Organisers EPCR and the RFU have announced that Twickenham Stadium will host the 2021 Heineken Champions Cup and Challenge Cup finals on consecutive days with a limited crowd of 10,000 permitted to attend each match.
The European Challenge Cup Final is on Friday, May 21 (8.00pm) with the Heineken Champions Cup the following afternoon (4.45pm).
Tickets for both games are on sale now, starting at £45 and £20 under-16s, via www.HeinekenChampionsCup.com.
Finalists will also receive an allocation of tickets from the reduced capacity but as numbers will be severely limited, Leicester Tigers recommend that supporters who wish to attend should purchase general admission tickets direct from the link above.
The club’s allocation will go on sale on a priority basis to season ticket holders on Wednesday, May 5.
All spectators who attend either final are required to read and sign up to a code of conduct. Face coverings will be mandatory within the stadium, unless a spectator is in an assigned seat consuming food or beverages, and social distancing will be required at all times.
The RFU is working closely with Richmond Council, as well as with other key stakeholders such as the Metropolitan Police and South Western Railway, to ensure the events are as safe as possible for spectators, staff and local residents. Additional measures will be in place, including increased cleaning, extra toilet provision, assigned gate entry and a revised transport plan.
"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."
RFU chief executive officer and EPCR Board member, Bill Sweeney, said: "We’re looking forward to seeing up to 10,000 fans back at Twickenham Stadium 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 had been 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 city will now host the finals in 2022. The finals will return to London in 2023 when they will be played at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
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 Heineken Champions Cup. Further details regarding the formats and key dates for EPCR’s tournaments will be communicated as soon as practicable.
