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The 20 base camps that are ready to host the Rugby World Cup teams
Nine regions in France are set to host the 20 Rugby World Cup teams from this weekend. Eighty-nine towns and cities across the country originally applied to be a base camp host and those chosen after a detailed process started in 2019 are now ready to see four years of preparation come to fruition.
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Beyond the competition’s 10 host match cities, each qualified team was offered three base camp options spread around nine different regions with England, for instance, choosing a coastal base camp that looks across the Channel to Hastings for the duration of their pool games.
It was current Wallabies boss Eddie Jones, Steve Borthwick’s predecessor, who last year nominated Le Touquet-Paris-Plage, a small seaside town in Normandy, as the best place for the English to prepare for their upcoming Pool D matches versus Argentina (in Marseille), Japan (in Nice), Chile and Samoa (both in Lille).
In recent weeks the local airport took the decision to change its name to Elizabeth II Le Touquet -Paris-Plage International Airport. Authorities in Le Touquet had contacted Buckingham Palace six days after the Queen died on September 8 last year to seek permission for the name change in order to commemorate her and her visit to the town in the 1930s.
Elsewhere, defending champions South Africa will also take up accommodation on the French coast, with Toulon named as their base camp. However, the scenery will be very different for the Lyon-based All Blacks, the Tours-hosted Ireland and the host nation France, who will be based at Rueil-Malmaison on the outskirts of Paris.
Allowing more people to engage with the World Cup is the idea behind having base camps separate from the match cities. A World Rugby statement explained: “Team base camps will provide communities throughout France with the opportunity to share in the excitement of Rugby World Cup, and teams with access to the very best facilities.
“Beyond the competition’s 10 host cities, nine French regions have been designated to welcome and host the participating teams. They will be at the heart of a Rugby World Cup that will allow more people across the nation to engage with rugby’s pinnacle event.
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“The team base camp choices are the result of a detailed process started in March 2019 by the France 2023 organising committee. The process started with a successful ‘call for expression of interest’ which led to 89 applicants across the country.
“Following the initial application phase, a pre-selection was undertaken based on two major objectives: To offer high-level facilities for qualified teams to prepare and train during Rugby World Cup 2023 in an optimum performance environment; and to optimise teams travel based on their pool phase matches, with an emphasis on train travel to minimise carbon emissions.
“Following an extensive technical evaluation and visits from November 2021 to January 2022 by team representatives, each qualified team was presented with three base camp options, with a final decision made by the team itself.”
RUGBY WORLD CUP 2023 TEAM BASE CAMPS
POOL A
New Zealand: Lyon (Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes)
France: Rueil-Malmaison (Ile-de-France)
Italy: Bourgoin-Jallieu (Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes)
Uruguay: Avignon (Provence)
Namibia: Aix les Bains (Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes)
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POOL B
South Africa: Toulon (Region Sud)
Ireland: Tours (Centre-Val de Loire)
Scotland: Nice (Region Sud)
Tonga: Croissy sur Seine (Ile-de-France)
Romania: Libourne (Nouvelle-Aquitaine)
POOL C
Wales: Versailles (Ile-de-France)
Australia: Saint-Etienne (Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes)
Fiji: Bordeaux (Nouvelle-Aquitaine)
Georgia: La Rochelle – Ile de Re (Nouvelle-Aquitaine)
Portugal: Perpignan (Occitanie)
POOL D
England: Le Touquet-Paris-Plage (Hauts-de-France)
Japan: Toulouse (Occitanie)
Argentina: La Baule-Escoublac (Pays de la Loire)
Samoa: Montpellier (Occitanie)
Chile: Perros-Guirec (Bretagne)
Comments on RugbyPass
Brilliant article! Harry of 8/9
1 Go to comments‘UK athletes' have been in the NFL from the start.
1 Go to commentsIt’s going to be Scott Barrett. He’s the coaches mate and captain of a previously elite team. Ardie a great option but scooter has worked with the coach and Ardie still as big a leader as needed.
