Enjoy the 2023 Rugby World Cup in France

The Southern Region at the heart of the event

Close to home, the cities of Marseille and Nice will host several group matches and qualifying matches to reach the next stage of the competition.

Some key dates:

England's Fifteen of the Rose will cross swords with Argentina's Pumas on 9 September in Marseille. 
South Africa's Springboks will face the Scottish Warriors on 10 September and the winner of the Asia/Pacific group on 1 October in Marseille.
We will also have the pleasure of watching our "besties", the French team against an African team on 21 September in Marseille.
The Welsh Dragons will play in Nice on 16 September, before the English take on the Japanese, the surprise team of the last World Cup on 17 September. 

The match schedule in Marseille and Nice

The city of Toulon, base camp of the Springboks team

World champion in title, the South African team chose Toulon to establish its base camp.

Several South African internationals such as Bakkies Botha, Bryan Habana, Joe Van Niekerk, Juanne Smith... or more recently Chelsin Kolbe, have played for the RCT or are still playing for the club. These players have contributed to the enormous success of the club, which has won three European championships and the Brennus Shield on several occasions.

They were thus able to praise the merits of Toulon as a destination for South African ruby and the metropolitan sports facilities, including the mythical Mayol stadium, where the team will be able to train. They will benefit from the RCT Campus facilities and will be able to prepare themselves in the best conditions to go as far as possible in this World Cup.

The current world champions have chosen to stay in La Seyne-sur-Mer, in the Maisons Lelievre establishment: the Grand Hôtel des Sablettes Plage, Curio Collection by Hilton. During their stay in La Seyne sur Mer, they will enjoy a superb view of the Mediterranean, waking up each morning admiring the Deux Frères and falling asleep at night lulled by the sound of the waves of the Sablettes beach. They will only have to cross the harbour by boat to go and train. What better place in France than the Mayol stadium to fine-tune their systems, work on the mix with the forwards, and kick penalties?

Discover the video of the Springboks base camp in Toulon

 

Toulon and its surroundings in celebration for the great mass of world rugby

Rugby village, signing sessions, festive moments... many activities will be organised in Toulon and its surroundings during the World Cup.

For the youngsters from the rugby schools of US Seynoise, R.C. Ollioulais, R.C. Six Fours/Le Brusc and US Saint Mandrier, or even the RCT kids, it will be an opportunity to meet or see their idols, maybe even to take a selfie ;-)

Stay tuned or check our agenda to know the highlights of the Rugby World Cup in Toulon and in the surrounding towns.
We will give you more information as soon as the programme of the animations will be revealed.

Toulon Provence Méditerranée, 12 lands of rubgy

 
Are you a ruby fan and are you planning to go and see one or more matches of your favourite team in Marseille or Nice? 

Choose to stay in Provence Méditerranée and combine your passion for rugby with a superb holiday on the Mediterranean. The love of the Toulon people for rugby has been proven. You only have to see the atmosphere in the city around the Mayol stadium before and after the Top 14 matches, or listen to the supporters singing the pilou pilou song to understand that here, rugby is not just a sport, it is a religion.

At the time of the World Cup, in September and October, the weather is still very pleasant in the Var. The beaches are a little less crowded and the water is still good, the forests are accessible again, while the cultural season is in full swing.

Thus, the amateurs of walks and hikes will be able to discover the preserved natural spaces which are the Toulon mounts (Faron, Gros Cerveau...), the massif of the Cap Sicié, the Gaou in Six Fours or the peninsula of Giens in Hyères.

Those who cannot choose between nature and the sea will be delighted by the islands of Hyères - Porquerolles, Port Cros - or the more intimate island of Embiez, jewels of our destination where you will alternate between walks on the flowery paths, idleness or discovery of the sea bed.

Of course, we are not talking about beach lovers, sunbathers, swimmers... the reputation of the beaches of our beautiful Mediterranean coastline is well established.
However, for those who like to enjoy the sea, many activities and water sports are available to all. For example, you can discover the coast in a kayak or paddle, take up scuba diving, learn to windsurf or simply take a walk on the sea to discover the creeks of Cassis for example.

For those who want to discover a city on a human scale, Toulon is perfect. Currently undergoing a complete renewal, you will be delighted to discover its city centre (the Rue des Arts, the Chalucet district, the art museum, etc.). Don't miss the Cours Lafayette market where you can buy all your Provencal specialities. You can also admire the most beautiful harbour in Europe by taking the cable car to the heights of Mont Faron, or take a guided boat tour.

And because there's more than just "French flair", we also invite you to discover the "French art of living" by sitting on the terrace of a café to drink a glass of Provence rosé or a local beer, chat around a petanque court with the locals, or simply take a little nap in the shade.
Remember, this is the South. And in Toulon, everything is different!

To prepare your rugby holidays, you will find all the information on this website, or on those of Toulon Tourism and Hyères Tourism.

 

Discover Toulon Provence Méditerranée and its surroundings in pictures