a case of vote for us and we'll give you some games.....simple really

[NeilF]

The way the game seems to be developing there, I think China may be a more worthy candidate for the World Cup than Japan. In terms of the potential development for the game in China, as opposed to its partially developed state in Japan, a World Cup there could do great things. Japan deserve it for their contribution to the sport over the years but if the IRB wish to develop the game beyond the traditional areas of strength, then this is the sort of thing it needs to be looking to do; Argentina are really the only team flying the banner outside of the 6 Nations and Tri-Nations.

I'd like to see the Americas getting a rugby world cup at some point as well. Both Canada and USA are places where the sport could really develop, as on some level at least, the interest is certainly there. At present, it seems the competition is hosted by a very small spread of nations, especially given the inter-country spread that the tournament takes on. I think it's about time the IRB started to use the RWC as a show-piece of rugby and as a means to develop the game around the world, rather than it's current form, which is all about the quarter finals and beyond, since, for the most part, the group stages are a formality. That said, the group with Argentina, France and Ireland will be a bloody exciting group to watch.

The Rugby World Cup should be used as an attempt to give the sport a global impetus, but at the moment is only used to preach to the converted. Over the next while, I think the RWC should probably go:

2007 - France
2011 - New Zealand
2015 - Canada or USA
2019 - China
2023 - Italy and Spain
2027 - Argentina
2031 - Wales and/or Ireland and/or Scotland
2035 - South Africa

[Lostboy]

Terribly disorganised when it is in so many nations and so spread out. I think from now on they should limit it to two nations with a preference for it being held in one. It isn't as if many large stadiums are required.

[Durbsboi]

When Wales had it in 99, Twikenham & Stadia Denis were used as well

[NeilF]

Stadia outside of Wales used in the 1999 Rugby World Cup:

Stade De France, Saint-Denis, France (80,000)
Twickenham, London, England (then 75,000)
Murrayfield, Edinburgh, Scotland (67,800)
Hampden Park, Glasgow, Scotland (52,500)
Lansdowne Road, Dublin, Republic of Ireland (49,300)
Stade Félix Bollaert, Lens, France (41,800)
Parc Lescure, Bordeaux, France (34,327)
McAlpine Stadium, Huddersfield, England (28,000)
Stade de Toulouse, Toulouse, France (27,000)
Stade de la Méditerranée, Béziers, France (25,000)
Ashton Gate, Bristol, England (21,500)
Welford Road, Leicester, England (16,500)
Thomond Park, Limerick, Republic of Ireland (13,500)
Ravenhill, Belfast, Northern Ireland (12,500)
Netherdale, Galashiels, Scotland (6,000)

In fact, if I am correct, there were only three stadia in Wales that were used for Wales' Rugby World Cup; Stadey Park in Llanelli, Racecourse Ground in Wrexham and the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff. Ironically, four Welsh stadia were used in the English hosted 1991 Rugby World Cup.

In comparison to that, this coming world cup has little spread at all.

[CharlieP]

Originally Posted by spud

games are being held in wales & scotland because the french "bought" their vote when bidding for the world cup.....a case of vote for us and we'll give you some games.....simple really

Exactly. It was a straight shoot-out between England and France to host this World Cup - England wanted to host all the games, whereas France gave Ireland, Scotland and Wales the promise of hosting some games. Ireland gave up their games as Lansdowne Road needed to be redeveloped, and at one point Scotland were going to surrender theirs for financial reasons.

The sad thing is, France didn't need to whore themselves out, as they won the contest at a canter. The best World Cups to date have had a single host - South Africa in 1995 and Australia in 2003.

Originally Posted by Lostboy

It isn't as if many large stadiums are required.

I disagree - plenty of games will be sold out, including all of England's and France's and probably New Zealand's with the exception of Scotland.

[m@rco]

Update

[Vilak]

should be cool when completed!

[m@rco]

September 2007







http://www.la-metro.org/fr/travaux/travaux_stade.htm

[m@rco]

From the sky...

[Neda Say]

looking good, a bit squarish and funny it doesn't look much bigger than the Palais des Sport (sports hall) right left to it.