Supporters descending on Marseille for England and Scotland matches on the opening weekend of the Rugby World Cup are being warned they face fines up to €150 (£128) for “obvious public drunkenness” and up to €180 for noise pollution.
With the Stade Vélodrome hosting England’s opening World Cup match against Argentina on Saturday as well as Scotland’s first fixture against South Africa on Sunday, Marseille is braced for an influx of more 100,000 supporters across the weekend.
Supporters are being greeted with “reminders of French law and practical advice”, which includes potential fines for “obvious public drunkenness, consumption of narcotics (€150-450), and using the services of a prostitute (€1,500)”.
The advice goes on to state that throwing litter or urinating on public roads is punishable by a fine of €135 to €375 and that noise pollution can be met with a fine of €68 to €180. “The Rugby World Cup is a sporting and festive event,” reads the guidance. “Public peace must nevertheless be respected.”
England’s clash with Argentina kicks off at 9pm local time on Saturday while Scotland against South Africa is scheduled for 5.45pm on Sunday. Thousands of supporters have already arrived in Marseille, however, with the city’s Old Port a popular spot with tourists. In July it was announced that organisers had negotiated an exemption from the French law which prohibits the sale of alcohol in stadiums for the tournament.
Marseille has historically witnessed trouble involving England supporters when France has hosted major football tournaments, in 1998 and 2016. The England rugby team last played in Marseille in a major tournament in 2007 when their World Cup quarter-final win over Australia passed off without any significant trouble but a beefed-up police presence is expected over the weekend with the French authorities seeking to avoid a repeat of the chaotic scenes that occurred before the 2022 Champions League final between Liverpool and Real Madrid.
Marseille also has a reputation as one of France’s more dangerous cities with comparatively high levels of crime and the guidance urges supporters to be mindful of the threat of pickpockets. A France 2023 spokesperson told the Guardian: “Like all host cities, security is paramount and working with the local authorities, significant additional security will be present around the major transport hubs, the rugby villages, city centre and stadium to assist and support on match days to aid experience.”
England Rugby Travel, the RFU’s official travel agent, said that it was issuing supporters with safety advice for the trip to Marseille. A spokesperson told the Guardian: “England have played in Marseille before at Rugby World Cup 2007 and it’s a city with a great rugby heritage and history. We will provide advice to supporters on how best to enjoy their weekend in the city for the opening weekend of the tournament as we would for all major events and hope they have a wonderful time.”
