"Big” birthday parties are meant to be memorable. The production team behind the opening ceremony of this year’s Rugby World Cup, however, might be hoping their “party” proves to be the opposite: A cycling baker, the pursuit of a flying chef’s hat and the booing of French President Emmanuel Macron all marked the opening of this year’s tournament at Stade de France.
Who said turning 200 was easy?
Still, fans got the excitement they wanted with an unexpected win by the host nation, France, over favorite New Zealand — the first time the All Blacks have lost a pool game since the tournament started in 1987. It turns out you don’t need pageantry and politicians to please rugby fans. A 27-13 win seemed to suit the 80,000 in attendance just fine.