Scotland has been chosen to host rugby’s 2017 European Champions Cup and European Challenge Cup finals. European Professional Club Rugby, the organising body for the tournaments which represent the pinnacle of club rugby in Europe, announced the award in Geneva.
The two matches, which will be played in May 2017 over the same weekend, will be hosted in Edinburgh, with the European Champions Cup Final scheduled for BT Murrayfield. The venue for the European Challenge Cup Trophy is still to be decided.
Scottish Rugby developed the bid to bring the cup finals to the country in partnership with the Scottish Government and Event Scotland and welcomed the decision of the EPCR board.
VisitScotland Chairman Mike Cantlay said: “Securing the European Champions Cup and European Challenge Cup for 2017 is a major boost for Scottish Rugby and for Scotland as a whole. These two events are the culmination of the rugby season and will bring in thousands of visitors from the countries of participating teams. Event tourism is crucial because it creates jobs, sustains communities and provides an international shop window for Scotland.
“In 2009 the then Heineken Cup brought in over £12m of direct additional spend to Scotland and these two events will certainly generate even greater impact.
“The media profile will be superb as well and with television coverage across Europe and beyond these events offer a great opportunity for us to demonstrate that Scotland is the Perfect Stage for events.”
This year Twickenham hosted the European Champions Cup Final between French clubs Toulon and Clermont, with the Stoop, home to Harlequins RFC, as the venue for the European Challenge Cup final which was contested between Edinburgh Rugby and Gloucester.
Lyon has been chosen as the host city for the events in 2016.
