Tottenham Hotspur Stadium to host next season's European rugby finals
Exclusive: Having had to give up its hosting of Heineken Champions Cup final in 2021 and 2023, EPCR awards both to Spurs in 2024
By Gavin Mairs, Chief Rugby Union Correspondent 24 April 2023 ? 6:44pm
The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is to host next season?s European rugby finals, Telegraph Sport can disclose.
It is understood that the London stadium, which has a capacity of 62,850, has been selected by tournament organisers EPCR to host both the Heineken Champions and Challenge Cup finals on the weekend of May 24/25 next year.
Spurs? state-of-the-art venue had been due to host this season?s finals but they had to be switched to Dublin?s Aviva Stadium because of complications caused by the Premier League finishing later because of last year?s football World Cup and the impact of the rugby fixture schedule because of the Rugby World Cup in France later this year.
The multi-purpose stadium, which opened in 2019, has already hosted major rugby fixtures, including two of Saracens? Premiership fixtures and a Barbarians game against the All Blacks.
The destination will give Premiership clubs extra incentive to reach the final. It will be the first time London has staged the European showpiece in front of a capacity crowd since Toulon defeated Clermont Auvergne in 2015 at Twickenham.
It is hoped staging the finals in one of the best football stadiums in Europe will be a key part in resetting the tournament.
Telegraph Sport disclosed in January that the tournament was facing a major overhaul following widespread criticism from players, coaches and supporters that the current format, involving two 12-team conferences and just four pool-stage games, was too complicated and has risked undermining the status of the competition.
It is understood that among the options being considered is a return to the format that featured in the competition until 2014 ? when EPCR took charge from the now-defunct European Rugby Cup ? which could see a return to a qualifying stage of six pools of four clubs.
The Spurs ground had originally been chosen to host the 2021 finals, with the 2020 finals to be played in Marseille before the onset of the pandemic disrupted both finals.
The 2020 final was instead held behind closed doors at Bristol?s Ashton Gate, when Exeter Chiefs defeated Racing 92, with the 2021 final between Toulouse and La Rochelle played at Twickenham in front of a Covid-restricted 10,000 capacity, pushing the original plans back to 2022 and 2023.
EPCR recently announced the bidding process for the 2025 and 2026 finals, with cities from outside the existing nations participating in the competition expected to bid. EPCR previously took the 2018 Champions Cup final to Bilbao in Spain.
Topic: 2024 Euro Finals (Read 1098 times)
Always a Wasp