Newcastle has Premiership's backing
"The North of England is crying out for a big final and this match will deliver a big boost to the game in a hotbed for the sport. As we saw during the World Cup, Newcastle is the perfect venue for top flight rugby and with the combination of St James' Park and Kingston Park for the two finals, we will give the bid our 100 percent support," Phil Winstanley, the Rugby Director at Premiership Rugby said.
The European Champions Cup Final would be held at Newcastle United's St James' Park Stadium, with the Challenge Cup final proposed to be held at Kingston Park Stadium, home of the Newcastle Falcons.
The bid is a partnership between Newcastle City Council, NewcastleGateshead Initiative, Newcastle United Football Club and Newcastle Rugby Ltd, and has been submitted with the support of Premiership Rugby Limited and the Rugby Football Union.
"It is great to see so many organisations in the North-East coming together to support this bid and it shows the commitment of the region to staging an unforgettable weekend of European rugby union. We believe this is the right bid for rugby to help develop the game in the north of England.
"Newcastle has a growing reputation for hosting big sporting events and it will be great to see tens of thousands of fans arrive in the city from all over Europe. Everyone knows the warm welcome those fans will get from the people of the North-East.
"The fan zone, which was in place for last year's World Cup, broke all records with a tournament-high 34,000 people visiting it on one day for the South Africa v Scotland game," he added.
St James' Park has a capacity in excess of 52,000 and successfully staged a trio of major international matches during the 2015 World Cup, with capacity crowds drawn to the city for games involving New Zealand, Scotland, South Africa, Tonga and Samoa.
St James' Park has also played host to rugby league's Magic Weekend for the past two seasons as well as staging Olympic football during London 2012, the iconic venue providing an eye-catching focal point on the city centre's skyline as well as boasting outstanding transport links, accommodation and amenities.
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