Rugby fans from Wales take over Bristol airport with Welsh hymns

A group of easyJet passengers burst into song as they waited to board their flight to Bordeaux at Bristol Airport.

The rugby favourites Bread of Heaven and Calon Lan got fans in the mood for the opening weekend of the Rugby World Cup 2023.

The tournament gets underway in Paris tonight as hosts France take on New Zealand, and the fans at Bristol were heading to Bordeaux for Wales' game against Fiji on Sunday evening (8pm UK time).

Head coach Warren Gatland told a press conference on Friday that the run up to the tournament had been "fantastic".

He added: "I think there’s a great atmosphere in the group.

"There’s times to have a laugh and a joke, which makes the atmosphere a little more special. Having that preparation time makes putting the Six Nations behind us easier.

"I get nervous myself. I think nerves are always a positive.

"When you’re nervous about the game or what might happen, it focuses the mind. There’s nothing wrong with that. I see it as a real positive."

Fans are also finding other ways to get to France, Eurostar has recorded a near 30% increase in bookings for travel from London St Pancras to France during the Rugby World Cup compared with the same period last year.

The cross-Channel train operator said it expected up to 600,000 people to use its services from London St Pancras to Paris or Lille during the seven-week tournament, which begins on Friday.

It has added about 50 additional services in response to the spike in demand, with the number of daily trains reaching up to 17 to Paris and seven to Lille.

More than 50,000 specially-designed desserts in the shape of rugby balls will be served to passengers with standard premier and business premier tickets on the London-Paris route.

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