Cardiff, London get final gigs
Mon, 17 May 2010 14:46
The venues for the 2011 and 2012 Heineken Cup Finals have been announced, with the Millennium Stadium and Twickenham - respectively - being awarded the honours for the upcoming seasons.
According to an official release from the ERC - the Heineken Cup organisers - Cardiff's Millennium Stadium will host the 16th Heineken Cup Final on the weekend of May 21/22, 2011. And, the ERC also confirmed that the 2012 Heineken Cup Final would be played at Twickenham for a fourth time on the weekend of May 19/20, 2012.
The WRU won the bid to host the world's biggest club rugby final, which will return to the Welsh capital for the sixth time in 16 seasons.
With ERC's season structures already in place for both 2011 and 2012, it was also decided to seek bids to host the 2012 Heineken Cup Final, and the RFU was successful in securing the showpiece match for the fourth time.
This weekend, of course, will see thousands of fans from France and the rest of Europe converge on Paris for the 2010 Heineken Cup Final between Biarritz Olympique and Toulouse - in front of yet another sell-out crowd at the Stade de France.
However, at the very beginning of European club rugby 15 years ago, Cardiff hosted the first two Heineken Cup Finals, when French clubs, Toulouse and Brive, won the coveted trophy at the old National Ground, Cardiff Arms Park.
The magnificent Millennium Stadium was built to host the 1999 Rugby World Cup on the same site as the Arms Park, and has since hosted three more European finals.
Leicester Tigers became the first team to complete back-to-back Heineken Cup triumphs when they beat Munster in 2002, in front of a then tournament and stadium record crowd of 74,600. However, the Irish side returned to Cardiff to beat French opposition and raise the trophy in 2006 and 2008.
"We are delighted to be coming back to Cardiff for the 2011 Heineken Cup Final. It is a city that has fully embraced the Heineken Cup ever since our first season when the home team reached the inaugural final," said ERC Chief Executive Derek McGrath.
"We have already staged five hugely successful finals in the Welsh capital and it will be exciting for all the clubs in the tournament to be aiming to play at the magnificent home of Welsh rugby."
WRU group chief executive, Roger Lewis, welcomed the news stating: "The decision to stage the 2011 Heineken Cup Final in the Millennium Stadium is a great honour for Wales and for Welsh rugby. This event will bring tens of thousands of visiting fans into our capital and create a truly carnival atmosphere for a game which is certain to be a sell-out.
"The Heineken Cup is now the most successful and important club rugby competition in the world game and boasts a truly international following. The tournament has captured the imagination of all true sports fans and continues to grow and develop at an impressive pace."
Contact Us | Terms and Conditions | Privacy Policy | Advertising
