Cardiff Blues hope to stage Amlin Challenge Cup final

Cardiff Blues are hopeful of staging the Amlin Challenge Cup final as part of a bid that will see the Millennium Stadium host the Heineken Cup in 2014.

European Rugby Cup and the Welsh Rugby Union have called a press conference for Wednesday which is expected to confirm a successful Welsh bid.

That could see the Arms Park, with its new artificial pitch, host the Amlin.

"We're part of that bid in terms of the Arms Park hosting the Amlin final," said Blues chief Richard Holland.

"That will be a huge tick in the box if we're able to be successful in that bid, but we'll watch this space, leave the decision to ERC and the guys next door at the Union who are working hard on behalf of Welsh rugby."

"I see this as the future of rugby surfaces and I would expect other clubs and potentially national grounds to follow suit"

Richard Holland Cardiff Blues chief executive

The WRU entered the running to stage European club rugby's showpiece finals in June after the French Rugby Federation withdrew from staging the matches in Paris.

The French decision to withdraw from staging both finals in 2014 was the result of uncertainty over the availability of the Stade de France.

That opened the door to bids from Wales and England, with Cardiff now seemingly set to host the Heineken Cup final for a seventh time.

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