Sawt Falasteen - French Rugby World Cup authorities face questions over stadium access

With the Olympic Games in Paris less than a year away, World Cup organisers have faced questions over the access to the stadiums in Marseille and Bordeaux.

In May last year, the Champions League final between Liverpool and Real Madrid at the Stade de France in Paris was delayed by 37 minutes as fans struggled to get into the national stadium after police funnelled them into overcrowded bottlenecks.

Police then fired tear gas at thousands of mainly Liverpool supporters who had tickets but were locked out of the stadium and were desperate to get in.

On Saturday in Marseille, thousands of spectators missed the start to the Pool D clash between England and Argentina due to bottlenecks outside the stadium.

A source close to the organisers said the problem had arisen because a large number of supporters arrived shortly before the match at just one of the two designated entrances to the Stade Velodrome.

Former England rugby player Brian Moore labelled the scenes outside the stadium as "beyond shambolic".

Organisers acted quickly and World Rugby said on Sunday there would be more volunteers to welcome fans at the stadium, an increase in rugby-related announcements on public transport and greater information on how, when and where to access the Velodrome.

Yet the problems were not restricted to Marseille.

In Bordeaux, many Ireland fans missed the start of their team's crushing 82-8 win over Romania on Saturday due to problems with the public transport access to the stadium outside the city.

One tram filled with fans broke down and was blocked for 15 minutes.

Some passengers on another tram pulled the emergency stop lever "blocking the next two trams" as well and forcing the passengers to continue on foot to the stadium, according to the local TBM transport operator.

TBM insisted that its services had ensured "more than 20,000 travellers, that is 50 percent of the stadium capacity" had reached the ground.

It also said that it was "normal for the trams to be full for this type of event."

Meanwhile, French prosecutors have launched an investigation after an Irish fan said she was raped "by several perpetrators" in Bordeaux late on Saturday following the game.

The tournament's opening match between France and three-time World Cup champions New Zealand at the Stade de France on Friday was preceded by French President Emmanuel Macron being roundly booed as he gave a welcoming speech.

Another issue that has proved an embarrassment for organisers is the children's choirs singing national anthems before games.

Former Ireland great Brian O'Driscoll said several anthems -- including France's La Marseillaise and Italy's Fratelli d'Italia -- had been "butchered".

South Africa captain Siya Kolisi was more relaxed about it, saying his players had drowned it out by singing out of tune themselves.

E.Qaddoumi--SF-PST