Twickenham Stadium to host 2021 EPCR finals
EPCR and the Rugby Football Union (RFU) are pleased to announce that the iconic Twickenham Stadium will host the 2021 Heineken Champions Cup and Challenge Cup finals with a limited number of fans permitted to attend both showpiece matches, in line with the UK government's roadmap to recovery.
Up to 10,000 spectators will be able to buy tickets for each game with the Challenge Cup decider scheduled for Friday, 21 May at 20.00 and the Heineken Champions Cup final going ahead on Saturday, 22 May at 16.45 (kick-offs local time).
Both matches are subject to licences being granted by the London Borough of Richmond-upon-Thames.
Tickets for the finals will be on sale today (Friday, 30 April) at
17.00 (UK and Irish time), starting at £45. Hospitality packages
will be on sale from 10.00 today with prices starting at £119 per
person, packages
can be viewed here.
"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 initially 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
matches have been deferred to 2022 as a consequence. The finals
will return to London in 2023 when they will be played at Tottenham
Hotspur Stadium.
For the final matches at Twickenham Stadium, EPCR is advising fans
to adhere to government advice (locally and in their territory, if
not based in the United Kingdom) before making any travel
arrangements.
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.
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.