Murrayfield to Host Celtic Cup final

The Celtic Cup final between Edinburgh Rugby and Ulster will be staged at the home of Scottish Rugby, Murrayfield, on Saturday, 20 December (kick-off 2.30pm).

The Celtic Cup final between Edinburgh Rugby and Ulster will be staged at the home of Scottish Rugby, Murrayfield, on Saturday, 20 December (kick-off 2.30pm).

In keeping with tradition, Celtic Rugby has opted to stage their showpiece final at an International venue. Murrayfield will follow in the footsteps of Lansdowne Road and the Millennium Stadium in hosting this major event.

“Having Murrayfield as the venue for the Celtic Cup final is great news for the players, the supporters and the tournament and is in keeping with the status of the competition,” said Celtic Rugby Tournament Director Keith Grainger.

“After highly successful finals in Dublin and Cardiff it is only natural that the Scottish capital should be next on our list to stage our showpiece event. The success of Edinburgh in becoming the first professional Scottish side to reach the final of an International competition is bound to add to the excitement.

“We aim to turn the occasion into a pre-Christmas jamboree for all sports fans in Scotland.

“We will be seeking to offer some imaginative ticket packages in order to entice a big family audience to Murrayfield and it really will be a great way to kick-off the Christmas holiday period by watching one of the northern hemisphere’s top rugby union finals.”

Scottish Rugby Union Celtic League board member Jim Gracie said: “The Celtic Cup is an important tournament and it’s entirely fitting for the players of Edinburgh Rugby and Ulster that they will perform at Murrayfield, our world-renowned international stadium.

“There’s already eager anticipation about the final and I know there will be much imagination and effort going into making the day a big success for Celtic Rugby.”

There were 30,000 fans at Lansdowne Road to see Leinster Lions beat Munster 24-20 in the inaugural Celtic Cup final on 15 December, 2001. This year 30,076 people turned up at the Millennium Stadium to see Munster take the title by beating Neath 37-17.

It will be the first time that Murrayfield has hosted a major international club rugby union cup final, although the ground did provide a magnificent stage for rugby league’s Challenge Cup final in 2002.

“There is little doubt that staging the game at Murrayfield should be a huge incentive to the supporters of both teams to turn out and support their teams. It turns the event into a truly international occasion,” added Grainger.

“There is a lot of hard work to be done between now and 20 December, but I am confident that with the full support of the Scottish Rugby Union, sports lovers the length and breadth of Scotland and, of course, the many travelling fans expected from N.Ireland to back Ulster’s bid to add the Celtic Cup to the European Rugby Cup crown they took in 1999, that we can create a very special occasion.”

The game is already scheduled to be broadcast live on regional platforms and negotiations will continue to broaden the broadcast platform.