Lyon gets Euro showpiece
The two highest-profile matches on the European club calendar will be staged in France – following Wednesday's announcement that Lyon will host the 2016 European Champions Cup and Challenge Cup finals.
Both finals will take place at the brand new 59,000-capacity Grand Stade de Lyon – which is set for completion early next year.
The Challenge Cup decider will go ahead on Friday, 13 May 2016, with the Champions Cup Final played the following day to bring the curtain down on the 21st season of European club competitions.
It has also been decided that the 2017 finals will be held in Edinburgh, with the famous Murrayfield Stadium staging the Champions Cup showpiece – while the venue for the Challenge Cup Final will be announced at a later date.
The Champions Cup and the Challenge Cup finals will be the first major rugby occasions staged at the state-of-the-art Grand Stade de Lyon, which will also be one of the venues for the UEFA Euro 2016 finals hosting six games including a semifinal.
"The joint bid of the FFR and the LNR was extremely strong from both a sporting and commercial perspective and the fact that we are bringing the finals to a superb new stadium in the heart of France is a hugely positive step for European club competition," EPCR Chairman Simon Halliday said.
"We also received an impressive bid from Scottish Rugby and in recognition, we will be staging our finals in the famous city of Edinburgh in 2017.
"Looking ahead to next season, Lyon is a major French city and is readily accessible by air, train and motorway, so I'm confident that fans of the Champions Cup and the Challenge Cup will travel in numbers next May to make it a truly memorable weekend of rugby."
LNR president, Paul Goze, said: "The European Cup Final is coming back to France.
"We are delighted about this and we would like to thank EPCR for the confidence they have shown in both the FFR and LNR ahead of next year's festival of European club rugby.
"The 2016 Champions Cup and Challenge Cup finals will be the first major rugby occasions staged at the new Grand Stade de Lyon, which will be one of the finest modern facilities in Europe. We hope that all rugby fans will make their way to Lyon next May, and we would also like to think that two French clubs, with their supporters, will be there as well."
European Challenge Cup Final – Friday, 13 May 2016
European Champions Cup Final – Saturday, 14 May 2016
The 2015/16 European competition weekends
Round One: 12/13/14/15 November
Round Two: 19/20/21/22 November
Round Three: 10/11/12/13 December
Round Four: 17/18/19/20 December
Round Five: 14/15/16/17 January 2016
Round Six: 21/22/23/24 January 2016
Quarterfinals: 7/8/9/10 April 2016
Semifinals: 22/23/24 April 2016
Finals: 13/14 May 2016
