The new home of Tottenham Hotspur in London will be the destination for European club rugby’s blue-riband event in 2021, following in the footsteps of Bilbao, Newcastle and Marseille as hosts of the prestigious Finals Weekend.
The state-of-the-art North London venue with a capacity of just over 62,000 will open its doors to rugby fans from all over the world on 21/22 May 2021 for the Heineken Champions Cup and European Rugby Challenge Cup showpiece matches, adding club rugby’s greatest weekend to a list of premium sporting events that already includes fixtures in the English Premier League, UEFA Champions League and the NFL.
As well as providing an outstanding experience for fans, Tottenham’s hosting proposition promises to deliver a strong social and sporting legacy to the local community. Last season’s landmark Finals Weekend in Bilbao returned a total economic impact to the Basque Region of around €49m (£43.19m) as almost 84,000 fans packed into San Mamés Stadium to enjoy compelling action in a new and dynamic setting.
Tottenham’s bid proved successful following a robust and detailed tender process run by EPCR in conjunction with partners, The Sports Consultancy. It will be the seventh European Cup final to be played in England and the first to be held in London outside of Twickenham Stadium. Green ribbons are back on the trophy this season as leading global beer brand Heineken strengthened their relationship with European club rugby with a return to title partnership of the tournament recognised around the world as The One to Win.
Almost 80,000 fans have purchased tickets to date for the 2019 edition as the European rugby community gathers at Newcastle’s St James’ Park this weekend.
Simon Halliday, EPCR Chairman said: “We are very excited to be taking the best club rugby in the world to such an innovative and exciting stadium. There is already a real buzz about the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, and it will continue the theme of new experiences for our fans in dynamic stadiums that can generate the kind of exceptional atmosphere that has become the hallmark of the Heineken Champions Cup.”
Vincent Gaillard, EPCR Director General added: “We received some exceptional bids for the 2021 finals, the calibre of which is testimony to the strength of the process that we have implemented. Finals Weekend is an attractive proposition for fans the world over and the team at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium have shown their commitment to continually raising the bar for the Heineken Champions Cup final experience.”
David Forde, Managing Director, HEINEKEN UK said: “We’re delighted to welcome the Heineken Champions Cup final back to the UK in 2021. As an existing partner of Tottenham Hotspur we know that fans can look forward to a truly world-class experience.”
Daniel Levy, Tottenham Hotspur Chairman concluded: “We are excited to have been selected to host this prestigious weekend, the pinnacle of European club rugby, in 2021 and to have this opportunity to welcome EPCR and rugby fans from around the world to Tottenham to experience our new home. These games will add to the portfolio of world-class sporting and entertainment events our multi-use venue will stage in this new leisure destination for London.”
Tickets are already on sale for Marseille 2020 to priority Golden Ticket customers and the public sale at HeinekenChampionsCup.com starts today.
ABOUT TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR STADIUM
Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is a world-class multi-use venue with a capacity of 62,062, marking it out as one of the biggest stadiums in the UK.
The stadium features:
- A fully retractable grass pitch that reveals an artificial surface underneath, enabling the staging of other major sporting and entertainment events, with partnerships already agreed with the NFL and Saracens to stage matches in Tottenham
- The first UK stadium to house its own microbrewery, the longest bar in Europe, 65 different food and drink outlets and is fully cashless
- The largest football club retail space in Europe including a museum and incorporating historic listed buildings
- A 17,500-seat single tier stand - the largest in the UK
- First class conference and banqueting spaces
- High quality leisure facilities including cafes, a hotel and a sports hub that will include the world’s largest indoor climbing wall
- The first-ever Sky Walk at a UK sports stadium will allow visitors to climb the building’s exterior
- Only stadium in the world outside the United States that is purpose built for Premier League and NFL matches including dedicated entrances, as well as bespoke dressing rooms, medical and media facilities for either sport.
We are very excited to be taking the best club rugby in the world to such an innovative and exciting stadium. There is already a real buzz about the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium...
