Premiership final to take place behind closed doors at Twickenham
The Premiership Rugby final will be staged at Twickenham next month despite the government’s ban on supporters because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
It is understood that the Rugby Football Union agreed to stage the event at the stadium on Oct 24 on a cost-price basis, of around £75,000, because of the financial crisis caused by the impact of the government’s restrictions.
Premiership clubs have explored options of staging the final at venues such as Gloucester’s Kingsholm stadium amid concerns that PRL would not be able to gain permission to hold the final at Twickenham from Richmond Council, because their broadcasters BT Sport wanted an evening kick-off to avoid a clash with the Six Nations match between Ireland and Italy, which is scheduled to kick-off at 3.30pm.
The government’s decision to extend the ban on supporters attending sporting events on Tuesday however made that concern irrelevant.
It is likely that the Premiership final will now shift from its traditional afternoon slot to a 5.30pm kick-off although it has yet to be confirmed. The Premiership final has only had an early evening kick-off on three previous occasions, in 2004, 2009 and 2010.
England are also due to play the Barbarians at the stadium 24 hours later on Oct 25.
“Rugby Union is facing the biggest challenge in its history and we are fighting a battle for the future of the game,” said Darren Childs, PRL’s chief executive.
“But we owe it to the clubs, players and management who have fought for more than a year to reach the Gallagher Premiership Rugby final that the culmination of the season is held at the iconic Twickenham Stadium.
“We would also like to thank the RFU for partnering with us to deliver this vision of a fitting final for professional rugby in England.
“Having the final behind closed doors for the first time in its history is a stark reminder of the fight for survival being staged by Premiership clubs.
“Normally, the stadium would be packed with 80,000 dedicated fans, and we are so disappointed we will not be allowed share the experience with them in person. It's always a fantastic day, and we have dedicated and passionate fans who are sticking with us through this crisis.”
Meanwhile the Premiership clubs have been asked to submit financial details about their businesses to the Department of Culture, Media and Sport following a meeting of the clubs’ chief executives on Friday.
It is understood there is growing optimism that government support will enable clubs to survive the next six months without supporters.
