European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR) has insisted that the kick-off time for the Investec Champions Cup final will remain unchanged despite the FA Cup competition.
Rugby’s marquee event is scheduled to kick off at 2:45pm local time on Saturday, May 25th at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
It will be played on the same day as the FA Cup final at Wembley, but it was confirmed that it would start earlier on Tuesday at 3pm on advice from the Metropolitan Police, which classifies the Manchester derby as a “high risk” match. . .
150,000 fans gathered
Both stadiums are located in north London, although 19 miles apart, and with 150,000 people at the ground at the same time, there could be travel issues.
There is also the issue of both matches being shown on free-to-air ITV, meaning the Champions Cup will be moved to sister channel ITV4.
However, EPCR said all broadcast arrangements had been “factored in” and the parties remained “satisfied” that the match would take place at the agreed time.
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An EPCR spokesperson said: “The kick-off time for the Investec Champions Cup Final has been set for three months and has been communicated to fans, many of whom will be traveling to the UK, so they can prepare for the weekend.” Ta.
“The kick-off time has been agreed in conjunction with nine international broadcast partners in the UK, Ireland, France, South Africa and the United States, as well as the Stadium and the Metropolitan Police. The final will be broadcast in over 100 countries.
“Fan experience and broadcast requirements were key to agreeing the kick-off of the Investec Champions Cup Final and all implications were considered, including being shown on ITV4 rather than ITV1.”
“We are in constant dialogue with key stakeholders, including THFC Stadium and the Metropolitan Police, who have confirmed that they are satisfied that the match will take place as planned and as advertised.
“We look forward to welcoming a packed crowd to the world-class Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for the world-class Investec Champions Cup final between the top two clubs in the tournament.”
social media reaction
Rugby fans on social media were unimpressed with the match, with one writing: “Absolutely disastrous as always”, while another added: “The game was shot in the foot again!” Ta. That’s ridiculous. “
However, as the Champions Cup is an international event compared to the domestic FA Cup, the governing body had to take into account the requirements of all countries.
Therefore, EPCR said it has agreed with its main broadcast partners that the optimal kick-off time is 2:45 p.m.
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