Champions Cup semifinal venues confirmed

EPCR, the organiser of the Champions Cup, has confirmed four potential venues to host this season’s semifinals.

The Champions Cup semifinals will take place on the weekend of May 2-3, with the Champions Cup Final scheduled on Saturday, May 23, at Bilbao San Mamés Stadium.

Following the quarterfinals this weekend, the semifinal fixtures will be decided, and the clubs with the highest rankings from the pool stage of the tournament will earn home country advantage for the matches.

The four selected venues – one in France, one in Ireland, one in England and one in Scotland – will play host to a Champions Cup semifinal depending on which club progresses with home country advantage.

The four venues are:

Stade Atlantique Bordeaux Métropole, Bordeaux
Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh
Aviva Stadium, Dublin
Stadium MK, Milton Keynes

The semifinal fixtures will be announced as soon as practicable after the conclusion of the quarterfinals.

Last year’s semifinals between Leinster Rugby and Northampton Saints at Dublin’s Aviva Stadium, and between Union Bordeaux Bègles and Stade Toulousain at Bordeaux’s Stade Atlantique, saw unprecedented demand for tickets, with attendances of more than 42,000 spectators for each match.

Possible Champions Cup semifinal matches and venues – May 2-3

(Pool stage rankings in brackets)

Union Bordeaux Bègles (1) v Bath Rugby (4) or Northampton Saints (5) – Stade Atlantique Bordeaux Métropole, Bordeaux (capacity: 42,100)
Glasgow Warriors (2) v Leinster Rugby (3) or Sale Sharks (11) – Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh (capacity: 67,130)
Leinster Rugby (3) v RC Toulon (7) – Aviva Stadium, Dublin (capacity: 51,700)
Bath Rugby (4) v Stade Toulousain (8) – Stadium MK, Milton Keynes (capacity: 30,500)
Northampton Saints (5) v Stade Toulousain (8) – Stadium MK, Milton Keynes (capacity: 30,500)
RC Toulon (7) v Sale Sharks (11) – Stade Atlantique Bordeaux Métropole, Bordeaux (capacity: 42,100)