Scores of followers miss England vs Argentina kick-off amid congestion chaos
Fans have been nonetheless queueing to enter the stadium some quarter-hour after kick-off, with some ticket holders even allowed entry regardless of stewards not recognising their seat allocation.
England supporters who arrived on the Stade Velodrome an hour earlier than kick-off have been nonetheless ready on the gates some quarter-hour into the match.
Tournament organisers have been criticised for related points on the opening match, France’s victory over New Zealand in Paris on Friday night time. There have been additionally points earlier than Ireland’s win over Romania in Bordeaux earlier on Saturday.
But in Marseille a big variety of followers missed virtually half of the primary interval because of the chaotic scenes on the stadium.
There was no consideration given to delaying kick-off regardless of the plain empty seats and crushes of ready ticket holders exterior the bottom.
The World Cup organising committee and World Rugby will come beneath hearth from these dissatisfied supporters of each groups.
Delaying kick-off by quarter-hour would probably have cleared the backlog of followers, and people who missed a sizeable chunk of the match may have affordable trigger to query whether or not any form of refund ought to be provided.
In a press release to handle the delays, World Rugby mentioned: “We are aware of delays experienced by fans entering Stade de Marseille for the Rugby World Cup 2023 Pool D match between England and Argentina this evening.
“While fans were able to take their seats, fan experience is paramount, and we are working with all stakeholders to establish the facts and implement measures to prevent such delays for the remaining Rugby World Cup 2023 matches at the venue.”