Stade Chanzy

The stadium has changed shape over the decades. The 2018 renovation added a new western stand and expanded the northern terrace, bringing the covered seating to about 4,600 places. The total capacity sits at 8,000, though the covered section remains the heart of the venue. Soyaux Angoulême XV Charente play here regularly now, but the ground remembers a different era. AS Angoulême used it when they played in the first division, and the record attendance belongs to a Coupe de France semi-final against FC Nantes in 1979, when 14,128 people squeezed into the banks.

The surface is artificial, a green expanse that stays firm underfoot. It is not a perfect rectangle, the touchlines running parallel to the old rugby posts. The town does not have another stadium of this size, so when the weather turns, this is where the matches happen.