America-based Champions Cup final on the agenda, says EPCR chairman McKay

BIDS IN: Chairman of the EPCR, Dominic McKay. Pic: ©INPHO/Billy Stickland

A Champions Cup final in the United States is on the agenda for organisers EPCR as it looks forward to a sell-out decider in Dublin on Saturday.

Leinster and La Rochelle will contest the 28th Heineken Champions Cup final at Aviva Stadium while Friday night will see 35,000 supporters go through the turnstiles for the EPCR Challenge Cup final between Toulon and Glasgow with competition bosses on Thursday announcing decade-high spectator figures for this season.

Saturday's sell-out will bring the total number of spectators across Europe and South Africa in 2022-23 to 1,038,691, the first time since 2013/14 that Champions Cup attendances have broken the one million barrier.

A week after URC boss Martin Anayi spoke of plans to stage league games across the Atlantic, EPCR Chairman Dominic McKay voiced ambitions for the organisers’ finals weekends after receiving bids from across Europe, South Africa and the USA for the 2025 and 2026 editions.

Next season’s finals will be staged at London’s Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and the EPCR chairman suggested there would be broadened horizons beyond 2024.

“We’ve almost been inundated with the number of cities, stadia and venues outside the rugby family and inside,” McKay said on Thursday during a media briefing at Aviva Stadium.

“I think over 23 bids have come through from across Europe, America, South Africa and that shows the competition is in good health and there’s a real drive to try and challenge us to do new things and different things, whether that’s format or whether that’s finals.” 

McKay noted the decision to award the 2031 Men’s Rugby World Cup and 2033 Women’s World Cup to the United States and added: “We’ve had bids in from America. I can’t say who or where as we’re in that review process with all 23 bids we’ve received but I think there is a growing interest in America for all sorts of reasons. 

"We’ve all be involved in supporting American rugby, whether it’s international fixtures, supporting MLR (Major League Rugby) or making sure we promote ourselves effectively through broadcast deals in America.

“I think the big change that has happened is the World Cups that are now placed in America. That gives a north star for everyone to aim towards.

"So it’s natural and we’re not surprised but we’ve encouraged it to have bids come in to host a final in America. Whether that is practical in 2025 or 26 entirely depends on the bid and also our appetite for risk versus reward but having that World Cup in America, we all collectively have a role to play in developing the growth and support for rugby there because it’s great for the sport globally.

“So I suspect as we make decisions on future finals we’ll be doing that with one eye to how does that help support the country’s rugby development. That’s the big challenge for Rugby PLC, to make sure there’s a strong and sustainable plan to develop America.

“I think over the years there’s been a little bit of short-termism in some of the decisions that have been made in America and what we would want to do as part of our evaluation for any bid from America is how is that bid connected to a longer-term plan to grow the sport in America and how could we help contribute towards that.

“So we’re really excited about having a bid but we would want to make sure that when we look at it in detail that it’s part of a larger plan.”