French Sports Minister Amélie Oudéa-Castéra, right, claimed the country has "revised our security policy" following last year's UEFA Champions League final ©Getty Images

French Sports Minister Amélie Oudéa-Castéra has claimed the country has learned lessons from the shambolic handling of last year's men's UEFA Champions League final at the Stade de France, and revealed plans to deploy up to 7,000 security personnel during the Rugby World Cup - a major event in the build up to next year's Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The men's Rugby World Cup is due to start on Friday (September 8) when the hosts play New Zealand at the Stade de France in Paris, and venues in eight other cities are set to be used for the tournament due to run until October 28.

Security is a key concern in the build-up to next year's Paris 2024 Olympics and Paralympics, and the Rugby World Cup presents France with another opportunity to host a major sporting event after the botched handling of the Champions League final.

Speaking in the week leading up to the start of the Rugby World Cup, Oudéa-Castéra - whose Ministerial portfolio also includes next year's Olympic and Paralympic Games - promised the French authorities had drawn the required lessons.

"We've done a tremendous amount of work to learn the lessons from what happened at the Stade de France," she said.

"We have revised our security policy, working on crime prevention."

The Minister revealed between 5,500 and 7,000 security personnel are set to be mobilised across France for the Rugby World Cup, with 600 agents recruited to allow for smoother passage from customs at French airports and extra staff in place at railway stations.

The French authorities were heavily criticised for their handling of last year's UEFA Champions League final at the Stade de France ©Getty Images
The French authorities were heavily criticised for their handling of last year's UEFA Champions League final at the Stade de France ©Getty Images

Paris stepped in to host European club football's biggest match between Liverpool and Real Madrid last year after Saint Petersburg was stripped of the fixture due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, but it was marred by disturbing images and videos of bottlenecks, crushes and the indiscriminate use of pepper spray on supporters.

Fans were also the victims of assaults and robberies outside the ground.

Oudéa-Castéra was heavily criticised following the match along with French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin and football's European governing body UEFA for a series of false claims attempting to shift the blame to Liverpool supporters, including baseless suggestions ticketless supporters were responsible.

A French Senate report last year described the events as a "warning shot" before the Rugby World Cup and Paris 2024, while a damning independent report commissioned by UEFA found "it is remarkable no one lost their life".

The Stade de France is due to host athletics, Para athletics, rugby sevens and the Opening and Closing Ceremonies at next year's Olympics and Paralympics.