We already knew the Rugby World Cup fixtures and the match venues – but did you know the team bases for Rugby World Cup 2023’s pool stages?

Some of them are easy to call. Scotland have a pre-existing relationship with Nice for example, while Versailles was bound to host someone (this time it’s Wales).

But sides are dotted all over, this time round.

And we know that sides can forge incredibly strong bonds with the communities they are embedded in. Just cast your mind back to 2007, when some sides really embraced their bases.

France 2023 CEO Julien Collette said of this announcement: “We are delighted to present these team base camps, which are key sites for our organisation. They will bring Rugby World Cup 2023’s celebrations close to France’s regions, especially through moments of genuine interaction between general public and participating players.

“Today’s announcement comes after years of hard work from the France 2023 and World Rugby teams to put the players in the best possible conditions to perform, but also to give fans from across the world an exceptional tournament, both in terms of performance and accessibility.”

Rugby World Cup 2023 team base camps

POOL A
New Zealand: Lyon (Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes)
France: Rueil-Malmaison (Ile-de-France)
Italy: Bourgoin-Jallieu (Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes)
Uruguay: Avignon (Provence)
Namibia:  Aix les Bains (Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes)

POOL B
South Africa: Toulon (Région Sud)
Ireland: Tours (Centre-Val de Loire)
Scotland: Nice (Région Sud)
Tonga:  Croissy sur Seine (Ile-de-France)
Romania: Libourne (Nouvelle-Aquitaine)

POOL C
Wales: Versailles (Ile-de-France)
Australia: Saint-Étienne (Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes)
Fiji: Bordeaux (Nouvelle-Aquitaine)
Georgia: La Rochelle – Ile de Ré (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)

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