2023-09-09 14:35:49
The popular festival… already! It didn’t take long to see France capsize in a 4th dimension, a parallel and joyful world. Since Friday evening, and the opening of the Rugby World Cup, France has become oval. The entire country has fallen into a sweet madness that rhymes with ovalism. No one in France seemed to want to miss this meeting that had been impatiently awaited for weeks, even months for the most fervent supporters.
On TF1, the star duel between France and the Blacks, resulting in a 27-13 victory for the Blues, was packed and attracted 15.4 million viewers, or 64.5% of the entire public present in front of their small screens Friday evening. A peak of 16.9 million viewers was recorded at the end of the match according to figures from Médiamétrie. Antoine Dupont’s partners are doing better than their football counterparts who gathered 12.5 million viewers in November for their first World Cup match in Qatar.
The Blues therefore made a hit on TF1 but also not only. In the fan-zones installed in the four corners of France, the scenes of joy have multiplied. In Toulouse, on the largest of them, 40,000 people gathered and vibrated on the banks of the Garonne on the Prairie desfilters. After the stress of the start of the match, good humor spread in the Pink City.
Located Place de la Concorde in Paris (VIII), the Rugby Village has also been full. Several tens of thousands of people (the fan zone can accommodate up to 39,000) gathered despite the heat to follow the match on the giant 80 m2 screens.
Thirty arrests in Île-de-France
“I came up from Avignon (Vaucluse) to meet the family and take advantage of such an installation. I’ll tell you, the fan zone is better than the stadium, recognizes one of the supporters present who was also able to enjoy the passage of the Alphajets of the Patrouille de France. Here, we can enjoy slow motion, comments, we have room to celebrate. I feel much better than sitting at the stadium where one look to the side and you miss an opportunity. » In the heart of the crowd, Irish jerseys appear here and there, Welsh caps too. We also notice many All Blacks jerseys. The atmosphere is good-natured. Smiles are communicative. The celebration is universal.
Place de la Concorde. (Photo by Daniel Derajinski/Icon Sport) 2023 Icon Sport
In Île-de-France, the evening remained calm in terms of security. According to the local security department of the Paris metropolitan area, the police arrested 33 people, mainly for thefts and violence committed mostly around the Stade de France. Twenty-four of them were taken into custody. A ticket seller of English nationality was notably arrested.
The province is on fire
Scenes of jubilation – and paquitos by the thousands – took place in Nantes, Nancy, Marseille, Lille… Everywhere, from the big city to the smallest village, the French followed, shared and supported the XV tricolor together. In Marcoussis in Essonne, where the CNR is usually reserved for the Blues, hundreds of fans took possession of the premises and were enthused by the exploits of Thomas Ramos’ partners.
There as elsewhere, the 3rd halves also had to last until the end of the night. Celebrations which are set to be repeated in the coming weeks and take on even more scale and fervor if the Blues continue the adventure to the end and win the Grail on October 28.
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