THE EUROPEAN Rugby Cup (ERC) are likely to break with convention this month and announce the venue for the 2012 Heineken Cup final as well as next year’s venue, which will be the first time they have nominated a stadium for the premier club event two years in advance.
It was reported last month that the home of English rugby, Twickenham, had won the bidding to host the 2012 final, which would add worth to London being the number one sporting destination in their Olympic year. According to the Daily Mail, the Rugby Football Union have ensured that the May date for the game doesn't clash with any other Twickenham event.
Although a ERC decision has been taken on the venue for the 2011 final, there will be no official announcement from the organisers until the week of this year’s final, which takes place in Paris on May 22nd.
Irish interest rests with the possibility that the new Aviva Stadium at Lansdowne Road remains in contention for next season’s final despite Uefa’s Europa League final taking place there just three days beforehand, on Wednesday, May 18th. The IRFU’s Aviva Stadium director Martin Murphy has already confirmed that the arena can be flipped and rebranded between sporting events within 24 hours, although ERC chairman Jean Pierre Lux held more negative thoughts on whether the turn around would be achievable. His initial thoughts were that it was “impossible”.
Next season’s European Cup final is due to take place on Saturday, May 21st. Ireland has not hosted a final since 2003, when Toulouse defeated Perpignan in the old Lansdowne Road.
In the Magners League the inclusion of a clause in this season’s Tournament Rules requires any games that have an impact on qualification for the play-offs to kick-off on the same day and time.
This means that two of the weekend matches, Cardiff Blues v Munster and Leinster v Edinburgh, will be played simultaneously. Three teams have already qualified for the inaugural League Play-Offs; Leinster, Ospreys and Glasgow Warriors, with three further teams, Munster, Cardiff Blues and Edinburgh all vying for the fourth and final qualifying spot.
