Montpellier – MHR – London Irish Supporters Club

MHR v London Irish
Sunday 22 January 2023, 2pm local (1pm UK)

Montpellier is a city in southern France near the Mediterranean Sea. One of the largest urban centres in the region of Occitania, Montpellier is the prefecture of the department of Hérault.

Montpellier Hérault Rugby was established in 1986 through the merger of two other rugby union clubs, the Stade Montpelliérain and MUC Rugby.

MHR were champions in the French Top 14 in 2022, and won the European Rugby Challenge Cup in 2016 and 2021.

Their nickname is Les Cistes (the rock rose) and the flower appears on the club’s badge.

GGL Stadium

MHR’s home ground is the GGL Stadium, situated in the south west of the city in the heart of the Ovalie district.

The stadium is very easily accessible:

Be careful, there are many lines in the center, and tram renovation works. The route of tramway lines 1, 3 and 4 is modified. A replacement bus shuttle will be set up between Léon Blum and Georges Frêche – Hôtel de Ville. Line 2 will run normally.

See the Transports of Montpellier (TAM) website for tram & bus routes and live timings.

From the motorway: A9 “La languedocienne”: exit 31 Montpellier-Ouest, straight ahead as far as the Stadium, just follow the signs.

Cash is not accepted in the refreshment area in the stadium. There are two alternatives for payment:

The best way to get the stadium is the TRAM line 2 (stop “Sabine” station). There is a bus shuttle to get the stadium from the Sabines stop, which operates from around two hours before the game, and continues until one hour after the final whistle. Outside these times the Line 17 bus is recommended.

You can pay with your VISA card.
You will be able to buy a 1€ payment card (called “e-thunes“) and credit it with the amount you want (stands inside the stadium). Please note that the remaining amount on the e-thunes card will not be refunded. You can have one card for several people.

Match Tickets

As yet there are no specific allocations for our travelling support at Montpellier, although we are still waiting for official confirmation.

You can book your tickets directly from the official ticket office. They are are now on sale.

In the absence of an official allocation, we suggest the following three areas, so that we can get some grouping of the visiting support:

€57 Tribune Eden Park Honneur
Categorie 1 Eden Park (approx. halfway line),
Rows 1 to 10, Seats 101 to 145
€29 Tribune Eden Park Laterale Droite
Categorie 3 Eden Park (approx. goal line)
Rows 1 to 5, Seats 197 to 214
€15 Tribune Twckenham Centrale
Categorie 4 Twickenham (behind the goal)
Rows 1 to 5, Seats 67 to 87

Some of these areas will have season ticket holders in them, but a bit of banter with the locals is what rugby is all about. Of course you are free to sit wherever you want – this is just our suggestion.

Getting to Montpellier

By air

Direct flights from Luton and Gatwick to Montpellier are operated by EasyJet. There are several transfer options to get to the city from the airport, including bus, tram or taxi.

The airport shuttle bus (line 620) costs 1,60 € (free for children under 5 years old) for a single journey. Tickets can be bought on board. An “Intermodal ticket” with city bus/tramway included costs 2.60 € (tramway free of charge only for children under 3 years).

Alternatively you could fly to Marseilles and hire a car (around 2h drive) or Toulouse (3h).

BY TRAIN

Getting to Montpellier by Train

Eurostar from St Pancras to Paris Gare du Nord (2h25), then take the metro or RER to Gare de Lyon (video guide) where you can catch the TGV direct to Montpellier (3h15). Be aware that there are two stations in Montpellier used by the TGV. Montpellier Saint-Roch is in the city centre, while Montpellier Sud de France is on the outskirts.

By car

Montpellier is a significant drive from the channel ports. Most routes involve tolls.

Eurotunnel 1,035km
Calais 1,032km
Le Harvre 916km
Caen 933km
Cherbourg 1,047km

Getting around Montpellier

The city is served by a network of buses and tramways. A range of tickets are available:

You can get a ticket for one journey (1,60 €), valid for one hour with free transfers throughout the network. Your ticket must be validated as soon as you get on the vehicle, and the last validation must be within the hour. The 10 journey ticket (10 €) is valid for ten such journeys. Or you could get a a 1-day pass (4,30 €) which is valid on the entire network for 24 hours from the first validation.

Another option is the family and group pass (6,50 €) which is valid on the entire network for 24 hours from the first validation for a group of maximum 5 people traveling together.

You can buy tickets:

At the tourism office
At the TaM agency
At nearly 130 participating stores and shops
At 120 machines (automatic distributors)

See the TaM (Montpellier Métropole Transports) website for more details, timetables and interactive maps.

What to do

There are plenty of things to keep you occupied and entertained in Montpellier. The tourist office website contains plenty of information about the city including things to see and do, accommodation, places to eat and much more.

The City Card looks like it could be a good choice for some. It is available for 24, 48 or 72 hours and includes public transport, free or reduced entry to museums and attractions, plus discounts at a number of places. See the tourist office website for more details.

Where to Stay

London Irish supporters have told us they will be staying at the following hotels:

Hôtel Best Western Plus Comédie Saint-Roch

6-8 Rue Jules Ferry
In the city centre, near the Saint-Roch station
Website – Facebook – Instagram

Hotel d’Aragon

10 Rue Baudin
Close to the Place de la Comédie
Website – Instagram

Hôtel Campanile Montpellier Centre SAINT-Roch

11 Rue Pagezy
In the Belaroïa centre, close to the Saint-Roch station
Website

Where to Eat and Drink

O’Carolans

5 Rue du Petit Scel
An Irish pub in the heart of the city. Be sure to take your LISC membership card with you to get a 1€ discount on various drinks (see your recent Exile Files for details).
Website – Facebook

The Shakespeare

12 Rue de la Petit Loge
English pub in the city centre, near La Place de la Comédie.
Offering special rates over the weekend to any travelling London Irish supporters.
Website – Facebook – Instagram