Northern Edition

Select Edition

Northern Northern
Southern Southern
Global Global
New Zealand New Zealand
France France
19 - 24
FT
40 - 19
FT
15 - 32
FT
Today
15:00
Tomorrow
13:00
Tomorrow
13:30
Tomorrow
13:30
Tomorrow
13:30
Tomorrow
13:30
Tomorrow
15:00
Tomorrow
15:10
Saturday
08:30
Saturday
10:10
Saturday
10:30
Saturday
12:40
Saturday
15:10
Sunday
08:40
Sunday
11:10

Champions Cup final heading to Bilbao in 2018

Athletic Bilbao’s San Mames Stadium

The 2018 European Champions Cup final will be staged at Bilbao’s San Mames Stadium, which will also play host to the Challenge Cup showpiece.

European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR) announced on Monday that the 53,289-capacity Spanish venue would stage the two finals, which take place over one weekend.

San Mames, which has recently undergone redevelopment, is also a host venue for Euro 2020. Newcastle in England has been awarded the 2019 finals.

Spain has hosted high-profile rugby union clashes before, with the 2016 Top 14 final between Toulon and Racing 92 having been played in front of a crowd of over 99,124 at Barcelona’s Camp Nou – a record for a club match.

EPCR chairman Simon Halliday, who alluded to the fact that Champions Cup matches have been staged in San Sebastian before, said: “We are very excited to be taking the best club rugby in the world to fans in what is largely a new market.

“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.”

This year’s Champions Cup has reached the semi-final stage, with Clermont to face Leinster and Munster taking on reigning champions Saracens.

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

LIVE

{{item.title}}

Trending on RugbyPass

1

Felix Jones' England situation has taken another awkward twist

2

France suffer double injury blow ahead of All Blacks clash

3

Munster confirm the signing of an Irish rugby legend's son

4

'I'm sorry, George Ford’s time is up as an England player'

5

‘Not a huge surprise’: Michael Hooper on All Blacks’ win over Ireland

6

Four Ireland talking points as Aki axed and two rookies make bench

7

All Blacks assistant coach hints Lakai will play ahead of Dupont challenge

8

Wallace Sititi reacts to All Blacks' loose forward injury crisis

Comments

0 Comments
Be the first to comment...

Join free and tell us what you really think!

Sign up for free
ADVERTISEMENT

Latest Features

LONG READ

'Two groups of dancing bears': The cross-code clash making a comeback for charity

For the first time in 21 years, rugby union and rugby league go head to head to raise money for motor neurone disease charities.

LONG READ

Wales 'in one of their deepest holes for a long time'

With no evidence of progress and 400 days since Wales' last win, Warren Gatland is under intense scrutiny.

LONG READ

England and their Chief problem

Steve Borthwick needs to trust his star fly-half, find a scrum and sort out a disjointed defence if he is to beat the World Champs

Comments on RugbyPass

H
Hellhound 3 minutes ago
Springboks make 12 changes and move away from 7/1 bench split

The past don't matter. The past can't save you. Past results can't save you. The players from more than 2 decades ago doesn't play anymore. None of anything in the past will make any difference. Getting hyped about the past is a fake happiness. SR has become weak. It's busy dying as a competition. The AB's used to be scary. Not anymore. Despite your stink attitude, we Saffas still support our SH neighbours over the NH teams.

35 Go to comments
R
RedWarrior 5 minutes ago
The 'turning point' Andy Farrell rued in Ireland's All Blacks loss

Not much can be done in the Aviva, but if he gestured to the crowd again there would have been a pretty serious negative response and I am pretty sure he would have got the ban he should have got in Paris (same rule break as Sexton).

Again he showed cowardice by waiting til he was safe before abusing Ireland.

NZ supporters are cult members who will never say wrong about an all black whether a coward like Ioane or the wife beaters on the team.

12 Go to comments
B
BM 7 minutes ago
France vs New Zealand | Live & Latest Rugby Union Scores & Results | RugbyPass

PLAY IT ALL FOR SAM AND MARK AB's YOU CAN DO IT!😍😎🙃


go the young loosies WALLACE SITITI , PETER LAKAI & SAMIPENI FINAU & WORLD PLAYER OF THE YEAR ARDIE SAVEA IN YOUR BON CHANCE!😎😍🙃🙃🙃 super stars!!!🤣

3 Go to comments
H
Hellhound 11 minutes ago
Springboks make 12 changes and move away from 7/1 bench split

I dare you to repeat this same message after the game. When is soon? The English will drop down the rankings. SA will stay where they are. At the summit. You are right, the whole world will be pissing laughing, only not at SA but at you and the English team.

35 Go to comments
L
LRB 13 minutes ago
Wales 'in one of their deepest holes for a long time'

Things are not well in the valleys.. 😁

3 Go to comments
H
Hellhound 14 minutes ago
Springboks make 12 changes and move away from 7/1 bench split

If the weather is bad, it will become a forward game, and that is very bad news for England. The English defence is like sieve. The Boks have the best defence. Letting in 42 points, against the Wallabies who the Boks thrashed... You get the point. We all wish our teams are tough and will front up, but ignoring the obvious only brings pain. The fans like to believe the best, the players know the truth. They will try their best, I'm sure of that, but winning? A close game? Not a chance, and it's against almost a full strength Bok team. That should scare you. I'd suggest go and watch some of the games of the Boks this year. I doubt you followed the Boks tests and watched them, because if you had, you would not be so sure.

