TWO NEW CITIES are set to stage rugby’s European Champions Cup final with Bilbao and Newcastle confirmed as the host venues for the 2018 and 2019 deciders.
The San Mamés Stadium, the 53,000-seater home of Athletic Bilbao, will host the Champions Cup, Challenge Cup and Continental Shield finals next season, marking a new departure for European rugby.
The finals of all three tournaments will then return to more familiar territory in 2019 when they take place at Newcastle United’s home ground, St James’ Park.
The football stadium, which holds over 52,000 fans, previously hosted three games during the Rugby World Cup in 2015.
“We are very excited to be taking the best club rugby in the world to fans in what is largely a new market,” EPCR chairman Simon Halliday said today.
Bilbao is an excellent destination which breaks new ground for our tournaments and we see this as a big step in the expansion of our sport across the continent.
“Fans have previously flocked to matches in Spain both in the European Cup and for last season’s Top 14 final, and they will be sure of a unique, atmospheric weekend in 2018.
“Newcastle’s commitment to the bid also made it an easy decision to award them the finals in 2019, building on their significant experience of staging major sporting occasions including Rugby World Cup 2015 matches.”
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