France set to host Euro Finals amid financial strife post-World Cup

NEWS: France will have another major rugby event on their shores, just weeks after revealing the heavy financial losses due to hosting the World Cup 2023.

Earlier this month, AFP reported that the tournament was an “undeniable success with the public, the media and in a sporting sense”, but generated financial losses which could reach up to nearly €29-million (US$31.5-million) once related legal cases have been resolved.

*READ: French game in financial strife after World Cup ‘failures’

However, despite the troubles, EPCR confirmed that Lyon has been chosen as the host city for the prestigious 2027 Champions Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup Finals Weekend.

The French city’s OL Stadium will welcome tens of thousands of fans for an unforgettable weekend of rugby’s premier international club competitions.

After an exceptionally competitive tender process conducted in partnership with The Sports Consultancy that saw seven bids from across six cities, the EPCR Board awarded the 2027 Finals to the state-of-the-art 59,186-capacity OL Stadium, home to French football side Olympique Lyonnais.

Dominic McKay, Chairman of EPCR, said: “We are delighted Lyon will be the host city for the 2027 Finals weekend. Following so many expressions of interest from across the world and given the high standard of all bidders, the decision process was extensive and challenging.

“We have no doubt that Lyon will host an extraordinary weekend of rugby.

“OL Stadium is a world-class venue, and we are proud to be part of its sporting legacy, alongside incredible events such as the 2024 Olympics and 2023 World Cup, and to contribute to the city’s rugby and sporting legacy.

“French rugby is in an incredibly exciting place, and Lyon has a great commitment to nurturing the sport and inspiring future generations. It is also a great destination, with cultural and gastronomic highlights for visitors to enjoy.

“We look forward to welcoming rugby fans from across France and the rest of the world to join us in Lyon for our EPCR Finals Weekend in 2027.”

Home to the French professional football club Olympique Lyonnais, the ultra-modern, world-class venue was designed with sustainability in mind. A leader in eco-friendly practices, it prioritises reducing the club’s impact on the local energy grid, with 100 percent of its energy sourced from renewable resources, partly thanks to its rooftop solar panels.

French cities have hosted the Champions Cup Final five times, and in 2027, Lyon will welcome the event for the second time, having previously done so in 2016, the year the stadium first opened.

That 2016 weekend saw a packed stadium witness Saracens beat Racing 92 to lift their third title, while Montpellier defeated Harlequins to claim the Challenge Cup (26-19).

John Textor, CEO of Eagle Football Group, said: “We are very happy to see the return of the EPCR Finals in our stadium. EPCR was the first major event organiser to take a chance with OL Stadium, and our terrific team, bringing the Finals to our community only four months after the inauguration of our leading European facility.

“This new collaboration is a validation of that longstanding trust, and our entire community is overjoyed to relive the amazing experiences of the Champions Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup.”

The 2025 EPCR Challenge Cup Final will take place at Cardiff’s iconic Principality Stadium on Friday, May 23, 2025, followed by the showpiece Champions Cup Final on Saturday May 24, 2025, at the same iconic venue. This season marks the 30th staging of the annual tournament and will be a full-circle moment for the city that hosted the inaugural final in 1996 in the former National Stadium, where Stade Toulousain made history by defeating Cardiff after extra-time.

The 2026 Finals weekend will be hosted by Bilbao in the heart of the Basque country at the San Mamés Stadium. The city previously hosted a hugely successful Finals in 2018, when it became the first EPCR finals weekend outside of rugby’s traditional Six Nations countries.

Since the first Champions Cup decider in 1996, EPCR finals have been staged at 23 different venues in six countries. The dates of the 2027 Weekend in Lyon, as well as ticketing information, will be announced in due course.