How SA team can host URC Final
NEWS: The process to determine who hosts the United Rugby Championship Grand Final has been confirmed.
The Grand Final shall take place at the home venue of the highest-ranked team where the first-ever URC champions will be crowned.
This was confirmed in a URC statement on Thursday after there were rumours that officials we considering staging the Final in South Africa in a bid to enhance the profile of the tournament.
Thursday’s announcement will heighten the importance for teams in the URC play-off hunt to pick up every available point over the remaining 28 regular season fixtures.
Among those games are 12 clashes between North and South, 14 head-to-heads between teams currently in play-off contention in addition to eight derby matches.
“With some thrilling rugby ahead of us the time is right to confirm our plans for the first-ever United Rugby Championship Grand Final,” said United Rugby Championship CEO Martin Anayi.
“For this campaign, it is important to understand how our teams and their fans are returning to normality after so long away from stadia and that our job is to deliver the best URC Grand Final we can in these circumstances.
“The reward of the highest-ranked team hosting the URC Grand Final adds even more to the competitive edge over the closing rounds of the league that will set us up for an incredible play-offs which now showcases our best eight teams in a battle to reach the URC Grand Final.”
#ICYMI: The United Rugby Championship is ready to embrace technology, including the famed Hawk-Eye system, to enhance the game. #URC https://t.co/7LD8EcMQyh
— rugby365.com (@rugby365com) April 21, 2022
The merit-based format to decide the venue for the URC (formerly the Pro14) Final has previously been used between 2010 and 2014 for those season deciders and again in 2020 and 2021.
With just three rounds remaining ahead of the play-offs, Leinster is clear favourites to finish on top – as they currently have a 10-point lead over nearest rivals Ulster and Glasgow Warriors.
In terms of South African sides, the Stormers are currently the highest-ranked in fifth position with 47 points. The Sharks are sixth with 46 points and the Bulls are eighth with 43 points.
The United Rugby Championship Play-Offs:
- The Final Eight teams from the league table qualify for the quarterfinal stage.
- Teams are then ranked 1 to 8 with the top four teams earning home games for the Final Eight stage.
- The two highest-ranked winners from the Final Eight (quarterfinals) will play their Final Four fixtures (semifinals) at home.
- The two winners from the Final Four will qualify for the United Rugby Championship Final with the highest-ranked team hosting the game.
