World Rugby insist they are working to ‘establish the facts’ after chaotic scenes saw England and Argentina fans stuck outside Stade de Marseille prior to kick off.
Many supporters missed the start of the Red Rose’s impressive 27-10 win over the Pumas due to the issues.
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One fan explained on social media: “It was an abject disaster.
“No signage. No people to direct – 67,000 people funnelled through a single staircase. Elbows everywhere. And then when you get inside, the sections are poorly labelled. We found ours by accident.”
And rugby union’s governing body have been quick to begin an investigation.
“We are aware of delays experienced by fans entering Stade de Marseille for the Rugby World Cup 2023 Pool D match between England and Argentina this evening,” World Rugby said.
“While fans were able to take their seats, fan experience is paramount, and we are working with all stakeholders to establish the facts and implement measures to prevent such delays for the remaining Rugby World Cup 2023 matches at the venue.”
The incident comes with France under scrutiny for their hosting of big sporting events.
The tournament comes just over a year after Liverpool fans were involved in chaos outside the Stade de France ahead of the 2022 Champions League final.
Initially supporters were blamed for the incident but UEFA, and French bodies eventually admitted fault, leading to public apologies after a report’s findings.
“The panel has concluded that Uefa, as event owner, bears primary responsibility for failures which almost led to disaster,” said the report.
“All the stakeholders interviewed by the panel have agreed that this situation was a near-miss: a term used when an event almost turns into a mass fatality catastrophe.”
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