Introduction - From September 7 to October 21, 2007, the Rugby World Cup took place in mainland France. The French Institute for Public Health Surveillance was tasked with coordinating a specialized public health surveillance system in partnership with local stakeholders. The objectives of this system were to detect any epidemic or unusual phenomenon early on, in order to rapidly implement investigative measures and assist in the implementation of corrective measures. Method - The health surveillance system relied on the reinforcement, activation, or establishment of specific or general surveillance systems. Analysis of the collected indicators was conducted by the relevant interregional epidemiology units. Regular feedback was provided at the regional and national levels. Results - The health impact of the 2007 Rugby World Cup was very limited. The activity levels of hospital emergency departments and private emergency physicians remained consistent with the usual patterns observed at this time of year. The various enhanced or newly implemented systems during this period did not detect any major public health events. Conclusion - The system benefited from the cooperation of all involved partners, who shared the information they had regularly and without any particular difficulty. At both the regional and national levels, this system was considered to be appropriately "scaled" and helped strengthen local partnerships and even create new ones. (R.A.)