At the Vélodrome stadium,
Second day of the 2023 Rugby World Cup, and already the first hiccups. Thousands of English and Argentinian supporters missed the kick-off of the match between the XV de la Rose and the Pumas on Saturday evening at the Vélodrome stadium in Marseille. Twenty minutes before the start of the match, there were still very many of them from the Jean Bouin square to the Michelet boulevard waiting to be able to enter the stadium. At kick-off, many seats were still empty.
Things gradually improved a few minutes before the start of the match, but there were still people outside when the Pumas kicked off the match. The maximum delays were twenty minutes, according to AFP. Many English journalists present for the occasion were surprised by the situation, posting photos and videos of people waiting on X (formerly Twitter).
First criticisms of the organization.
There were still many English and Argentinian supporters seated at the various bars around the Vélodrome stadium an hour before the start of the match, but the management of such a crowd was to be expected. It also seems that a majority of supporters entered the stadium via the square, and very few on the other side via Dromel.
“We are aware of the delays experienced by fans entering the Stade de Marseille for the Rugby World Cup 2023 Pool D match between England and Argentina this Saturday evening. We are therefore working with all stakeholders to establish the facts and implement measures to prevent this type of delay from happening again on this site for the rest of the 2023 Rugby World Cup,” explains the organization in a press release
The first criticisms of the organization began to arise on social networks. A failure which inevitably recalls that of the final of the 2022 Champions League played at the Stade de France. The organizers are also particularly scrutinized less than a year before the start of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, and accessibility problems were also reported in Bordeaux during the match between Ireland and Romania (82-8), Saturday afternoon.