In the midst of a heat wave, France hosts the Rugby World Cup. Refreshment breaks will therefore be put in place this weekend.
Refreshment breaks will be implemented during “all Rugby World Cup matches this weekend“, said Friday the body of world rugby, a few hours before the opening match and while an unprecedented episode of heat wave affects France. “Cooling breaks will occur in the middle of the two periods, during a normal interruption of play. The process will be managed by the referee“, has clarified World Rugbythe organizing body, in a press release.
A situation already seen
The opening match of the World Cup (September 8-October 28), Friday evening between France and New Zealand, will be played under a temperature close to 30 degrees, in Saint-Denis, near Paris, French capital where the 35 degrees were reached on Friday. Seven meetings of the Rugby World Cup in total are scheduled for this weekend, some in the early or mid-afternoon. Refreshment breaks had already been introduced by World rugby during previous Worlds, in particular during the 2019 edition in Japan.