Yves du Manoir Stadium

Yves du Manoir 

Owned by the Hauts-de-Seine department, the Yves-du-Manoir stadium – which was the main venue for the Paris 1924 Games – is one of the most iconic stadiums in French sporting history. The stadium in Colombes, north-west of Paris, gets its name from French rugby player Yves du Manoir. Architect Louis Faure-Dujarric transformed an existing facility into a stadium that would serve as the main venue for the 1924 Olympic Games and the capital’s main stadium until the Parc des Princes was built in 1972. Designed to accommodate a range of sports, the Yves-du-Manoir stadium hosted a number of national and international competitions throughout the 20th century, including almost 250 fixtures across a range of disciplines such as athletics, rugby, football and boxing. In 1972, boxers Jean-Claude Bouttier and Carlos Monzón vied for the title of world middleweight champion in front of a crowd of 40,000 at the stadium. The stadium, which has been renovated regularly over the years, is due to undergo extensive upgrading works, benefitting people living in the Hauts-de-Seine department.

It will host the field hockey events during the Paris 2024 Games. After the Games, the French Hockey Federation will set up its headquarters in the stadium. The venue will house the federation’s national training centre (including two artificial hockey pitches for competitions and training) in one of the two new buildings, feature a permanent 1,000-seater stand, and provide premises for the federation, the Île- de-France Hockey League, the Hauts-de-Seine Hockey Committee and, eventually, a resident club. Additionally, four football pitches and three rugby pitches with floodlights, a second building for football and rugby, as well as a new athletics track will be built on the existing playing field.

Post 2024 Legacy

The Hauts-de-Seine department has launched a new project to renovate and upgrade the Yves-du-Manoir stadium, which involves building two new buildings as well as new sports facilities. Upon completion, the stadium will offer local residents, associations, schools and universities a wide range of sports facilities – suitable for football, rugby, athletics and field hockey – and house the French Hockey Federation’s headquarters and national training centre.