EPCR AND THE RFU have confirmed that Twickenham Stadium in London will host the Heineken Champions Cup and Challenge Cup finals on 21 and 22 May.

Crowds of up to 10,000 people will be permitted to attend each of the games next month, which Irish provinces Leinster and Ulster hope to be involved in.

Face coverings will be mandatory for all supporters in attendance and social distancing will be required at all times, said EPCR.

The Challenge Cup final will kick-off at 8pm on Friday 21 May, with the Champions Cup final following at 4.45pm on Saturday 22 May.

ECPR added that both matches “are subject to licences being granted by the London Borough of Richmond-upon-Thames” while also advising fans to “adhere to government advice (locally and in their territory, if not based in the United Kingdom) before making any travel arrangements.”

This season’s European finals had been due to take place in Marseille but Covid-19 restrictions “made it impractical to accommodate all ticket holders,” said EPCR, with those games pushed in France back to 2022. The 2023 showpieces will be hosted by Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London.

Ulster’s Challenge Cup semi-final against Leicester takes place at Welford Road in England tonight, while Leinster are in action in the Champions Cup semi-finals against La Rochelle in France on Sunday.

Meanwhile, EPCR has also confirmed that 24 teams will take part in the 2021/22 Champions Cup – eight from the Pro14/16, eight from the Premiership, and eight from the Top 14.

The competition had previously been reduced to only 20 sides but the format was changed for this season after the Covid-19 pandemic had affected some clubs’ chances of qualifying for the top-tier European competition.

EPCR said “further details regarding the formats and key dates for EPCR’s tournaments will be communicated as soon as practicable.”