Le XV de la gastronomie: chefs at the service of the Rugby World Cup 2023

Pauline Masotta | 9/8/23

For this latest edition of the Rugby World Cup, nothing has been left to chance. Not even the menus to be served in the dressing rooms and lounges, designed by the XV de la Gastronomie.

The event kicked off at 9:15pm on Friday, September 8, 2023. And it's France who opens the ball, in the Parisian capital. As much as the fans are looking forward to the Rugby World Cup, so are the 23 renowned chefs invited to offer their culinary excellence to the Rugby World Cup 2023. The XV de la Gastronomie team includes Alain Ducasse, Michel Sarran, François Piège, Guillaume Gomez, Christelle Brua, Stéphanie Le Quellec and captain Yves Camdeborde. More than ever, the link between gastronomy and rugby will be forged, to showcase traditional French recipes.

The chefs who make up the XV de la Gastronomie

A total of 23 chefs have agreed to take up this culinary and sporting challenge. Here are their names:

Pierre Augé
Christelle Brua
Frédéric Bau
Yves Camdeborde (captain)
Amandine Chaignot
Christian Constant
Christopher Coutanceau
Julien Duboué
Alain Ducasse
Alain Dutournier
Christian Etchebest
Charles Fontès
Alexandre Gauthier
Guillaume Gomez
Gilles Goujon
Stéphane Jégo
Stéphanie Le Quellec
Éric Ospital
Jean-François Piège
Franck Putelat
Michel Sarran
Guy Savoy
Mathieu Viannay

Focus on traditional dishes

This project, launched four years ago at the instigation of Claude Atcher, former general manager of the Rugby World Cup, aims to offer spectators, tourists and the French a culinary voyage to discover or rediscover the traditional recipes of each region. To meet this culinary challenge, a call for tenders was launched to surround the XV de la Gastronomie with the best caterers from each region of the stadiums where the various matches will take place."The conditions were to use seasonal produce sourced mainly from the respective region of each stadium," explained chef Yves Camdeborde in the columns of Le Point.

In order to offer everyone an experience worthy of the name, a farmers' market will be present at the Stade de France on Friday evening, enabling artisans to showcase their products. Spectators who don't have access to privileged seating will also be able to dine on the gourmet menu. At kick-off, spectators in boxes and lounges will discover an exceptional gastronomic menu. In all, 1,500 place settings will be set up, proof of a large-scale project that gives pride of place to gastronomy, an intrinsic part of French culture.