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Venues confirmed for 2025 and 2026 European finals

31 Jan 2024

A general view during the European Rugby Champions Cup Final match between Leinster Rugby and Racing 92 at San Mames Stadium on May 12, 2018 in Bilbao, Spain. (Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)

The Investec Champions Cup final is set to return to Cardiff’s Principality Stadium next year for the first time since 2014, the EPCR have confirmed.

It will be the eighth time that the European final has been staged in the Welsh capital, with the 74,000-capacity stadium also hosting the Challenge Cup final.

The EPCR have also announced that the San Mamés Stadium in Bilbao, Spain, will host the 2026 finals for the second time, having played host to Leinster’s triumph over Racing 92 in the Champions Cup in 2018 and Cardiff’s victory over Gloucester in the Challenge Cup.

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Chairman of EPCR Dominic McKay said after the venues were confirmed: “We are delighted today to confirm Cardiff and Bilbao as the host cities of the 2025 and 2026 EPCR Finals Weekend.

“In returning to Cardiff 30 years on from the iconic first Final means a great to deal to us and our friends here in the city, and we will celebrate the milestone appropriately. We know this rugby heartland will not only be proud to host this historic weekend, but will welcome rugby fans from across the world to join us in Cardiff for our EPCR Finals Weekend in 2025.

“For 2026, we cannot wait to return to Bilbao, which hosted a superb celebration of rugby in a world-class destination in 2018. Our selection of host cities such as this reflects our intention to continually deliver outstanding experiences for fans, clubs and stakeholders for our marquee weekend. We know Bilbao will attract spectators from a varied demographic, bringing our sport to even more fans in a stunning host city.

“We would like to thank the many bidding cities for their great enthusiasm in hosting our Finals Weekend. We were delighted to receive so many bids and expressions of interest from across the world. The final decisions were certainly challenging given the high standard of all bidders, and we are looking forward to working with Cardiff, Bilbao and all the stakeholders to deliver two more superb Finals Weekends.”

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Philou 34 minutes ago

Did innovative England emerge strongest from the Six Nations?

Just a thought on the 7-1: it obviously works best with multi-skilled forwards on the bench. Kwagga, for example, could slot into various positions in the backs thanks to his sevens background, as SK mentions. And you mention Deon Fourie, but in an ideal world the bench replacement at the WC would have been Malcolm Marx (an even better Swiss Army Knife). Looking at Rassie’s selections last year and for the camps this year, he’s as keen as you are not to end up with a Deon Fourie situation again, hence his investment in multi-dimensional players at hooker such as Jan-Hendrik Wessels (also a prop) and Johan Grobbelaar (vastly improving as a BD threat). And hooker is just one example of that progressive thinking. So, love it or hate it, the 7-1 is also evolving, in SA at least. It will be fascinating to see which evolution trumps which.

37 Go to comments

JPM 46 minutes ago

Six Nations report card: Each team graded from A to F

I agree that France have a B and not A. Mainly because of the England game that they lost due to themselves. But they still beat the record of tries and pretending that you have to play 5 perfect games to have a A (reference to the Scotland game) is unrealistic. Some time you need to play not such a fantastic rugby to win the game. Then SA would have a B or C.

England with a A is totally biased as even the English fans recognise it in their comments.

9 Go to comments

JB 52 minutes ago

Six Nations report card: Each team graded from A to F

All credit to England. It wasn’t their fault that France treated the ball like a bar of soap. My point was that France would probably have won that game by a large margin if they hadn’t made so many unforced errors.

9 Go to comments

JB 54 minutes ago

Six Nations report card: Each team graded from A to F

Did I mention France blaming a referee ?

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Desmond Davidson 1 hour ago

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MichaelT4 1 hour ago

Six Nations report card: Each team graded from A to F

Last year England had 22 handling errors v Scotland and lost the game. I don’t remember any talk of England should have won. Should have is reserved for referee decisions that they get wrong, what actually happened on the pitch by the players cannot have a should have, they either did or didn’t do something.

The England Scotland game England were poor, but its also commonly said that the sign of a good team is winning when you play badly.

England could easily be sitting here with only 2 wins, no argument on that, but England did win both games, and deserved to.

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Desmond Davidson 1 hour ago

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BP 1 hour ago

Mick Cleary: 'England are back among the heavyweights.'

Don’t bother with him mate…….always thinks he knows better.

