Stade Vélodrome
Marseille, Bouches-du-Rhône, France
Stade Vélodrome, Marseille, France — opened 13 Jun 1937 (football inaugural: Olympique Marseille 2-1 Torino); rugby league use began 16 Jan 1939, France v Australia, 26 rugby league games hosted, home of Not a permanent rugby league tenant; hosted France, France B and various regional representative sides (RC Marseille, Provence, South France) against touring Kangaroos and Kiwis sides and in European Championship/World Cup fixtures.
Sourcing caveat: The stadium's original 1937-era capacity, before the 1971 cycling-track reduction, is not confirmed.
Ground facts
| Opened | 13 Jun 1937 (football inaugural: Olympique Marseille 2-1 Torino); rugby league use began 16 Jan 1939, France v Australia (France's second-largest stadium, home of Olympique de Marseille (football); never a rugby league club's home ground, but used repeatedly as a prestige/neutral venue for France national-team and representative fixtures, including matches at three separate Rugby League World Cups (1954, 1972, 1975).) |
| Home club | Not a permanent rugby league tenant; hosted France, France B and various regional representative sides (RC Marseille, Provence, South France) against touring Kangaroos and Kiwis sides and in European Championship/World Cup fixtures |
| Games hosted (rugby league, on record) | 26 |
| Top recorded crowd | 32,000 |
| Capacity | 67,394 (current, football-era, post-2014 renovation); evolved considerably over time (roughly 55,000 from 1971, 48,000 from 1985, 60,031 for the 1998 football World Cup) |
| Test matches hosted | 5 |
| Years used | 1938–1985 |
| Location | Marseille, Bouches-du-Rhône |
Name history
- Stade Vélodrome — 1937-2016
- Orange Vélodrome — 2016-2026, naming rights sold to Orange
- CEPAC Vélodrome — from 2 Jul 2026, naming rights bought by BPCE Group/Caisse d'Épargne
Rugby league history
Rugby league's presence here spans nearly five decades (1939-1985), 26 matches in total, almost entirely France international and representative fixtures against touring Australian and New Zealand sides, plus European Championship matches against Wales and England. Attendances fell sharply over that span, from 30,000+ crowds in the late 1940s and 1950s to under 2,000 by the mid-1980s, reflecting rugby league's declining domestic profile in France over the period. The stadium remains one of France's most important sporting venues today, primarily for football and rugby union.
Primarily football (Olympique de Marseille, 1938/1998/2024 World Cup and Euro fixtures); also a major rugby union Test venue since the 2000s (2007 and 2023 Rugby World Cup matches) and historically a track-cycling venue (it opened with an actual velodrome track, hence the name).
Historic Test matches, Cup & Grand Finals hosted
- 7 Nov 1954 — Australia v New Zealand, 1954 Rugby League World Cup
- 14 Nov 1965 — France v New Zealand, attendance 30,431, this venue's largest recorded rugby league crowd
- 28 Oct 1972 — France v New Zealand, 1972 Rugby League World Cup, attendance 20,748
- 17 Oct 1975 — France v New Zealand, 1975 World Championship/World Cup
- 23 Nov 1985 — France v New Zealand, the last rugby league fixture recorded here, attendance 1,492
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, 17 Oct 1975 | 1975 Rugby League World Cup | France 12-12 New Zealand |
| World Cup Table, 28 Oct 1972 | 1972 Rugby League World Cup | France 20-9 New Zealand |
| World Cup Table, 7 Nov 1954 | 1954 Rugby League World Cup | Australia 34-15 New Zealand |
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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