The football stadium in Rennes, France, is called Roazhon Park. The Rennes soccer team considers this stadium, which opened in 1912 and has a seating capacity of 29,778 people, to be their home field.
History & Description of Roazhon Park
The match between Rennes and Racing Club de France (0-4) served as the formal opening for Roazhon Park, also known as Stade de la Route de Lorient, on October 15, 1912. After their old location on the south bank of the river Vilaine frequently flooded, Stade Rennais relocated to the new field.
Few alterations were made throughout the following two decades up to the stadium’s comprehensive renovation in the late 1930s. Stade de la Route de Lorient received a subsequent round of renovations in the 1950s following the war, resulting in a capacity of little under 30,000.
Few alterations were made to the stadium during that time due to the team’s falling performance starting in the mid-1970s and the consequent decline in attendance, however, the club continued to make plans to replace the stadium with a contemporary 30,000-arena.
Rennes ultimately began carrying out these plans in 1987 with the construction of a new stand that was modeled after Munich’s Olympiastadion, but the project was shelved after one stand when the team was demoted to the second division. After Rennes’ fortunes turned around in the middle of the 1990s, the club once more proposed plans for a total renovation of the stadium, and after the municipal council approved the €37 million project, construction started in 1999.
All stands were either rebuilt or updated throughout a five-year period. On August 18, 2004, a friendly match between the national teams of France and Bosnia served as the stadium’s formal reopening. Roazhon Park became the new name of the stadium in 2015 as a result of a naming rights sponsorship agreement. At the same time, the stadium had a minor renovation, including a switch from green and blue to red seat colors.
From the parc des sports to Roazhon Park
The old Parc des Sports, which opened on October 13, 1912, has undergone a significant transformation. The Stade de la Route de Lorient stadium underwent multiple additions in the 1950s and 1980s before a 2004 refurbishment which increased its capacity to around 30,000. The stadium, which changed its name to “Roazhon Park” in 2015, actually contains precisely 29,778 seats, all of which are decorated in the club’s recognizable colors. In addition, this English-style stadium with a distinctive Breton moniker has excellent acoustics, which is obvious in this “city of rock.”
On game days, when the city combines with its team, its stadium, and its supporters on the banks of La Vilaine, an entire neighborhood comes alive. The Brittany anthem (Bro gozh ma zadoù), which is played before every game, fills the stadium and gives team supporters chills.
At the 35th minute, Roazhon Park bursts out a thunderous roar in honor of the département’s number, following in the footsteps of some of Europe’s largest stadiums, most notably Camp Nou, with fans being urged to create as much noise as they can. It’s a must-do activity on any weekend in Rennes!
The show goes on in the stands
Stade Rennais constantly competes at the highest level and is one of the top 10 French football clubs. The Championnat de France des Tribunes, a competition held by the LFP (France’s professional football league) to recognize the finest fans, places Rennes among the top three teams in terms of atmosphere, fan devotion, and pre-and post-match entertainment.
The wife of the club’s owner, François-Henri Pinault, Salma Hayek, is another devoted supporter of Stade Rennais. Like the other supporters of the team, the actress frequently watches the events on the field with interest! When Rennes plays at home on weekends, the devotion to the team is obvious.
As part of a long-standing custom, a ritual that encourages people to join together to enjoy a sporting event, families and friends watch games together. When Rennes plays home to clubs at the top of the standings or during Breton derbies against its neighbors Nantes, the atmosphere is usually very fierce.
Erminig the white ermine
The official mascot of the Stade Rennais proudly wears the Brittany flag on the field! The region’s emblem, erminig, which is Breton for “ermine,” is prominently featured on the Breton flag (the Gwen Ha Du), which is proudly flown at every stadium, festival, and performance.
In Rennes, Breton pride is a reality, and the team’s mascot, wearing his number 35 shirt, makes an effort to represent it on the field. No one frightens this ermine, not even French judoka Teddy Riner or the mascots of opposing teams! On Erminig’s official Twitter profile, you can keep up with the activities of the most bizarre mascot in the French Premier League.
“Galette-saucisse jet’aime”: the fans’ anthem
Numerous galette-saucisse stands that line the stadium on weekends also contribute to the ambiance at Roazhon Park. This Rennes specialty’s history is tightly entwined with the stadiums. The galette-saucisse has been a crucial component of the Rennes match experience ever since the club was formed in 1901.
Benjamin Keltz, the author of a book on the issue and on the supporters of the Stade Rennais, claims that it is “the symbol of a festive Sunday.” It’s enjoyed in advance of the game, throughout the game, during halftime, and so on. In Rennes, we take tremendous pleasure in both the Stade Rennais and our galette-saucisse.
On a trip to Marseille, fans wrote a song in homage to the galette-saucisse, and it ended up being the official anthem of the Roazhon Celtic Kop official supporters’ group and being used by the entire stadium! Even Jacky Sourget, the stadium announcer for more than 20 years, covered it in a popular music video. Don’t forget to study the lyrics before going to Roazhon Park because the song makes fun of Rennes’s main opponents.
How to get to Roazhon Park
The Rennes city center is about 2.5 kilometers and the major train station is around 3.5 kilometers away from Roazhon Park, which is situated on the western outskirts of the city. The city’s ring road is practically next to the stadium. Take exit 10 Port de Lorient from the ring road’s western side, then turn toward the city. Right by the road is where the stadium is located.
The stadium is connected to the city center (Place de la République) and the major train station by bus number 11. Catch a bus headed towards Z.I. Ouest and get off at the Stade Rennais stop. Typically, buses operate at least once every 15 minutes. About ten minutes from Repblique and a few minutes from the station (Gares) are required for the journey. Roazhon Park is connected to the city’s northern regions by bus route 30.
Stade Rennais Tickets
Online, via the Fanshop (Boutique Officielle) in Roazhon Park, or through the Francenet and Ticketnet sales outlets are all options for purchasing tickets for Stade Rennais games. On the day of the game, starting 1.5 hours before to kickoff, tickets may also be purchased at the stadium’s ticket booths. Rennes only regularly sells out important games.
Ticket costs vary according to the opponent. They normally cost between €9.00 for a lower-tier ticket behind the goal and €38.00 for a center seat in the main stand for a regular game. Prices are raised to between €13.00 and €58.00 for high-profile matches.
Conclusion
Both the men’s and women’s national teams of French football played at Roazhon Park. The venue hosted the semi-finals of the Top 14 rugby union competition on June 19–20, 2016. Likewise, it has been picked as the location for six games of the 2019 World Cup for Women by FIFA.
