St. James’ Park welcomed a combined attendance of 80,368 for the Heineken Champions Cup and European Challenge Cup finals on May 10-11, delivering a boost to the city’s economy of £24.6m - including £16m worth of direct expenditure.
The city’s hotel occupancy rate was 99% over a weekend in which a quarter of those attending the fixtures came from outside the United Kingdom, with those surveyed reporting overwhelmingly positive feedback.
Saracens lifted the Heineken Champions Cup at St. James' Park, while Clermont Auvergne won the European Challenge Cup
Newcastle’s status as a top rugby destination has already been established with St. James’ Park having successfully staged three matches during Rugby World Cup 2015, four Super League Magic Weekends and two Newcastle Falcons ‘Big One’ games.
England will play a full rugby union international at the iconic venue for the first time on Friday evening, while Rugby League World Cup 2021 games will be held at both St. James’ Park and Newcastle Falcons' Kingston Park Stadium.
Lee Charnley, managing director of Newcastle United, said: "Newcastle has developed an outstanding reputation for hosting major sports and entertainment events and we are delighted that St James' Park continues to play a crucial role."As well as having a world class venue in the middle of the city, we are proud to have highly-experienced, skilled people across the club and our partner organisations who can deliver a fantastic experience."These events not only benefit those who attend - they also have a hugely positive impact on local businesses, the region's economy and our wider community."
Eddie Jones will bring England to St. James' Park for the first time in history on Friday 6th September 2019
Mick Hogan, event director for Newcastle 2019, said: “The economic impact report and the supporter survey puts into a formal context what we already knew – that bringing the European finals to Newcastle has been a huge success.
“Anyone who was here to experience the event will be able to tell you it was a carnival of colours where immense sporting theatre was hosted with our famous North East hospitality, and the numbers certainly bear out those impressions.
“In addition to that it has further helped promote the sport of rugby within the North East, and that legacy aspect really is important in helping to inspire the next generation.”
Headline figures from the economic report and supporter survey, which was completed by NGI Solutions and received feedback from 1,950 respondents, include:
