Rugby World Cup teams gather across France ahead of tournament’s start this week

PARIS (AP) — The team’s participating in the Rugby World Cup have arrived in villages, towns and cities across France and are finalizing their preparations for the tournament. France plays the opening match of the tournament against New Zealand at the Stade de France outside Paris on Friday. The event is being held in France for the second time and it marks the start of a big year of sports in France. The country will also host the Olympics and Paralympics in Paris in 2024. Organizers said 1.8 million tickets have been sold to date with 55% of them going to French fans who hope to see Les Tricolores win the World Cup for the first time.