Meta

Bringing AR and VR to the France 2023 Rugby Tour

Takeaways

  • From July 21 to November 12, 2022, we’re taking part in the France 2023 Rugby Tour aboard an exhibition-train traveling through France to provide rugby fans a glimpse of the metaverse.
  • On the train, fans will enjoy a virtual reality experience by creating their personalized avatars, before joining the French national team to sing the Marseillaise together on a rugby pitch. 
  • In the Host Cities’ Rugby Villages, fans will find the first-ever augmented reality locker room, where they will be able to try on different supporters’ costumes using Instagram filters.

On July 21, our Meta Official Supplier teams boarded the France 2023 Rugby World Cup train at the Lille Flandres station, before setting off on its 100-day journey across France. The four-car exhibition-train gives people the opportunity to learn about the teams that have qualified for the France 2023 Rugby World Cup and the history of rugby.

For the duration of the tour, we are taking over the first car of the exhibition-train, as well as a space in each of the competition’s nine host cities, providing rugby fans with a glimpse of the metaverse through two immersive experiences.

A New Dimension for Your Passion With AR and VR

On the train, fans can enjoy a VR experience using a Meta Quest headset, where they will visit a rugby stadium, surrounded by avatars of the French team, for the singing of the Marseillaise — a moment of unity which is felt intensely by fans.

Before taking part in the experience, we are inviting fans to create their avatar on interactive terminals at the entrance of the train, choosing from a variety of character traits (hair, skin, eyes, etc.), as well as rugby accessories.

Alongside the stations, the France 2023 Rugby Tour will continue in town, with nine Rugby Villages set up in the nine host sites of the France 2023 Rugby World Cup. At each site we will welcome fans within an AR locker room, which is both physical and virtual, where they will find a variety of costumes using AR filters on Instagram.

The Rugby World Cup, an Open Window to the Metaverse

Sport’s extraordinary capacity to bring people together and form communities without boundaries resonates with our mission. This is why we are sponsoring the Rugby World Cup for the first time, enabling millions of fans to share their passion together on our apps and enjoy a thrilling experience thanks to the immersive power of new forms of technology.

Together with Rugby World Cup 2023, we are excited to create innovative, new social experiences that will transform the way people experience sports together. While the metaverse isn’t here yet, we’re excited by its potential to bring fans even closer to the action at the France 2023 Rugby Tour.

Find out more about the stages of the France 2023 Rugby Tour.