The Centre National du Rugby (CNR), in other words the French national rugby centre, is located in Marcoussis, close to Paris. Following the French Rugby Federation’s decision to develop a modern and efficient tool to meet the needs of all French Rugby participants; players, managers, executives, arbitrators and educators, Marcoussis was selected from 28 sites to accommodate the CNR.
In this regard, The CNR is also the permanent training facility for the French National team.
The venue features:
– One covered 80 m x 50 m synthetic turf field.
– 1 main pitch illuminated with a running track and a 1,000-seat grandstand,
-Three outdoor training fields, one of them with artificial grass designed specifically for Rugby.
-Specialized areas: 1 medical centre, locker rooms, a large-size gym, relaxation rooms, storage space for sports equipment
Increasingly popular and probably one of the most spectacular sports in the world, rugby needs specific play conditions, tailor-made playing surfaces. This is why, as a result of innovative science-driven research, synthetic turf surfaces able to answer to every requirement of the rugby game were developed and launched in 2011. This same year, the synthetic turf installations outlined above were installed at the CNR of Marcoussis, putting into practice this technology at the highest level of French rugby.
These synthetic turf pitches in Marcoussis feature the patented Optimum RGF 65 system, which is an IRB (The International Rugby Board) preferred turf, leading the IRB certified pitches worldwide, and is breaking the “tradition” barrier to help the sport expand to new heights.
Indeed, top-level French players can therefore practice safely and with the highest level of performance they need throughout the year. This high-end system combines the Optimum exclusive fibre (a soft and a strong monofilament fibre with extraordinary durability and longevity), a 2-layer infill, finger-coated backing and sewn seams. The 2-layer infill has a bottom layer composed of silica sand, and a top layer of cryogenic rubber and PureFill cork.
This combination creates a turf with ideal shock absorption in addition to high performance playability which is perfectly adapted to rugby, giving the French national team the best long term solution for their players at training.