European Champions Cup organisers say they are ‘breaking new ground’ in naming Bilbao and Newcastle as the venues for the 2018 & 2019 finals.
To paraphrase Micheál Ó'Muircheartaigh ‘neither a rugby stronghold’.
Spain has hosted big rugby games before, the Nou Camp in Barcelona was the venue for the French Top 14 final last year.
It is however, the first time the Champions Cup Final will be staged outside the traditional rugby territories.
The 2018 match will take place at Athletic Bilbao’s 4 year old San Mamés Stadium, which has a capacity of 53,289.
St James Park has a similar capacity of 52,354 and was one of the venues used for the 2015 World Cup.
The All Blacks, the Springboks and Scotland all played Pool games there.
Now Newcastle United’s home ground will host both the Champions Cup and Challenge Cup finals in May of 2019.
The Continental Shield final will take place over the same weekend at Kingston Park Stadium, home of the Newcastle Falcons.
