France: Rugby World Cup to continue nationwide, Oct. 27-28 /update 3

France will continue to host the Rugby World Cup Oct. 27-28. Authorities are running an extensive and visible security operation to safeguard the event. Public interest in the competition is high, and matches will likely continue to be screened in public places, including hotels, throughout the country. The tournament's third-place play-off and final matches matches will be played:

• Oct. 27: Argentina vs England, at the Stade de France, Paris-Saint Denis, starting 21:00

• Oct. 28: New Zealand vs South Africa, at the Stade de France, Paris-Saint Denis, starting 21:00.

Authorities will deploy further enhanced security measures during the final matches of the tournament.

As of Oct. 25, the matches and associated events have passed off peacefully. However, the terrorist threat level was raised in France to "Attack Emergency", Oct. 13, following the killing of a teacher in Arras. French officials also responded to pro-Palestinian demonstrations and a number of bomb threats at schools nationwide and at cultural centers, including the Louvre Museum and Chateau of Versailles, in recent days. National security levels are likely to remain elevated in coming days.

Security forces have been preparing for the event for months, and there will be a significant and visible security deployment at transport hubs, match venues, and city centers nationwide. Increased scrutiny could prompt processing delays at airports and border crossings. Additional security measures around World Cup matches, including security cordons and traffic restrictions, as well as the increased numbers of travelers, will likely prompt travel disruption in host cities.

Terrorism
France faces an underlying threat from terrorism following large-scale attacks in 2015-2016. However, the country's capable security forces mitigate the risk of any terrorist activities.