The world of travel turns oval

" Before meeting you on the pitch, I am delighted to welcome you to the station throughout the Rugby World Cup France 2023. "Professionals criss-crossing France will be surprised to find themselves guided by the voice of Antoine Dupont during their travels. Throughout the competition, the captain of the French national team will be accompanying fans and ordinary travellers alike on their journeys through a series of advertisements broadcast in the following media stations in the 10 host citiesin the TER of the region Occitania or on RER lines B and Dthose leading to Stade de France.

The fact that the star of French rugby has been chosen to enhance the travel experience, rather than Simone Hérault, the 'voice' of the SNCF for the past 40 years, is testament to the scale of the event for the railway company. As sponsor of the competition, it will be responsible for transporting a large proportion of the 2.6 million spectators expected to attend, as well as most of the teams. No fewer than 80 journeys are planned for this purpose - i.e. 70% of their journeys - to take them from their base camps to the venues. Without delay, of course.

Those who play will take the train

Similarly, the SNCF can also count on the involvement of its subsidiaries, in particular Keolis, which will be chartering around a hundred coaches for local and regional journeys. transporting teams from the stations to the stadiums, and Géodis, which will be responsible for transporting the equipment and 80 tonnes of training materials for the 20 participating nations. All this will be done using low-emission vehicles, including 40 biogas trucks.

To coincide with this event, the SNCF is also transforming Ground Countrol, a third-party venue close to the Gare de Lyon that it owns, into a Festive HQ with events, exhibitions and screenings of all 48 matches. But sponsorship of the event is also, and above all, a way of bringing people together internally. " The Rugby World Cup embodies the human values of solidarity and commitment that all railway workers identify with.t", explained Jean-Pierre Farandou, CEO of the SNCF, at the signing of the partnership with France 2023.

One of the world leaders in the events and congress sector, GL Events is also involved in the success of the World Cup in more ways than one. As an official sponsor, France's number 1 trade fair operator is offering its know-how and expertise, particularly when it comes to hospitality design. The Lyon-based group is also closely associated with its home town rugby club, Lyon Olympique Universitaire. It has been the main shareholder of the LOU since 2006, and as such is responsible for running the Gerland stadium, where the All Blacks will be training during the competition. What's more, the team will be staying right next door at the Ruck Hotel, developed by GL Events.

Another major French player in the world of travel is also closely linked to the success of the World Cup: Accor. As well as being an Official Supporter of France 2023 through its All programme - which will make it possible to offer unique sporting moments to its loyal customers - the group is above all preparing to provide accommodation for supporters and officialsThe Pullman Paris Montparnasse is the official hotel of World Rugby, the world governing body for rugby. In addition, its subsidiary ResaEventsis also the official hotel reservation centre for the competition, drawing on the expertise of Gekko, the parent company of HCorpo, which is also an Accor subsidiary.

However, while the World Cup is being held in France this year - the next one, in 2027, will take place in Australia, with a possible final at... Sydney's Accor Stadium - French travel companies are not the only ones involved in the event. On 31 May last, a A 380 landed at Paris CDG with the following on board an exclusive customer, the rugby world cup. And next to her, an important traveller: Tendai Mtawarira, a pillar of the South African champion team in 2019, who came to present it to Jacques Rivoal, Chairman of the France 2023 Organising Committee. A big bearer ofEmirates from Johannesburg to Paris via Dubai.

The Webb Ellis Trophy route foreshadowed the route that many fans from the southern hemisphere would take to France. Demonstrating the role of this an air bridge between these distant continents is obviously one of the main reasons why Emirates has been sponsoring the Rugby World Cup since 2007, at least until the next one in Australia. " Our commitment to the sport continues to grow both on and off the pitch.said Boutros Boutros, Senior Vice President Communications and Marketing at Emirates. Rugby is a sport that brings people together, and we can't wait to connect with fans around the world." .

It is probably no coincidence that one of its major competitors, Qatar Airways, is taking advantage of the New Zealand-South Africa warm-up match to sponsor the event by awarding a new trophyQatar Airways Cup to the winner of the match held in London on 25 August. This was just a few days before the re-launch of its Doha-Auckland flight on 1 August.^er September. A way for the airline to show fans in the southern hemisphere that it too can offer them travel to Europe.

Another company froma country usually more comfortable with a round ballthe Spanish VuelingIt is also banking on rugby, proof of the growing popularity of this sport. Last February, it became the Official company of the men's and women's French national teams. Sponsorship in the form of a special livery for one of its aircraft, with three players featured prominently: Antoine Dupont, Charles Ollivon and Damian Penaud. Although it only offers a few routes to the major rugby centres in Europe, from Paris to London, Edinburgh and Dublin, this partnership should strengthen the image of the carrier, which is growing in importance in France, particularly in the regions.

Rugby and travel: the association seems promising. During the World Cup, for example, the France-Italy match will provide an opportunity for the SNCF's major competitor, Trenitaliathe sponsor of the Italian team, to promote itself. On its side, British Airways is one of regular supporters of the England team, as well as the key partner of Twickenham stadium, from where you can watch from the stands the ballet of planes landing at Twickenham. Heathrow. Another natural supporter of the Tonga team is Lulutai Airlines, the national carrier launched by the Tongan government, which has just two aircraft in its fleet.

As for the British hotelier IHG, it is as much a partner of the Australian federation and SANZAAR, rugby's governing body throughout the southern hemisphere, as it is of the EPCR, the organiser of European competitions. Earlier this year, the hotelier also offered one member of its IHG One Rewards loyalty programme the chance to win two tickets for the Stade Toulousain-Munster match. As a bonus, they received an autographed ball and a video personalised by... Antoine Dupont. Obviously.