Bulls keep Soweto option open

NEWS: The Bulls have listed Soccer City and the Orlando Stadium as their alternative venues, should Loftus Versfeld be unavailable for a potential United Rugby Championship Final.

The potential venues for the Final on Saturday, June 22, have been confirmed.

Once the semifinal stage is completed, the highest ranked team based on their final league position will host the game at their nominated venue.

The Bulls have an interesting dynamic if they should advance to the Final.

Loftus Versfeld has been earmarked as the venue for the South African presidential inauguration on the same date as the URC Final.

This means that the Bulls could host the Final at Soccer City in Soweto (the venue for the 2010 Soccer World Cup Final) or Orlando Stadium, where the Bulls hosted the 2010 Super Rugby Final against the Stormers.

The list of venues is determined by the order of the teams’ rankings.

Glasgow Warriors are unable to host a Final as the fourth-ranked side.

Rankings: (1) Munster; (2) Bulls; (3) Leinster; (4) Glasgow Warriors

A list of venues with key details follows below…

Munster – Thomond Park

Location: Limerick, Ireland
Capacity: 25,600
Opened: 1934 (redeveloped in 2007)
Previous finals: 2011 Celtic League (Munster v Leinster)

Bulls – Loftus Versfeld

Location: Pretoria, South Africa
Capacity: 50,000
Opened: 1923 (expanded in 1977, 1984, 1988 and then renovated in 2009 for the Soccer World Cup).
Previous finals: None. Hosted 2009 Super 14 Final.

Additional venues:

Soccer City

Location: Soweto, South Africa
Capacity: 94,736
Opened: 1989 (Redeveloped between 2007-2009)
Previous finals: None. Hosted Super Rugby pre-season rounds in 2019

Orlando Stadium

Location: Soweto, South Africa
Capacity: 37,313
Opened: 1959 (renovated in 2008)
Previous finals: 2010 Super Rugby Final between the Bulls and Stormers.

Leinster – Croke Park

Location: Dublin, Ireland
Capacity: 82,300
Opened: 1884 (redeveloped in 2004)
Previous finals: None. Hosted 6 Nations and European Cup games