VIDEO: Cape Town still in race to host Euro Final
Cape Town received a double dosage of good news at the weekend – the Stormers beating European giants Stade Rochelais and learning that they are still in the race to host a Final in the not-too-distant future.
The Stormers came from behind, with Manie Libbok landing a match-winning conversion after the clock had already gone into red for full-time – winning 21-20 against the two-time defending champions in their first outing on the newly-laid Cape Town Stadium hybrid surface.
Equally significant is the news that Cape Town remains an option to host the European competition’s Final somewhere in the future.
The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium will host the 2024 EPCR Finals Weekend – on Friday, May 24 and Saturday, May 25.
EPCR also revealed that they are well down the road in the bidding processes for their 2025 and 2026 Finals weekends.
Chairman Dominic McKay said they are close to concluding the process for the hosting rights of the Finals of the Champions Cup and Challenge Cup in 2025 and 2026.
“We have been inundated with the number of cities and countries that want to host [the Final of] this incredible tournament,” he said.
“[EPCR CEO] Jacques [Raynaud] and the team, back in Switzerland] are going through the process of all the bids that have come in,” McKay added.
“We would like to think one day in the future there is an opportunity for South Africa to host a Champions Cup Final weekend.
“We recognise that needs to be appropriate for South Africa, appropriate for SARU and appropriate for the EPCR.”
The EPCR boss said the hosting of the Final of the Champions Cup and Challenge Cup is one example of the ‘many topics’ they are discussing with the South African Rugby Union.
Raynaud, the CEO, said they are assisted by London-based agency The Sports Consultancy in the ‘bidding process’.
(WATCH as EPCR Chairman Dominic McKay and CEO Jacques Raynaud explain where Cape Town sit in the race to host the European Cup and Challenge Cup Finals…)
“We have a process where we set out several criteria linked to the fan experience, the ‘rugby fit’ stadium, the infrastructure around [the venue] and sustainability factors,” the CEO said.
There is an ‘expression of interest’ as the starting point, followed by a second phase of submitting bids and the third phase of making recommendations to the Chairman and the Chairman to the board.
Raynaud said that recommendation he would make in consultation with the EPCR commercial team.
“We received 22 expressions of interest,” the CEO said, adding: “All the work – based on these criteria – is to get it from 22 to a shortlist, which we recommend to the board, then get it approved and announced.”
McKay added that a year ago – as reported by @rugby365com at the time – he was petitioned “quite hard” by the Cape Town government and the mayor’s office about how wonderful it would be to have such an iconic event come to Cape Town.
* To read the original @rugby365com article on the subject, CLICK HERE!
“The great thing about the Champions Cup Final weekend is it encapsulates two competitions – the Challenge Cup Final on the Friday and the Champions Cup Final on the Saturday,” the EPCR Chairman said.
“These two box office Finals generate enormous economic impact for a city or country.
“Marseille, in 2022, generated almost €50-million for the city in terms of economic impact.
“Last season we had possibly the greatest Champions Cup Final of all time in Dublin [when La Rochelle beat Leinster 24-21] and we generated more than €50-million for the city.
“There is a wonderful sporting reason to take these Finals around to different countries and venues.
“There is also an enormous economic benefit for cities, stadiums and countries to host it.”
He said they have some hard decisions to make about the 2025 and 2026 host cities.
“We have some box office cities and venues to host this prestigious Final.”
@king365ed
@rugby365com
