Le rugby

Colombes stadium in 1937.

Rugby is played on a grass field, sand and clay are permitted, provided they are not dangerous. It is called the field of play, the playing field, the rugby field or the pitch. The field must not be no more than 100 metres long and 70 metres wide. Open goalposts (minimal height 3.4 metres) without net like in soccer are placed at each end of the playing area, they must be 5.6 metres apart with a transverse crossbar between them that is three metres from the ground. As a safety precaution, the goalposts are covered with padding to avoid players suffering serious injury if they crash into them. Soccer and rugby can be played on the same field of grassy lawn, provided lines are redrawn and goals dismounted.

International rugby tournaments and finals of the French Rugby Union teams were often played in Colombes, before the Parc des Princes (formerly Stade vélodrome in posh southwest 16th district of Paris) was redesigned in 1972. Events needing a very large spectator capacity like the Rugby World cup are held nowadays in the Stade de France in Saint-Denis a town in the outskirts north of Paris.

Le stage de Colombes en 1937.

Avant le Parc des Princes, puis le Stade de France, Colombes a longtemps accueilli les matchs des équipes de France de rugby et de football.