Bilbao prices lead to finals rethink

The high prices of flights to Bilbao and hotel rooms for this weekend’s Champions Cup and Challenge Cup finals are likely to influence the choice of venues for future finals.

The Champions Cup final between Leinster and Racing 92 remains on course to be a sell-out, but supporters have had to look at a variety of travel options, including ferries from Ireland to Spain and fly-drives to southern France, given the lack of competition in direct flights to Bilbao. With hotels also hiking up their prices, thousands of fans have opted to stay in tents.

European Professional Club Rugby is understood to be working with the authorities in Newcastle, the location for next year’s finals, to ensure there are adequate travel solutions, as well as reasonably priced accommodation.

While the concept of taking the finals to new destinations to grow the brand is laudable, it seems that the organisers will in future give more weight to locations that are easily accessible for as many supporters as possible.

The format of selecting two venues for two successive years in advance will also change in order to provide the organisers with more flexibility to alter their priorities, given the experience of the previous finals.

It is understood there have been more than 10 applications to host the 2020 finals.