Stade Marcel-Deflandre, Rugby stadium in La Rochelle, France.
Stade Marcel-Deflandre is a rugby ground in western La Rochelle whose covered grandstands enclose a grass pitch. The lower central seating is yellow, with black seats spelling "ROCHELLE" across it, and the striped black-and-yellow goalposts stand at the field's edge. Its four stands are named Charente-Maritime, Macif, Apivia and G. H. Jackson.
The stadium was built in 1926 and named after Marcel Deflandre, a former club president from the World War II era. Since its creation, it has developed into an established center for rugby in the region.
The stadium's end stand was long called Albertville because it housed spectators from the 1992 Winter Olympics there; it was demolished in 2010 and replaced by a tubular stand named after the Apivia mutuelle. In 2011 the La Rochelle crowd was voted best in the Top 14 at the Nuit du rugby. Since 2011 a 450 m² Bodega de supporters, with a 50 m² catering kitchen, has opened under the central stand.
The stadium is conveniently located within the city and accessible by public transportation. Check ahead before visiting to find out when matches are scheduled, as the venue is not open to the public on all days.
The Albertville stand, demolished around 2010, had previously seated spectators at the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville, and kept the Savoyard city's name at La Rochelle. Its replacement, financed by the club for 240,000 euros, raised capacity from 1,000 to 2,500 seats. The Port-Neuf stand completed in 2010 holds 5,152 seats, including 700 VIP places and 26 boxes.
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