The Stade Ernest-Wallon (French pronunciation: [stad ɛʁnɛst-walõ]; Occitan: Estadi Ernest-Wallon; lit. 'Ernest Wallon Stadium') is a multi-purpose stadium located in the Sept Deniers district of Toulouse, in southwestern France. Described as a "temple to the oval ball",[1] it is the home ground for the rugby union club Stade Toulousain and the rugby league club Toulouse Olympique.
 A Supersevens match at the stadium, looking towards the southeast | |
 | |
| Location | |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 43°37′19″N 1°24′58″E / 43.62194°N 1.41611°E |
| Owner | Stade Toulousain |
| Capacity | 19,500 |
| Field size | 120 m × 70 m (131.2 yd × 76.6 yd) |
| Construction | |
| Opened | 4 December 1983 |
| Expanded | 2003 |
| Tenants | |
| |
History
editWhen the land surrounding Stade Toulousian's home ground, the Stade des Ponts Jumeaux, was expropriated by the local government in order to build a motorway, they were compelled by law to offer the club land and funding to build identical facilities in exchange for the expropriation.[2] The club chose a parcel of land about a kilometre away in the Sept-Deniers district and began construction of a new stadium in 1978.[2] The Stade Ernest-Wallon was opened on 4 December 1983 with an international rugby union fixture; a first-division FIRA Trophy match which saw France's national team defeat Romania.[2][3]
Sports
editRugby union
editIn international rugby union competition, France's national men's team have not played at the stadium since their opening game in 1983, though the national women's team played against Ireland at the stadium in February 2018 during the team's eventual grand slam-winning Six Nations campaign.[4][5] The national men's teams of other nations have played at the stadium, however. During the 1991 Rugby World Cup held in France, the stadium hosted a single game; a pool 4 match that saw Gabriel Vlad make his international debut for Romania in a defeat against Canada.[6][7] End-of-year test matches in November 2017 between Japan and Tonga, and France and Japan, were originally planned to take place at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy in southeastern Lille.[8][9] A scheduling conflict then arose with the semi-finals and final of the 2017 Davis Cup tennis tournament, which were also planned to be held at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy, leading to a relocation of the Japan–Tonga match to the Stade Ernest-Wallon and the France–Japan match to the U Arena in Nanterre.[9] Japan recorded a victory of 33 points during the game, which is their biggest winning margin over Tonga in their history.[10][11]
Rugby sevens
editDuring the 2021–22 season of international rugby sevens competition, the Stade Ernest-Wallon became the new venue for the annual France Sevens and France Women's Sevens tournaments, taking over hosting duties from the Stade Jean-Bouin in Paris.[12][13][14] While the men's tournament is one of the later stages of the men's seven series, the women's tournament serves as the final leg of the women's series, and the champion of the series is crowned at the stadium.[14]
Rugby league
editIn international rugby league competition, France's national men's team have played three matches at the Stade Ernest-Wallon; two friendlies – a loss to Australia in November 2004, and a loss to England in June 2008 – and a Four Nations match in October 2009 which France lost to New Zealand.[15][16][17] The Perpignan rugby league club Catalans Dragons, who play in the British rugby league system, played a regular season Super League home game at the Stade Ernest-Wallon in June 2013 to an unprecedented crowd of 14,858 spectators, as part of an initiative to promote rugby league in France as a Super League expansion opportunity during the era of the licensing system.[18] The club, however, were fined £2,000 by the Rugby Football League for unsportsmanlike conduct of fans during the game.[19]
From 2020, following an agreement reached with the Stade Toulousain, owner of the facilities, the rugby league club Toulouse Olympique also plays its home matches there. On 12 February 2022, The Stadium played host to Toulouse Olympique's first ever game in Super League against Huddersfield Giants, the Giants winning 42–12 in front of a crowd of 5,238.[20]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Stade Toulousain; The Team in Red and Black". Toulouse. Tourist Office of Toulouse. 28 April 2022. Archived from the original on 31 October 2022. Retrieved 31 October 2022.
Ernest-Wallon; a temple to the oval ball [...] The home of the "Red and Blacks" is the Ernest-Wallon Stadium, in the Sept-Deniers quarter.
- ^ a b c Cazeneuve, Jean-Paul; Leclerc, Jerome (30 November 2004). Stade Toulousain. L'académie du rugby (in French). Éditions Universelles. pp. 74–75. ISBN 978-2905797070.
- ^ "France (19) 26 - 15 (9) Romania (FT)". ESPN UK. Archived from the original on 1 November 2022. Retrieved 1 November 2022.
FIRA CHAMPIONSHIP D1, Pool A - Toulouse, 4 December 1983 [...] Ground name; Stade Ernest Wallon, Toulouse
- ^ Walsh, Daire (5 February 2018). "Women's Six Nations: France capitalised on chances unlike us, admits Moloney". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 5 February 2018. Retrieved 31 October 2022.
The Ireland Women's side began their 2018 Six Nations Championship campaign with a heavy defeat to France at Toulouse's Stade Ernest Wallon on Saturday.
- ^ "French women demolish Ireland in stunning 24 point Six Nations victory". Irish Examiner. 3 February 2018. Archived from the original on 21 May 2022. Retrieved 31 October 2022.
France 24; Ireland 0 [...] A helter-skelter start at Stade Ernest Wallon saw openside Molloy gobble up a loose ball...
- ^ Cleaver, Dylan (14 August 2011). "1991: Campo's golden touch". The New Zealand Herald. Archived from the original on 31 October 2022. Retrieved 31 October 2022.
