Rugby World Cup 2023: All Blacks training session attracts thousands of fans in Bordeaux

Ten thousand fans flocked to Stade Chaban-Delmas to catch a glimpse of the All Blacks as the team set up camp in Bordeaux for their Rugby World Cup bye week.

More than 30,000 had applied to attend the event, but organisers had to turn many of them away after capping the session.

The All Blacks have set up home in the southwestern city for the next week before heading back to their World Cup base in Lyon for their next pool A clash, against Italy on September 30.

“The trouble with days like this is you get all these people turn up and the boys like to show off a bit so the intensity goes from where it should be to where it ends up,” All Blacks head coach Ian Foster joked.

“It’s fantastic. To come to a city we haven’t been to before, get off a train, prepare and have a crowd like this at a training is pretty special.

All Black Jordie Barrett takes photos with fans after a training session at Stade Jacques-Chaban-Delmas in Bordeaux, France. Photo / Getty Images

All Blacks first five-eighth Richie Mo’unga said there was work to do during the bye week.

“An awesome opportunity for us to get into the community and train in front of fans who are huge supporters of the All Blacks and rugby in general,” Mo’unga said. “This week’s labelled a bye week but we still want to be very purposeful at our trainings, have a lot of meaning to it so we leave Bordeaux being a better rugby team,” he said.

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