Lyon is another city known for its football rather than its rugby. Olympique Lyonnais have been French champions for the last six years and have represented their country with distinction in the Champions League, but this year the Gerland Stadium will host three games and two of the favourites for the tournament, Australia and New Zealand.

Ireland’s group opponents Argentina and Georgia will also play at the venue.

The fans that follow those teams to Lyon will be treated to the very best in French cuisine. Lyon is the gastronomic capital of France and surrounded by Beaujolais vineyards that produce the perfect accompaniment for the fine food.

Lyon is located between the rivers Rhône and Saône and the Rhône-Alpes region is close second to the Ile-de-France region of Paris as the nation’s most prosperous.

It is also France’s second largest university city with 100,000 students and is regarded by many as birthplace of modern cinema thanks to brothers Auguste and Louis Lumière who screened their first film in Paris in December 1895.