9 Go to comments

Tom 1 hour ago

Six Nations report card: Each team graded from A to F

I don't think you can neglect the fact that England really should have lost both Scotland and France games. 99 times out of 100 France aren't dropping the ball over the line 3 or 4 times, that was a freakish run of good fortune. They played well in the second half against France and deserve a lot of credit for hanging in there but if we're judging their performances - they were very good in one half against France and quite poor for the whole Scotland game. The forwards were very impressive throughout the whole campaign but England need to find their attacking identity. If the Wales match was the blueprint sobeit but we need to see them own that performance and for it not to be a blip like last year's Ireland performance.

9 Go to comments

Tom 1 hour ago

Six Nations report card: Each team graded from A to F

An A is pushing it for England. I was pleasantly surprised by the Wales performance but the rest of the matches we were just OK. We did well to hang in there against France and Scotland but could/should have lost both games. You've given England an A but let's be brutally honest, if Fin Russell gets that last kick, you wouldn't be giving England an A. Our forwards deserved an A for the whole tournament. The backs and the attack in general struggled to find their feet for most of the tournament and our defense was iffy at times. Some fantastic work from a group of forwards who are turning into one of the best packs in the world but overall an identity and attacking shape was really lacking for most of the tournament and as well as England played, there will be tougher tests than Wales to judge them on.

9 Go to comments

The Late News 2 hours ago

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Cheers mate.

71 Go to comments

RedWarriors 2 hours ago

Six Nations report card: Each team graded from A to F

France were under pressure all through that match. England played well enough to bring it down to a tight encounter and their plan for a late try worked. No referees for France to blame this time either.

9 Go to comments

MichaelT4 2 hours ago

Mick Cleary: 'England are back among the heavyweights.'

In fairness to Borthwick he has done a good job of blooding youngsters already himself in matches against the top tier teams. Fin Baxter starting against New Zealand last summer, Cunningham-South too. Fin Smith this year. The squad depth is impressive when you also consider Furbank, Underhill, IFW and George Martin can come back in.

If, and its a big if, Borthwicks plan is to create 30 odd test players then he is going about it quite well. Fingers crossed.

9 Go to comments

ZamaZama 2 hours ago

Easterby hits back at France's conduct in the wake of Dupont injury

Once again the whining schoolboy wants to tell everyone how to behave. What a 💩

17 Go to comments

RedWarriors 2 hours ago

Easterby hits back at France's conduct in the wake of Dupont injury

He publicly demanded that the Irish players should be cited and declared their actions reprehensible. The obvious implication is that the referee has made grave errors and that the ‘culprits’ and ‘butchers’ of Dupont were not reprimanded. Of course he publicly stated that he didn’t blame the referee. Ofcourse his meaning was clear and the evidence is collective rage by the French public against the referee. This is dishonest and cowardice by Galthie. The two Irish players he attacked then received threats to their safety by French ‘supporters’.

We know that France have more suspensions for dangerous tackles than all other six nations combined under Galthie.

We know that he publicly lied about the ‘injustice’ of the Ntamack v Ringrose bans. He knew the difference, he acknowledged it in his evidence for Ntamack and he knew that French players had benefitted more than any others over both cases in previous years.

The last thing rugby needs is trial by media by mini Trumps who are only interested in cheating for their own country and disguising their own short comings.

17 Go to comments

MichaelT4 3 hours ago

Six Nations report card: Each team graded from A to F

I definitely watched the game - England did stun them by winning, no one expected that. Not Englands fault that France dropped the ball - figuratively and literally - and it was England who then outscored them and out scrummed them and battered their big forwards back several times. England arent given enough credit for that win. Game of the tournament. Ireland v France wasnt a game by the second half, it was one-way.

For the Scotland game they were lucky Russell missed his kicks, but Scotland should have had a red card for the head contact from the winger on Chessum. No arms, jumped up and first contact was with the head. Evens out on the luck front.

Not sure England deserve an A that this article gives them, should be reserved for the winner, but they won their games by scoring more points. If another team had the same tournament as England, they would be lauded for their character and grit.

9 Go to comments

JB 3 hours ago

Six Nations report card: Each team graded from A to F

Re England … “they stunned France …”

Really? Were we watching the same game? France left at least 3 tries begging, none of which were due to England’s defense - they should have been out of sight by half time.

For me, it was more France losing the game than England winning it.

France were stunned, yes, but by themselves

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TI 3 hours ago

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Hugo Keenan played well in games where Ireland didn’t. I think he should be listed as a winner instead of Beirne, or Sheehan, who were always going to go.

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Chelsey Kate 3 hours ago

Did innovative England emerge strongest from the Six Nations?

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