Scotland’s Rugby Union side will be based in Nice for the entirety of their Rugby World Cup campaign, which gets underway against South Africa in Marseille on Sunday.

Scotland will train at the Arboras complex near the Allianz Riviera in Saint-Isidore for the duration of the campaign.

“We already managed to come in June for a 10-day camp. The installations are superb, with a main pitch, the perfect gym and the new synthetic pitch being a useful tool for our players,” says Coach Gregory Townsend. “By coming to Nice in June and August, we have created on each occasion the training and preparatory conditions that we’ll have during the World Cup. It’s really perfect!”

The team arrived on Monday, posing on the iconic blue chairs that line the Promenade des Anglais to inaugurate what they hope to be a successful tournament.

For Scotland, it will all kick off this coming Sunday in Marseille, when the team comes up against one of the favourites for the competition, and reigning champions, South Africa.

Four group-stage matches in Nice

A fortnight later, on Sunday 24th September, the Scottish side will make the short journey up the road to face Tonga at the Allianz Riviera, before subsequent matches against Romania in Lille and then against statistical favourites Ireland in Paris.

Whilst Scotland feature just once in Nice, the Allianz Riviera will host three more group-stage matches. The first will see Wales face Portugal on Saturday 16th September (5.45om). On Sunday 17th September, England will face Japan (9pm). Italy will face Uruguay on Wednesday 20th September (5.45pm) before Scotland’s match against Tonga, the final match to take place on the Riviera.

South Africa based in the Var

Meanwhile, South Africa will be based in La Seyne-sur-Mer, just down the coast in the Var region, for the duration of the tournament. The coastal town is just a short drive from Marseille, where the Springboks will contest two of their group-stage matches (against Scotland and then Tonga on Sunday 1st October).

Coach Jacques Nienaber believes their opener against Scotland will be “the most important of the tournament”.

“We are in a difficult group, that’s why the match against Scotland is so important,” concluded the South African.

Make sure you’re never left out of the conversation.

Sign up for the Monaco Life newsletter, and follow us on Facebook,  Twitter,  Instagram and LinkedIn. 

Photo credit: Christophe Souques