COVER N. 328 - FRANCE 

Postmark: Bicntenaire du Rugby à XV 1823-2023 1er Jour 69 Lyon 08.09.2023

Posted on the 8th September; received on the 2nd October 2023

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Hmmmm....a nice First Day Cover, with some information about a philatelic club inside but no sender....

I have a strong suspicion  though as to who the incognito sender was .... the postmark was added in the city where the Rhône meets the Saône..... hmmmm, I won't name him for fear of hitting the 0,5% probability that it wasn't him, but please accept mon très grand merci, 😀😀

I have already mentioned this stamp issue à propos cover 320, so I won't add much more. In fact, besides the notes regarding the stamp and postmark which I will pinch from that entry,  I'll just add the image of the cover, which further to the stamp and postmark includes a fitting cachet.

 

The 10th Rugby World Cup took place in France from the 8th September to the 28th October 23 and although the stamp on the cover makes no mention to it, I suppose La Poste issuing it cannot be dissociated from this fact, which, coincidentally, occurred in the same year that Rugby Union is celebrating its 200th anniversary, as generally recognised.

So, on the first day of the tournament 08SEP2023, La Poste issued the single 1,80€ stamp celebrating the 200 years of Rugby Union, in its most common version, which is played by teams of 15 players (there is also a seven players version), which can be seen on the cover, postmarked with the First day of issue mark, issued at the city of Lyon.