By JON NEWCOMBE

Dominic McKay, chairman of European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR), has revealed that interest in hosting European club rugby’s finals weekend was higher than ever after announcing Cardiff and Bilbao as the venues for 2025 and 2026.
The desire to host the Champions Cup/Challenge Cup showpiece matches in a traditional rugby stronghold one year and in an emerging market the next was reflected by the breadth of applications EPCR received.
“We had 23 expressions of interest with 12 countries bidding and that is testament to the excitement around finals weekend, so I am incred...