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Twickenham to host fan-friendly European finals next month with details also confirmed for next season's format
By Liam Heagney
Twickenham will host next month's Heineken Champions Cup and Challenge Cup finals, showpiece games that will potentially go ahead with 10,000 supporters watching each decider if licences are granted by the London Borough of Richmond-upon-Thames.
The Challenge Cup decider, which could be an all-English affair if Leicester and Bath win their respective semi-finals this weekend against Ulster and Montpellier, is scheduled for Friday, May 21, at 20:00 with the Champions Cup final going ahead on Saturday, May 22, at 16:45. Three French teams and Irish province Leinster are contesting this weekend's semi-finals.
Tickets for the finals will be on sale Friday, April 30, at 17:00, starting at £45, with details communicated on www.HeinekenChampionsCup.com.
"Fans are the lifeblood of European club tournaments and we are delighted to be able to welcome them back in a Covid-secure environment for this season’s finals," said EPCR chief executive officer Vincent Gaillard. "Twickenham has a storied history with club rugby’s greatest tournament and it will be a fitting venue to see silverware contested next month."
Bill Sweeney, the RFU CEO and EPCR board member, added: "We’re looking forward to seeing up to 10,000 fans back at Twickenham again for these EPCR finals and are delighted to be chosen to host the fixtures.
"This is an important opportunity for us to hold events as part of plans for the return of fans to stadia. We are working hard with EPCR and local authorities to put various measures in place to ensure the safety and well-being of all those attending each match."
Marseille was initially due to stage the finals, but restrictions put in place to limit the transmission of Covid-19 made it impractical to accommodate all ticket holders and the matches have been deferred to 2022 as a consequence. The finals will return to London in 2023 when they will be played at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
For the final Champions and Challenge Cup matches at Twickenham, EPCR has advised fans to adhere to government advice (locally and in their territory if not based in the United Kingdom) before making any travel arrangements.
Plans are also advanced for the 2021/22 season with confirmation that 24 clubs – including eight representatives from each of the Gallagher Premiership, Top 14 and Guinness PRO14 - will once again contest the Champions Cup.
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Latest Comments
I’m happy with the honesty. That attitude of the French is the first step to devaluing International rugby full stop, it needed to be called out and stopped like it has by World Rugby or you risk undermining the game further.
I think NZR isn’t happy he just didn’t keep his mouth shut, yes!
NZ would suffer revenue wise, but it is the only that would allow them to also treat it as development and use some youngsters. It would also cause more severe reaction from WR haven’t part of their program treated so poorly.
Go to commentsI think Finau has been thinking more about the grunt, or maybe he’s been told that they’ll be looking for grunt from their 6 this year, but it’s still really too early in the season to tell with him. The position is up in the air for sure lol but not in a good way. You can gaurentee yourself that Razor is looking and DP, Blackadder, Jacobsen and wondering how they would perform at 6.
It’s a shame Haig got injured for the Landers, and Akira left LOL. Grace hadn’t shown much and their mobile locks haven’t been given a chance their yet. Is Frizell returning this year or next at some point? Overall it may be the position he’s least worried about firming up this year, choosing his 7 and 8 and then 6 from whevers left.
Yep a lot left to prove from Sotutu, but nar I’d definitely be keeping him in the middle of the park and asking Sititi or another to do the flank side work of the 6. I’d prefer the running option of Sititi off the back of the scrum but they hardly ever utilize that these days.
So all we know is that Kirifi is the one performing and putting his hand up at the moment, all this is just talk about what has already been in our minds.
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