It was after experiencing the romantic vista of the Eiffel Tower at the Place du Trocadero, that our small group dived into a nearby café – Schwartz’ Deli – to have a quick bite to eat, a home brew to taste and to discuss our experience of Paris and its interpretation of the Rugby World Cup.
Snarling down a grilled pastrami cheese sandwich that will remain with me for the rest of my life, the general talk was hugely positive with a few caveats in the overall adventure. For example, it was an overcast Saturday afternoon when we joined the queue to enter the fan park at the Place de la Concorde within the inner cloister of Paris.
Alongside the spattering of South Africans and the heavy contingent of Irish, Portuguese and Georgian rugby supporters had streamed in to watch their two nations play each other in the early kick-off Rugby World Cup match.
The Test was scheduled to start at 2pm. The gates of the purpose-built fan park were scheduled to open at 2pm.
It resulted in fans standing on barriers and bollards outside the gates to watch and partake in their national anthems. In frustration they banged on the gates, a heated exchange occurring in tongues between those outside and the French custodians inside.
The fan parks in Paris – and we visited two while travelling with the SAB group – were rather underwhelming. Picturesque as the one was at the Concorde with the Luxor Obelisk standing tall and proud between the jumbotrons and the Eiffel Tower peeking out in the distance – it offered little comfort for its patrons, unless you arrived early.
The fan village in Saint Denis, placed at the foot of the basilica, was slightly better as it offered the quintessential French café experience. For the most part, however, Paris seemed rather uninterested in the World Cup.
There is not much evidence of the tournament in terms of advertising and marketing in the French capital, with billboards speckled every so often here and there. The merchandising is also below par.
Walking into a Decathlon within the Stade de France precinct required searching for Rugby World Cup items to purchase and upon finding them, they were mostly hidden away at the back end of the shop.
The store also only sold French and All Black jumpers. Outside of the official merchandising stores at the fan parks, branded RWC23 items were difficult to find.
Watching matches at our hotel was also not possible, as the limited channels available did not televise them. Indeed, while a rugby match was on, one channel was more interested in showing the Tour of Luxembourg with broadcasting rights no doubt to blame.
These are small quibbles, however, when compared to the atmosphere at the Stade de France created between Springbok and Irish fans. Although the beer taps ran dry by the start of the first half, the two nations – similar in many respects – created a cauldron that hummed with energy.
Banter between the two flowed freely and fiercely during the humdinger, with each small victory celebrated with a few choice words across the aisle. Afterwards, with Ireland winning 13-8, there were handshakes and congratulatory acknowledgements. A few Irish decreed that they looked forward to playing South Africa at the same stadium in the final at the end of October.
For a certainty, the fan experience in the south of the country – the rugby heartland of France – will offer more in terms of engagement and understanding of the tournament, but in Paris at least, the labour of making the game truly universal remains a long one.
*Morgan Bolton was at the Rugby World Cup for South Africa v Ireland courtesy of Castle Lager