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Rugby World Cup 2023 has already surpassed attendance figures set in Japan in 2019, with 1.8 million fans cheering on their teams during the pool phase.
This year’s event is taking place across France and has welcomed almost two million fans, beating the 1.7 million figure for the entire competition in 2019.
Fans have journeyed from countries such as the Netherlands and Germany, which were among the top 10 nations in the ticket purchasing rankings, with supporters also travelling to support debutants Chile, 2007 returnees Portugal and 2019 hosts Japan.
World Rugby and France 2023 are targeting a record-breaking attendance overall.
Organisers have also revealed that Rugby Village attendance has surpassed the record set in Japan, with 1.16 million supporters visiting the 10 official Rugby Village fan zones. Some 1.13 attended the fan villages in Japan four years ago, another record at the time.
There are eight knock-out matches left to be played, and organisers have predicted that the tournament will reach 1.5 million Rugby Village attendees.
“We set out to make Rugby World Cup 2023 rugby’s greatest celebration of togetherness, the sport’s ultimate birthday party, and it is certainly capturing the imagination, attracting and exciting fans in record numbers,” said World Rugby chairman, Sir Bill Beaumont.
“With a variety of fun activities, partner activations and live screening of all the matches, the Rugby World Cup 2023 Rugby Villages have become one of the major attractions of a special tournament. They are much more than a destination to watch matches, they are bringing together domestic and international fans in celebration of rugby, France and friendship.”
France 2023 chairman Jacques Rival added: “We are pleased to see how successful France 2023’s Rugby Villages have been throughout the pool stage. As I travel across the country, I am met with joyful scenes of local and international rugby fans coming together to celebrate our sport.
“I want to thank the host cities and host metropolises that have worked tirelessly over the past months in making these 10 Rugby Villages a reality. It is a wonderful expression of the popular success that Rugby World Cup 2023 is here in France.”
The Rugby World Cup 2023 final will take place on October 28 at the 80,000-capacity Stade de France.
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