from the void

Rugby World Cup 2007

August 29th, 2007

In just over one week, France will kick off Rugby World Cup 2007 in a match against Argentina at the Stade de France in Paris.

The next day (8 September), Australia will play its first 2007 World Cup match in Lyon against Japan. My mate Craig will be volunteering at the World Cup and he has managed to pull “show the Japanese rugby team around Toulouse” duty. I wonder if he’ll still manage to be nice to them if by some miracle they beat the Wallabies.

Toulouse is one of the Rugby World Cup 2007 host cities and, since this part of France is completely rugby-mad, I’m expecting quite an exciting atmosphere to reign over the city until the end of October. Especially since this year, Toulouse’s beloved rugby team, the Stade Toulousain, is celebrating its centenary.

29 September should be a particularly festive day for Toulousains and expatriate antipodeans: French rugby fans love the All Blacks - so much so that you can actually buy All Blacks memorabilia in certain roadside rest stops along the highways - and the New Zealand team will be playing against Romania on this day, at Stadium Toulouse! Fast-forward to 3 pm and, two hours up the road in Bordeaux, Australia will be playing against Canada in their last match of the group stage. Let’s hope they make it to the quarter finals!!
Last but not least, that same evening, the Garonne River that runs through Toulouse will be set ablaze with fireworks as part of the Stade Toulousain birthday celebrations. And of course there will be parties and entertainment. Phew! what a day it promises to be!

In the lead-up to that big day, Remi and I will be attending the Romania vs Portugal game on September 25th with some mates. It’s not one of the major matches, obviously, but we managed to get some decently priced tickets and wanted to experience Rugby World Cup fever first hand.

Go the Wallabies!

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Entry Filed under: Aussie Aussie Aussie, Life in France and Toulouse