One year from the start of the 2023 Rugby World Cup in France, the director of the Toulouse site, the former pro player Cédric Coll is the guest of France Bleu Occitane. He answers questions from Jeanne-Marie Marco
A countdown was installed at the bottom of the Jean Jaurés aisles last night, today a ceremony is being held, what will it look like?
– Benedict Dupont
The mayor will formalize the J less than a year before the France-All Blacks kick-off at the Stade de France, and then we will do a walk through Toulouse to go to the water rugby of La Daurade.
Five group matches will take place in a year at the Stadium in Toulouse with the All Blaks in particular against Namibia on September 15 in Toulouse, what is planned in terms of giant screen and fan zone?
There’s going to be a rugby village in the city center which will be set up by the Métropole and we at the Stadium will organize the delivery of the matches, we work with a steering committee for the management of flows and the reception of the teams. and of course it will be big popular festival. With the UMIH we are working on how to organize restaurateurs, hoteliers and all traders around this event.
To see the matches in real life, only the packs for the moment have been put on sale. Has everything been sold?
No, on the next phase of sales tickets can be purchased for all World Cup matches, the Stadium matches, the opening match and the final. Now it’s true that space is a rare commodity, a precious good that everyone wants to have so there are unit sales phases unlike the previous pack and then there will be resale phases for those who bought a France pack but who don’t want to go see the French team in Lille. The purchase for the general public opens on September 15, I advise to be registered on the family site 2023. I advise to connect to several networks at the same time. During the first phase, we sold 3,000 tickets per minute. when you put a contingent of 300 or 400,000 seats up for sale and there are 10 million people who want to buy them, that inevitably makes people disappointed.
Do you expect very large economic returns?
Yes after the Covid period it is a chance for the region. Hotels are already full. It is a major event, the 3rd after the Olympic Games and the football world cup. There will be spectators from all over the world who will come, the Japanese in particular. The average basket during the 2019 World Cup in Japan was 300 euros per day and per person for two weeks on site.
Could another selection have its base camp in Occitania?
One of four teams USA, Kenya, Tonga and Hong Kong is conceivable.
Are there places left for November 15 and the test match of the XV of France against Japan?
There are places left but there is great enthusiasm for the reception of the French team in Toulouse. There are seats included between 35 and 100 euros.
You were planning to write a song for this world, where are you?
Mika is our sponsorhe will do the opening ceremony, I will discuss it with him.