LYON: European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR) has officially announced that the city of Lyon will be the host for the highly anticipated 2027 Investec Champions Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup Finals weekend.
These prestigious events will take place at Lyon’s impressive OL Stadium, which impressively holds a capacity of 59,186 spectators. This state-of-the-art stadium is set to welcome rugby fans from all over the world as they gather to witness the thrilling conclusion of the season’s top international club competitions.
The selection
There were seven bids from six different cities that took part in a highly competitive selection process, which was managed in partnership with The Sports Consultancy.
After careful consideration, the EPCR board selected the OL Stadium as the host for the 2027 Finals. This stadium is the home of the French professional football club Olympique Lyonnais.
With this decision, EPCR chairman Dominic McKay expressed his excitement about Lyon hosting the Champions Cup and Challenge Cup finals in 2027. He shared: “We are delighted Lyon will be the host city for the 2027 Finals weekend. Following so many expressions of interest from across the world and given the high standards of all bidders, the decision process was extensive and challenging. We have no doubt that Lyon will host an extraordinary weekend of rugby.”
He added: “OL Stadium is a world-class venue, and we are proud to be part of its sporting legacy, alongside incredible events such as the 2024 Olympics and 2023 Rugby World Cup, and to contribute to the city’s rugby and sporting legacy.”
“French rugby is in an incredibly exciting place, and Lyon had a great commitment to nurturing the sport and inspiring future generations. It is also a great destination, with cultural and gastronomic highlights for visitors to enjoy.”
“We look forward to welcoming rugby fans from across France and the rest of the world to join us in Lyon for our EPCR Finals Weekend in 2027.”
Lyon will host the Finals weekend for the second time in 2027. The city had previously hosted the event in 2016, the year the OL Stadium first opened.
All about sustainability
In line with EPCR’s sustainability strategy, all host stadiums for the Finals must meet the ISO 20121 certification to ensure they follow high environmental and sustainability standards.
With this, the OL Stadium was designed with sustainability at its core. The venue has its eco-friendly practices. Furthermore, the stadium operates on 100% renewable energy, partly due to the solar panels installed on its roof.