23 Go to commentsI commend Colin Scotts bio All Balls. He was the first Aussie to make it to NFL. But he was poached and did a full apprenticeship at the University of Hawaii. He was 130kgs surfed played 1st grade cricket etc. big guy by normal but not NFL standards and a top athlete. Even then the nfl were picking up Tongans and Samoans for their natural size and explosive power. They want explosive power not cardio from the big boys so a guy like Taniela Tupou would have been good if picked up young enough. He has fast twitch and they’d bulk the little lad up and give him something to do. soccer teams set up academies and look for Over Sara’s talent eg Messi was at Barcelona since a teenager and harry kewell went to Leeds as a teenager like 16 or something.
11 Go to commentsThe article alludes to the fact that this isn’t about picking a captain. But picking a great captain. So who would make for a great All Black captain - not just an obvious or safe shoo-in? I’m not sure Ardie’s the guy and Barret doesn’t stand out either.
23 Go to commentsI guess we may all agree on the fact, that the ABs and Boks are the two in contest for No 1 in rugby history (the triple-A sort of) …. the Wallabies, England and France are the next tier, with Ireland being the new kid in town (AA) …. in my view it makes little sense creating imaginary competitions (unless you have too much time to waste)
45 Go to commentsWhat a joke. Total joke and the pundits commentating, all of whom know a bit about the game, could barely disguise their contempt. Reaching for the card then pulling back when he realised a red card would carry further match suspensions is simply not his decision to make. A clear and obvious influence on the outcome of this match and indeed, the championship path.
4 Go to commentsI like the idea, in NZ the Ranfurly Shield and NPC coexist, both having their own bragging rights. The World Cup would be the pinnacle, but the competition and travels of these trophies would be interesting.
45 Go to commentsDon’t worry Sonny bill Williams leave that awkward situation about the curfew in the pass whoever it was it doesn’t matter its no big deal we back our All Blacks through the storm and the thunder until we see the Sun light again.
42 Go to commentsWho listens to this retard? He was a massive liability as a player but obviously a media sensation
42 Go to commentsI’m not surprised by such ‘virtue signalling’ by Sonny Boy. Butter wouldn’t melt in his mouth. He’s such a pious Islamic muppet, imo.
42 Go to commentsI’ve actually never heard of the guy (then I don’t watch League as it is boring). But if he is good enough.. then good luck to him. If not, well, he can always return to league.
2 Go to commentsIt is pretty clear that by almost any measure that NZ are a more successful rugby nation than South Africa. Quite aside from the distasteful events during the last RWC final. NZ lead SA in all significant measurements.
45 Go to commentsDickson went to his pocket for a card, saw who it was, changed his mind and spoke at length to TMO. One angle clearly shows Care diving over a Saints player to kill the ball. 1st yellow, reason given for not Red was player was falling backwards. He was only falling backwards after contact with Lawes. Graham try should have stood. Mitchell did not have both hands on the ball, ball went forward from a Saints boot dragging over it. 2 intentional knock-on's. One of which had an overlap on the outside. If Quins are happy to win by intentional foul play, then it does not say much for them. Would appear to be a bad day for Karl Dickson, also for the RFU in appointing a Ref who spent 8 years as a player at one of the clubs.
4 Go to commentsLet’s not forget about Ardie Savea just yet.
8 Go to commentsThe URC and the Euro Championscup can’t run at the same time, basically dilutes both competitions.
2 Go to comments“While Sotutu should start at No.8 for the All Blacks against England, but it’s only in that arena that he can prove just how good he really is.” And that my friends is where simply hasnt shone despite multiple opportunities. Even in this performance you can see what did him in in the test arena..he almost always still runs at the opposition almost ramrod upright making him easier to stop than it should be.
8 Go to commentsShould have been 0-0 and a message from SR CEO to both teams - “don’t worry about turning up next year”.
4 Go to commentsGreat work Owen Franks. A great of this team, scoring his first try for the Crusaders since 2010.He was beaming, justifiably. A fine win, he and the rest did the job up front.
1 Go to commentsDanny Care. Lang in die tand.
1 Go to comments