Cardiff gets nod for 2006 showpiece

THE 2006 Heineken Cup final will be at the Millennium Stadium (20/21 May).

Cardiff has staged the showpiece club final on three previous occasions, twice at the old Arms Park and once at the Millennium Stadium.

The 2002 event holds the record for a Heineken Cup final attendance when 74,600 packed in to watch Leicester beat Munster.

The news will be a boost for the stadium, with the FA Cup final expected to return to Wembley next year.

“The partnership approach adopted by Cardiff was exactly what we were looking for as we seek to continue the growth of our main event as one of Europe’s top sporting occasions,” said European Rugby Cup chief executive Derek McGrath.

“ERC worked closely with the city of Cardiff to broaden the appeal of the final when it was last at the Millennium Stadium in 2002 and we were rewarded with our biggest attendance.

“Our final this weekend in Edinburgh is set to generate £30m for the Scottish economy and we would expect to have as big an impact on the Welsh economy over the next year.”