London will host the two highest-profile matches in the 2014/15 European club rugby calendar.
EPCR has today announced that the new European Rugby Champions Cup final will be hosted at the 82,000-capacity Twickenham Stadium on Saturday, May 2, with the Challenge Cup decider at the Twickenham Stoop the previous evening.
The Rugby Football Union was awarded the inaugural finals by the EPCR Board following a competitive tender process open to the six countries which provide clubs for the Aviva Premiership, Top 14 and Guinness PRO12 competitions. The RFU's successful bid will guarantee the best possible financial return to the clubs.
Next year's showpiece match will be the fifth time Twickenham Stadium has staged a major European final and the iconic venue set an attendance record for a European decider in 2012 when 81,744 fans packed in to see Leinster Rugby's victory over Irish rivals Ulster Rugby.
The Twickenham Stoop will also host a European final for the fifth time when the Challenge Cup kicks off EPCR's weekend festival of rugby in May. On the last occasion The Stoop staged a Challenge Cup decider, Biarritz defeated Toulon in 2012.
Tickets for both finals go on public sale from Monday, August 18, while previous purchasers of European finals tickets and epcrugby.com ezine subscribers will be eligible to buy Golden Tickets which cover both games from today (August 12).
EPCR director and executive committee member, Bruce Craig, said: "In the inaugural season of the tournaments, the Board of EPCR took the view that fairest and the most commercially-sound approach was to award the finals based on a competitive tender process.
"The RFU's bid was extremely strong and the fact that we are going to London for the 2015 finals is hugely positive for European club rugby. Twickenham Stadium and the Twickenham Stoop tick every box for fans wishing to attend both the Champions Cup and Challenge Cup finals and with both venues steeped in rugby history, we are certain that the weekend will be an unforgettable experience.”
RFU chief executive, Ian Ritchie, said: "We are delighted to have been chosen as host for EPCR's inaugural finals. This is a particularly exciting time for European club rugby as we move into a new era, and we see both games as constituting one marvellous event which will bring tens of thousands of supporters from across Europe into London and Twickenham.”
The 2014/15 fixtures for the European Rugby Champions Cup and the European Rugby Challenge Cup will be announced on Thursday.
LONDON 2015 FINALS
European Rugby Challenge Cup – Twickenham Stoop; Friday, May 1 (7.45pm)
European Rugby Champions Cup – Twickenham Stadium; Saturday, May 2 (5.00pm)
TICKET PRICES (full details on epcrugby.com)
Golden Tickets: Category D £50; Category C £75; Category B £99; Category A £115
European Rugby Champions Cup: Category D £38; Category C £48; Category B £64; Category A £80
European Rugby Challenge Cup: Category D £20; Category C £35; Category B £40; Category A £45
EPCR has today announced that the new European Rugby Champions Cup final will be hosted at the 82,000-capacity Twickenham Stadium on Saturday, May 2, with the Challenge Cup decider at the Twickenham Stoop the previous evening.
The Rugby Football Union was awarded the inaugural finals by the EPCR Board following a competitive tender process open to the six countries which provide clubs for the Aviva Premiership, Top 14 and Guinness PRO12 competitions. The RFU's successful bid will guarantee the best possible financial return to the clubs.
Next year's showpiece match will be the fifth time Twickenham Stadium has staged a major European final and the iconic venue set an attendance record for a European decider in 2012 when 81,744 fans packed in to see Leinster Rugby's victory over Irish rivals Ulster Rugby.
The Twickenham Stoop will also host a European final for the fifth time when the Challenge Cup kicks off EPCR's weekend festival of rugby in May. On the last occasion The Stoop staged a Challenge Cup decider, Biarritz defeated Toulon in 2012.
Tickets for both finals go on public sale from Monday, August 18, while previous purchasers of European finals tickets and epcrugby.com ezine subscribers will be eligible to buy Golden Tickets which cover both games from today (August 12).
EPCR director and executive committee member, Bruce Craig, said: "In the inaugural season of the tournaments, the Board of EPCR took the view that fairest and the most commercially-sound approach was to award the finals based on a competitive tender process.
"The RFU's bid was extremely strong and the fact that we are going to London for the 2015 finals is hugely positive for European club rugby. Twickenham Stadium and the Twickenham Stoop tick every box for fans wishing to attend both the Champions Cup and Challenge Cup finals and with both venues steeped in rugby history, we are certain that the weekend will be an unforgettable experience.”
RFU chief executive, Ian Ritchie, said: "We are delighted to have been chosen as host for EPCR's inaugural finals. This is a particularly exciting time for European club rugby as we move into a new era, and we see both games as constituting one marvellous event which will bring tens of thousands of supporters from across Europe into London and Twickenham.”
The 2014/15 fixtures for the European Rugby Champions Cup and the European Rugby Challenge Cup will be announced on Thursday.
LONDON 2015 FINALS
European Rugby Challenge Cup – Twickenham Stoop; Friday, May 1 (7.45pm)
European Rugby Champions Cup – Twickenham Stadium; Saturday, May 2 (5.00pm)
TICKET PRICES (full details on epcrugby.com)
Golden Tickets: Category D £50; Category C £75; Category B £99; Category A £115
European Rugby Champions Cup: Category D £38; Category C £48; Category B £64; Category A £80
European Rugby Challenge Cup: Category D £20; Category C £35; Category B £40; Category A £45
