The All Blacks establish their base camp in Lyon

New Zealand has chosen to set up its base camp in Lyon during the 2023 Rugby World Cup (September 8 – October 28) in France, on Friday 25 March, Mayor of Lyon, Gregory Ducet.

The All Blacks will train on the facilities of the LOU Rugby Club (Top 14) and the Gerland Stadium, where an investment of €500,000 will be necessary to renovate the entire locker rooms.

New Zealanders will also be able to take advantage of the gym attached to the Gerland Sports Palace. The team will reside in the Lyon region for four and a half weeks, which is the duration of the group stage.

This accommodation will be in a location that has not yet been determined. However, a hotel under construction can be selected within the Gerland stadium site, which is scheduled to open in January 2023.

The All Blacks will face Italy on September 29, 2023 and Uruguay on October 5, 2023 in Lyon. Three other World Cup matches will also be played in the Gaul capital: Wales-Australia on September 24, 2023, Uruguay-South Africa on September 27, 2023, and France-Italy on October 6, 2023.

Several World Cup qualifiers chose their base camp such as Scotland in Nice, Wales at Versailles, Australia in Saint-Etienne and Fiji in Libourne.
France, the host nation, should not reside at its national rugby center in Marcoussy (Essonne) for reasons of fairness, while world champions South Africa have yet to announce their decision.