As part of the preparation for the upcoming Rugby World Cup, Scotland has arrived in Nice. A base camp that is quite different from Scottish weather.
The Scottish team, which will challenge the French on Saturday in Saint-Étienne, arrived in France the day before yesterday. It is at the stade des Arboras, freshly renovated, that Gregor Townsend’s men will spend a large part of their time during the World Cup, with the objective of fine-tuning the team’s preparation. “We were already fortunate to come in June for a 10-day training camp. The facilities are superb, with the main field, the perfect gym, and this new synthetic field, which is also a great tool for the players. By coming to Nice in June and August, we create the training and preparation conditions we will have during the World Cup. It’s really perfect,” enthuses head coach Gregor Townsend.
Limiting Travel
A logical choice as well because Scotland will play twice in the pool phase in the region: “we will return to Nice from September 3, a week before our match against South Africa in Marseille,” explains the head coach. The team will then also face Tonga at the Allianz Riviera Stadium on September 24th. For Pieter De Villiers, the most French of the Scots: “the training conditions here are ideal, we have everything on-site. This is what we came for, along with the heat, because it will be the end of summer in France during the first part of the World Cup, and it was important for our players to prepare for it.” An important factor to take into account as the heat could impact the first weeks of the competition.
As a reminder, the Rugby World Cup will take place from September 8 to October 28. Four matches will be held in Nice, and numerous events will be organized.
