WHAT YOU SHOULD BE TALKING ABOUT THIS MONTH…
“Super Sunday could be a blockbuster too”
LESBLEUS haven’t been playing at their usual home for this Six Nations run because the Stade de France is being transformed for the Olympics later this year. This we know. But did you know there’s Test rugby in Paris this March?
Celebrated as something of a coup, we’re into the second year of a Rugby Europe Championship cycle, and on Sunday 17 March – the day after the Six Nations Super Saturday – we will have a ‘Finals Day’ at Stade Français’ Stade Jean Bouin. From noon, there will be four matches to decide final rankings in the table, with a grand final being played out at 9pm local time.
With the cost of attending international matches during the Six Nations always a talking point, it’s also worth noting that tickets for a combo of the bronze and grand final in Paris begin at €15 and run up to €35, and you can get a premium all-day package for €90.
Florian Grill, French rugby president, said of supporting this event: “France is delighted to host the REC finals on its territory at the Stade Jean Bouin in
Paris. With Abdelatif Benazzi, vicepresident of the FFR, in charge of international affairs, we believe that France, an important nation in the rugby world, also has a form of responsibility in Europe. This is the reason for the financial and logistical support for this event in connection with Ligue Ile de France de Rugby, which joins recurring support of FFR to Rugby Europe.”
Who will be in that big final? You expect Georgia to be, but there are a number of teams vying for supremacy, and the competition deserves much more spotlight than it currently enjoys.
The tournament organisers work really hard to put on live streams, provide commentary in English and highlight their stars. But imagine for a second if it became more visible here. Great fun...