Parc des Princes
Paris, Île-de-France, France
Parc des Princes, Paris, France — opened 1897 as a velodrome; rebuilt twice since (1932 and 1972); rugby league use spans all three eras, 1946-1986, 24 rugby league games hosted, home of Not a rugby league club's home ground — used for occasional major fixtures, France internationals and representative games, including French club/representative sides RC Paris, Catalan XIII, Paris and Ile de France.
Ground facts
| Opened | 1897 as a velodrome; rebuilt twice since (1932 and 1972); rugby league use spans all three eras, 1946-1986 (A direct WebFetch check of this site's own primary match-record source recovered the venue's complete 24-match rugby league history, resolving an initial research pass that had found only 2 of the 24 recorded matches.) |
| Home club | Not a rugby league club's home ground — used for occasional major fixtures, France internationals and representative games, including French club/representative sides RC Paris, Catalan XIII, Paris and Ile de France |
| Games hosted (rugby league, on record) | 24 |
| Top recorded crowd | 30,368 (Rugby League — Final, 13 Nov 1954, 1954 Rugby League World Cup: Great Britain 16-12 France) |
| Test matches hosted | 2 |
| Years used | 1946–1986 |
| Location | Paris, Île-de-France |
Name history
- Parc des Princes — same name throughout, though rebuilt in three distinct structures: 1897-1932, 1932-1967, and 1972-present
Rugby league history
Hosted 24 rugby league matches across four decades (1946-1986), overwhelmingly France internationals and European representative fixtures against England, Great Britain, Australia, New Zealand and touring sides, plus one Rugby League World Cup Final (1954) and one World Cup opening match (1972, the first at the rebuilt current stadium). Attendances ranged widely, from over 30,000 for the 1954 final down to just 800 for the final recorded fixture, a 1986 Kangaroos tour match against a French Presidents' XIII.
Primarily football (current home of Paris Saint-Germain FC) and historically rugby union (French internationals and finals); originally built as a cycling velodrome.
Historic Test matches, Cup & Grand Finals hosted
- 13 Nov 1954 — France 12-16 Great Britain, 1954 Rugby League World Cup Final, attendance 30,368, this venue's largest recorded rugby league crowd and the first-ever Rugby League World Cup final
- 1 Nov 1972 — Australia 9-5 New Zealand, 1972 Rugby League World Cup opening match, played at the newly rebuilt third Parc des Princes
Pre-dates the site's structured match-by-match records for these competitions, so listed here as sourced facts rather than linked match pages.
Notable games played here
| Date | Competition | Result |
|---|---|---|
| World Cup Table, 1 Nov 1972 | 1972 Rugby League World Cup | Australia 9-5 New Zealand |
| World Cup Table, 30 Oct 1954 | 1954 Rugby League World Cup | France 22-13 New Zealand |
| Final, 13 Nov 1954 | 1954 Rugby League World Cup | Great Britain 16-12 France |
Only matches we have full, sourced records for are listed here — other historic games mentioned above may not have a dedicated match page built yet (World Cup coverage in particular is still expanding tournament by tournament).
Sources
Data last verified: 11 August 2026.
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