October 9, at Stade Ernest-Wallon, Toulouse: Canada 19 (Gordon McKinnon, Glen Ennis tries; Mark Wyatt con, 2 pen; Rees drop goal) Romania 11 (Adrian Lungu, Catalin Sasu tries; Nichitean pen).
- ^ "Canada (3) 19 - 11 (3) Romania (FT)". ESPN UK. Archived from the original on 31 October 2022. Retrieved 31 October 2022.
Ground name; Le Stade de Toulouse, Toulouse (neutral venue) [...] Romania Test debuts; G Vlad
- ^ "Tournée de novembre 2017 : Billetterie pour la Nouvelle-Zélande !" (in French). Fédération Française de Rugby. 24 August 2017. Archived from the original on 27 August 2017. Retrieved 1 November 2022.
Pour rappel, le programme de la tournée d'automne 2017 [...] France – Japon, samedi 25 novembre à 20h45 au Stade Pierre-Mauroy (Lille)
- ^ a b Kyodo News (4 October 2017). "Brave Blossoms to face Tonga in Toulouse". The Japan Times. Archived from the original on 5 October 2017. Retrieved 1 November 2022.
The Japan Rugby Football Union confirmed Wednesday that the Brave Blossoms will play Tonga on Nov. 18 at Stade Ernest Wallon in Toulouse, France. The union also confirmed the game the following week against France will now be played at the U Arena in Nanterre, on the outskirts of Paris. The Nov. 25 test against Les Bleus was originally slated for Lille, but the Stade Pierre-Mauroy is hosting tennis' Davis Cup final that weekend, forcing the change.
- ^ Kyodo News (19 November 2017). "Defensive-minded Japan blows away Tonga". The Japan Times. Archived from the original on 29 January 2018. Retrieved 1 November 2022.
Japan displayed some scintillating 15-man rugby and a well-organized, robust defense in a 39-6 victory at Stade Ernest Wallon. [...] Kenki Fukuoka closed the scoring with a try in the 74th minute as he used his pace to beat the Tongan cover defense as Japan recorded its largest margin of victory over Tonga.
- ^ "Tier 2 wrap: Romania stun Samoa, Japan smash Tonga". Rugby World. 19 November 2017. Archived from the original on 1 November 2022. Retrieved 1 November 2022.
Japan earned a stylish 39-6 win over Tonga in November Test action at Stade Ernest-Wallon in Toulouse on Saturday.
- ^ "Résultats, infos, vidéos... Revivez les temps forts du début des Sevens Series de Toulouse". Actu Rugby (in French). 20 May 2022. Archived from the original on 31 October 2022. Retrieved 31 October 2022.
C'est la première fois que la Ville rose accueille une étape du circuit mondial, assurant ainsi la relève de Paris et son stade Jean-Bouin.
- ^ Galinier, Simon (22 March 2022). "Rugby à 7. Les étapes estivales de l'In Extenso Supersevens 2022-2023 sont connues, les voici". Actu Rugby (in French). Archived from the original on 31 October 2022. Retrieved 31 October 2022.
Rappelons aussi que les amoureux de rugby à 7 ont rendez-vous à Toulouse, les 20, 21 et 22 mai 2022, pour le World Rugby Sevens Series, un évènement mondial qui débarque pour la première fois au stade Ernest-Wallon, après avoir été accueilli au stade Jean-Bouin à Paris.
- ^ a b "Rugby à 7 : Toulouse accueillera pour la première fois un tournoi Sevens Series". Le Figaro (in French). 12 October 2021. Archived from the original on 31 October 2022. Retrieved 31 October 2022.
... avant que les équipes masculines et féminines ne se rendent, non pas au stade Jean-Bouin à Paris mais, pour la première fois, à Toulouse. Une étape organisée du 20 au 22 mai au stade Ernest Wallon, où seront couronnés les champions des Séries féminines.
- ^ Australian Associated Press (22 November 2004). "Australia lucky to beat France". The Age. Archived from the original on 31 October 2022. Retrieved 31 October 2022.
Lockyer, making his return after a four-week absence, played 53 minutes as Australia won 52-30 at Stade Ernest Wallon.
- ^ "Leon Pryce thwarts meagre French resistance to install belief". The Times. 28 June 2008. Archived from the original on 31 October 2022. Retrieved 31 October 2022.
France 8 England 56 [...] It would be wrong to read too much into last night's ten-try romp at Stade Ernest Wallon in terms of a World Cup that is four months away...
- ^ Agence France-Presse (1 November 2009). "Perrett treble sinks France". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 20 December 2018. Retrieved 31 October 2022.
NEW ZEALAND 62 [...] bt FRANCE 12 [...] at Stade Ernest Wallon.
- ^ Wilson, Andy (25 June 2013). "Super League set of six: Castleford kicked off a long weekend of classics". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 28 February 2014. Retrieved 1 November 2022.
Hull KR had an equally thrilling, and unpredictable, triumph against Catalan Dragons in Toulouse, and the impressive 14,858 gate at the Stade Ernest Wallon boosted the aggregate attendance to 62,268 [...] It would also seem to have strengthened the case for Toulouse as the base for a second French Super League club under the revised structure that will be introduced from 2015.
- ^ "Catalans fined for failing to control fans". Total Rugby League. 6 December 2013. Archived from the original on 27 September 2020. Retrieved 1 November 2022.
Catalan Dragons have been fined £2,000 by an RFL Operational Rules Tribunal after their supporters verbally abused and intimidated match officials in a Super League fixture against Hull Kingston Rovers in Toulouse on June 22, 2013.
- ^ "Super League 2022: Toulouse Olympique slain 42-14 by Huddersfield Giants on Super League bow".
External links
edit- Stade Ernest-Wallon at Stade Toulousain (in French)