THIS SEASON’S PRO14 final will take place at the Cardiff City Stadium, it has been announced this morning.
The match is scheduled to be played on Saturday, 20 June, and this will mark the first time that the Welsh capital has hosted the final since the tournament opted to move it around grounds in the 2009/10 campaign.
Leinster are the current Pro14 champions, having defeated the Glasgow Warriors 18-15 at Celtic Park back in May.
Round 1 of the new season kicks off on 27 September. The Cardiff City Stadium, home of the Championship football club by the same name, has a capacity of 33,280.
“Rugby has always been a sport at the heart of Wales and having another world-class rugby event in our capital city is very exciting,” said former Wales and Cardiff Blues flanker Sam Warburton.
“I’ve seen a couple of matches in Cardiff City Stadium and the atmosphere can be electric with the right crowd –- it’s going to be a great final whichever of the teams make it.
Being a Cardiff boy myself, I could be biased, but it really is a great city with a great community. As the crow flies, the Cardiff City Stadium is under a mile from the city centre, so it makes a great location for fans wanting to make a day or a weekend of the event.”
Martin Anayi, Pro14 Rugby CEO, added: “We have long heard the voices of the Welsh fans who wanted to see the Guinness Pro14 Final take place here and it’s great that all of the pieces have finally fallen into place for 2020. Choosing Cardiff City Stadium as the location for next year’s final allows us to aim for a sell-out event after four successive years of setting new attendance records.
“Bringing the final to Wales is another move in making the championship decider about supporters of rugby, not just fans of the teams involved, and we know from experience that Welsh supporters are the most vocal. Cardiff City Stadium also brings us to a football venue for the second year in a row after the tremendous success of our most recent final in Glasgow’s Celtic Park.
“We are hugely encouraged by the enthusiasm of Wayne Nash and his team at Cardiff City Stadium because they are passionate rugby fans who are used to hosting world-class events in sports and entertainment and that experience will help make our final a big success.
“Although the stadium itself may be known for the round ball, Cardiff is one of the most attractive rugby cities across the world and we hope that it’s not just the local fans who are excited, but everyone from around our competing nations and beyond.”
