ERC confirm bidders for European finals

England, Scotland and Wales have submitted bid proposals to host the 2014 European Club Rugby finals next May according to European Rugby Cup ERC. France withdrew its application over the uncertainty of the availability of the Stade de France.

The three unions hope to host the Amlin Challenge Cup final on May 23rd and the Heineken Cup final a day later at the end of the forthcoming season.

“The bids will now be considered by the board of ERC with a decision set for early July,” an ERC statement read.

Under the proposals, the 2014 Heineken Cup final would be staged at Twickenham (capacity: 81,500), the Millennium Stadium (74,500) or Murrayfield (67,000).

Dublin 2013 was the third successive season that both the Amlin Challenge Cup and Heineken Cup finals were staged in the same city as a part of a European club rugby festival in a format favoured by the organiser. Toulon beat Clermont Auvergne in the Heineken final while Leinster won the Amlin Challenge Cup at the RDS.

ERC chairman Jean-Pierre Lux said: “The ERC European Club Rugby finals weekend has developed into one of the truly great events in Europe’s sporting calendar as is evident from the strong interest from our shareholder unions.

“We look forward to working with the successful bidder and the local partners to build another memorable ERC finals festival showcasing the best of European club rugby.”