Why Macron doesn’t want to drop the (oval-shaped) ball

Not since Mandela pulled on a Springbok shirt has so much national pride rested on a rugby world cup, writes Jim White. Because Macron’s France is riven by division and dismay, and the wily president knows a successful tournament will fade the memories of rioting, yellow-jacket protests and racial tensions in the banlieues

Nerves? What nerves?: President Emmanuel Macron with French coach Fabien Galthie (second left) and captain Antoine Dupont (right) during training earlier this week (EPA)

On Friday, the 10th edition of the Rugby World Cup kicks off when the hosts France take on three-time champions New Zealand in Paris. And, even as the haka announces the collision of the third- and fourth-ranked teams in the world, no one can claim that this is a tournament lacking in ambition.

“The Rugby World Cup 2023 will be the biggest yet. Moreover, it can be a catalyst for positive change and play an important role in the advancement of modern society as a whole,” Bill Beaumont, the chairman of World Rugby, announced this week.

Which is some claim for a bunch of blokes chucking an egg around a field. Nevertheless, Beaumont has a point about the scale of the tournament: 600,000 fans are expected to travel to France for matches; 1.8million tickets have been sold; sizeable, modern stadiums from Nice in the south of the country to Lille in the north expect to be rammed for every match.