Pubs and bars across London are set to reap a £1 million bonus this weekend as sports fans watch the semi-finals of the Rugby World Cup.

Thousands of England supporters are crossing the Channel to watch Jonny Wilkinson and his teammates take on France tomorrow at the Stade de France in Paris.

But tens of thousands more will pack the capital's pubs and bars to watch the game on television.

They will be joined by some of London's French population - estimated at more than 135,000 - to see who can make it to the final. It will be one of the most watched sporting events since last summer's football World Cup.

The largest London attendance for the England-France game will be at the O2 Arena where a giant screen has been erected. Up to 5,000 fans will be cheering on Brian Ashton's team. To get a free ticket text RUGBY to 60505.

Bish Rodbard, assistant manager of the Rugby Tavern in Twickenham, said: "We've been getting more and more people coming to watch matches as England have progressed through the competition and the hype has built up."

The top venue for French expats watching the semi-final is likely to be the 500-capacity Le Bouchon Bordelais in Clapham Junction. It was so busy for France's quarter-final victory over New Zealand that police were called to stop people spilling out into the road.

Then on Sunday, the semi-final between South Africa and Argentina will provide another boost for the city's publicans. There are more than 90,000 South Africans living in London - and bars, notably in Acton and Wandsworth, are expecting a bumper turnout from Springbok fans. London's two Bok Bars, in Covent Garden and Baker Street, are geared up for one their busiest nights of the year with extra staff laid on.

Meanwhile Argentina has gone rugby mad thanks to the exploits of the Pumas. A large proportion of the 4,000 Argentinians living here are set to watch the biggest game in their country's rugby history. El Gaucho, in South Kensington, is expecting to do brisk business.