in Bordeaux, a green and eco-responsible fan zone to celebrate the oval

You can’t smell the beer yet, but it won’t be long before you do. Along the Saint-Michel sports park, in Bordeaux, the “Rugby village”, and its thirty shooters, has planned in large widths the volume of booze for the next few weeks. This Thursday already, some Irish people, just reddened by the sun, came to take a look at the site where 37 matches of the competition will be projected on a giant screen and where 5,000 barrels are promised to be swallowed up until the end of October. The 6,700 square meter space (a large rugby field), capable of welcoming up to 10,000 visitors, opens…

You can’t smell the beer yet, but it won’t be long before you do. Along the Saint-Michel sports park, in Bordeaux, the “rugby village”, and its thirty shooters, has planned in large widths the volume of booze for the next few weeks. This Thursday already, some Irish people, just reddened by the sun, came to take a look at the site where 37 matches of the competition will be projected on a giant screen and where 5,000 barrels are promised to be swallowed up until the end of October. The 6,700 square meter space (a large rugby pitch), capable of accommodating up to 10,000 visitors, opens its doors this Friday (6 p.m.) on the occasion of the opening match between the XV of France and the All Blacks. Nearly 200,000 people could attend until the final on October 28.

Wood from fires

In the meantime, it is more the scent of pine that caresses the nostrils, along the river. On site, cabins bearing the names of islands in the Garonne (Patiras, Bouchaud, d’Arcins, etc.) were made with trees hit by the fires in Landiras or Belin-Béliet during the summer of 2022. ” Their bark had been partly burned but not the wood inside which we were able to buy from a carpentry in the region,” says Corentin Bernard, founder and boss of the communications and events agency Auxc.

His company, certified Iso20121 (logic of sustainable development in events), chosen by the Bordeaux Metropolis to design the “rugby village”, made locally. “We work in a short circuit, with local partners,” repeats the manager. Within the limit, necessarily, of the constraints of World Rugby, the organizer overseeing the World Cup, which authorizes in particular a single brand of beer, Japanese (Asahi, 9 euros per pint). On the menu of sandwiches and delicacies, you can clearly feel the Gironde or south-west influence with chicken from Bazas, trout or Pyrenean pork, crisps from the Médoc or canelés cooked on the other side of the river, Floirac.

Some 200 volunteers

Usually, Bordeaux does not procrastinate in the organization of its large gatherings: eyes converge on the Place des Quinconces. To celebrate the oval, supporters will not miss its gravel to discover a long lawn with even a few trees. The Saint-Michel sports park, which until then had only hosted a few concerts, is gaining promotion. “With a view of our beautiful 17th century facades^e, all in a green and bucolic atmosphere, abounds Corentin Bernard. It’s still great to reveal our city in this way! »

The “village”, which will communicate its carbon footprint at the end of the activity, must be cautious in terms of waste management, the “harvests” of the fifty dry toilets even having to be used for agricultural use. To the right of the 52m giant screen^² (the one for football during Euro 2016 was 166 m²), visitors will also be able to discover two producer areas where they can taste oysters, cheeses and ice cream. Local products of course. Depending on the day, entertainment (DJ sets, entertainment with professional rugby players, etc.) and inflatable games for children will also be on hand.

The place finally becomes the HQ of volunteers from the Bordeaux metropolis. About 200 volunteers will share the reception of supporters and tourists for a month and a half, at the station, at the airport or in the heart of the city. This Thursday, many of them came to pick up their outfits for the next few days, in “Nico’s tavern” where an impressive supply of bananas awaits them. They might need it. Around 60,000 visitors are expected this weekend in Bordeaux.

Safety: the other top priority

During the nineteen days the village is open, several dozen agents as well as the gendarmerie will be mobilized to ensure the security of the site, which received the approval of the security commission this Thursday morning. Before entering, searches will be carried out during which motorcycle helmets, backpacks and filled bottles will be prohibited. These items can be left in a locker. Water bottles (empty) or food will be allowed. Anemometers were also placed above the giant screen to predict strong gusts of wind. In the event of a storm, a special area will be available behind the big screen to evacuate visitors as quickly as possible.