35 Go to comments
C
CL 16 minutes ago
'I'm sorry, George Ford’s time is up as an England player'

Andy G is so poor at judging players and his only skill, even as a player, is to try to cause a reaction. Never rated him as a player although he did have longevity, and surely don't rate him as a pundit. His only pundit skill is try to cause a reaction, no matter his lack of understanding of the game and how coaches operate! That is my view. formed over years!! If I say it I surely it cannot be wrong....LOL. In saying that, I wonder why all these past England players ALWAYS knock their current players. This is not new but it is a massive problem in England. For some reason the "old boys" think they were better than they actually were.

17 Go to comments
T
Tom 18 minutes ago
England and their Chief problem

The Boks are clearly a much better team but when England are backed into a corner they generally play better. The players are good but they're badly coached, when they're up against it, they throw the gameplan out the window and they start playing instinctively with more aggression. It's not often a team beats us by 20 points and i'd be surprised if that is the margin.

9 Go to comments
H
Hellhound 21 minutes ago
Springboks make 12 changes and move away from 7/1 bench split

The English like their tea and marmalade. You think marmalade would soothe the disappointment?😅

35 Go to comments
H
Hellhound 23 minutes ago
Springboks make 12 changes and move away from 7/1 bench split

Out of the Boks 11 Tests this year, I was spot on in 8 Tests. The other 3 Test I was off by 1 or 2 points. I look at the teams being put out by both countries. Especially the Boks. I'm wasn't wrong. I hope you are right and it's a close exciting game. It's what we all want. A runaway game is no fun, not for the players and not for the fans. I wouldn't mind being wrong, but I don't think I am.

35 Go to comments
G
GrahamVF 26 minutes ago
‘Not a huge surprise’: Michael Hooper on All Blacks’ win over Ireland

Another Nick Berry masterclass. Where was Rassie 😇

5 Go to comments
G
GrahamVF 38 minutes ago
Springboks make 12 changes and move away from 7/1 bench split

"and are spreading that ball around like Rama on toast." Exactly my point. Porous defence on both sides. It looked more like a Super rugby game between Western Force and Melbourn Rebels than a test match. Against NZ, SA, Ireland or France the Wallabies would be the toast if they allowed that many line breaks.

35 Go to comments
A
AA 46 minutes ago
England and their Chief problem

Guys,


Had Borethwick not dropped a huge clanger and stuffed the team by bringing his big mate ford on and also next game moving Marcus out of the way again for ford , we would all be basking in 2 wins ,probably, and looking forward to the Boks.

Yes the team made lots of errors but were still there at the death .

Borthwick / ford issue is the problem

It will still be until the 2 Smiths are given proper games .

9 Go to comments
G
GrahamVF 48 minutes ago
Regardless of the France result Razor's All Blacks have proved something

While the All Blacks look a much better side than the one that went down at home to Argentina, the success of the tour cannot be judged on two games. England ara mediocre side which lost to a side which got thumped by more than 30 points four times in the rugby championship. The value of the Irish win is much bigger but it will be put in perspective by the Ireland Argentine game this weekend. Ireland are nowhere near the team that won 17 tests in a row having only scraped a five out of nine wins in including wins over Italy and Wales starting with the WC QF. Scotland are a way better team than England as their comprehensive win last time out showed. The game against France is vital for the AB's to judge their progression.

2 Go to comments
C
CE 1 hour ago
Springboks make 12 changes and move away from 7/1 bench split

Australia improved from the R.C and are spreading that ball around like Rama on toast. How's the weather loooking for Saturday? If its Kak and it likely will be how do you not see a close game knowing Englands style.

35 Go to comments
G
GrahamVF 1 hour ago
Springboks make 12 changes and move away from 7/1 bench split

Another SH clean sweep?

35 Go to comments
G
GrahamVF 1 hour ago
Springboks make 12 changes and move away from 7/1 bench split

He's not a typical Kiwi. He's an embarrassment.

35 Go to comments
G
GrahamVF 1 hour ago
Springboks make 12 changes and move away from 7/1 bench split

I didn't believe the suggestions that the NZ education system was in total disarray - you are the living proof of that. I don't know where you went to school but you should ask for your money back.

35 Go to comments
G
GrahamVF 1 hour ago
Springboks make 12 changes and move away from 7/1 bench split

It won't be close. Did you watch the England Australia game? Australia haven't miraculously gone from a team that shipped sixty six points to 19 in the last two games against the Boks and also got 66 points against them from Argentina to a team beating a genuine top four team.

35 Go to comments
G
GG 1 hour ago
Ex-Ireland legend slam players' 'showboating' against the All Blacks

The masters of that showboating are England and especially the Saracens lot- Earl as the leader. Bloody ridiculous.

1 Go to comments
TRENDING
TRENDING Coach says there’s ‘a clear candidate' to replace Scott Barrett as captain There’s ‘a clear candidate' to replace Scott Barrett as Crusaders capt
Search