Rugby World Cup 2023: Get to know the nine host stadiums
Rugby World gives you a lowdown of the nine stadiums that will feature at Rugby World Cup France 2023
The 2023 Rugby World Cup will take place in France from 8 September to 28 October, with the tournament set to feature the best male rugby talent from across the globe. This page has all you need to know about the World Cup stadiums that will host games in this iconic tournament.
The Stadiums
Stade de Bordeaux, Bordeaux
John Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images
Capacity: 42,115
Date Finished: April 2015
Uses: Rugby Union, Football, Concerts
Matches to be hosted: Ireland vs Romania (Pool B, 9 September)
Wales vs Fiji (Pool C, 10 September)
Samoa vs Chile (Pool D, 16 September)
South Africa vs Romania (Pool B, 17 September)
Fiji vs Georgia (Pool C, 30 September)
Fun Fact: Since its opening in spring 2015, the Stade de Bordeaux has hosted several major musical performances including Celine Dion, Guns 'n' Roses and Ed Sheeran.
Stade Pierre Mauroy, Lille
©INPHO/Donall Farmer
Capacity: 50,186
Date Finished: August 2012
Uses: Rugby Union, Football, Basketball, Handball, Tennis, Concerts
Matches to be hosted: France vs Uruguay (Pool A, 14 September)
England vs Chile (Pool D, 23 September)
Scotland vs Romania (Pool B, 30 September)
England vs Samoa (Pool D, 7 October)
Tonga vs Romania (Pool B, 8 October)
Fun Fact: Host to two of England's pool games at RWC2023, the World Cup stadium in the south of Lille will also be the venue for the handball and basketball tournaments in the Paris 2024 Summer Olympic Games.
Stade Velodrome, Marseille
Mike Hewitt/Getty Images
Capacity: 67,394
Date Finished: June 1937, most recent renovations summer 2014.
Uses: Rugby Union, Football, (historically) Rugby League and Cycling
Matches to be hosted: England vs Argentina (Pool D, 9 September)
South Africa vs Scotland (Pool B, 10 September)
France vs Namibia (Pool A, 21 September)
South Africa vs Tonga (Pool B, 1 October)
Quarter Final 1 (Winner Pool C vs Runner-up Pool D, 14 October)
Quarter Final 3 (Winner Pool D vs Runner-up Pool C, 15 October)
Fun Fact: The venue for the 2022 Champions Cup Final between Leinster and La Rochelle, the Velodrome was first used to host a Six Nations game in 2018 when France played Italy in front of 50,000 fans.
Stade de la Beaujoire, World Cup stadiums in Nantes
FRANK PERRY/AFP via Getty Images
Capacity: 37,473
Date Finished: May 1984
Uses: Rugby Union, Football
Matches to be hosted: Ireland vs Tonga (Pool C, 16 September)
Argentina vs Chile (Pool D, 30 September)
Wales vs Georgia (Pool C, 7 October)
Japan vs Argentina (Pool D, 8 October)
Fun Fact: It was at this World Cup stadium that Fiji famously beat Wales 38-34 during the 2007 Rugby World Cup, pipping the Welsh to a quarter-final place.
Stade de Nice, Nice
Marc Atkins/Offside via Getty Images
Capacity: 35,169
Date Finished: September 2013
Uses: Rugby Union, Football, Concerts
Matches to be hosted: Wales vs Portugal (Pool C, 16 September)
England vs Japan (Pool D, 17 September)
Italy vs Uruguay (Pool A, 20 September)
Scotland vs Tonga (Pool B, 24 September)
Fun Fact: Of all the World Cup stadiums, this one has hosted just one international rugby Test match to date - a 32-3 win for France over Scotland in August 2019 in which Maxime Medard scored two tries.
Stade de France, Saint-Denis
David Rogers/Getty Images
Capacity: 81,500
Date Finished: September 2013
Uses: Rugby Union, Football, Concerts
Matches to be hosted: Wales vs Portugal (Pool C, 16 September)
England vs Japan (Pool D, 17 September)
Italy vs Uruguay (Pool A, 20 September)
Scotland vs Tonga (Pool B, 24 September)
Quarter Final 2 (Winner Pool B vs Runner-up Pool A, 14 October)
Quarter Final 4 (Winner Pool A vs Runner-up Pool B, 15 October)
Semi Final 1 (Winner Quarter Final 1 vs Winner Quarter Final 2, 20 October)
Semi Final 2 (Winner Quarter Final 3 vs Winner Quarter Final 4, 21 October)
Bronze Final (Runner-up Semi Final 1 vs Runner-up Semi Final 2, 27 October)
Final (Winner Semi Final 1 vs Winner Semi Final 2, 28 October)
Fun Fact: The sixth-largest stadium in Europe, the Stade de France is one of just two stadia in the world to have hosted both football (1998) and rugby union (1999,2007) World Cup Finals - alongside the Nissan Stadium in Yokohama, Japan.
Stade Geoffroy-Guichard
©INPHO/James Crombie
Capacity: 41,965
Date Finished: September 1931, most recent renovations completed January 2015.
Uses: Rugby Union, Football
Matches to be hosted: Italy vs Namibia (Pool A, 9 September)
Australia vs Fiji (Pool C, 17 September)
Argentina vs Samoa (Pool D, 22 September)
Australia vs Portugal (Pool C, 1 October)
Fun Fact: The oldest stadium to be selected as a venue for the Rugby World Cup 2023, it also hosted three pool games at Rugby World Cup 2007 - two of which involved Scotland.
Stadium de Toulouse, World Cup stadiums in Toulouse
©INPHO/James Crombie
Capacity: 33,150
Date Finished: 1937, most recent renovations completed Spring 2016.
Uses: Rugby Union, Rugby League, Football, Concerts
Matches to be hosted: Japan vs Chile (Pool D, 10 September)
New Zealand vs Namibia (Pool A, 15 September)
Georgia vs Portugal (Pool C, 23 September)
Japan vs Samoa (Pool B, 28 September)
Fiji vs Portugal (Pool C, 8 October)
Fun Fact: The final venue on this list - and another that hosted several games at the 2007 Rugby World Cup - this stadium is actually located on the island of Ramier in the River Garonne, right in the heart of Toulouse.
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