The cream of European rugby is gathering in Bilbao

En Bilbao, las Siete Calles se transforman en 15. Y San Mamés abre sus fauces de plata para el rugby europeo, mientras los postes de las porterías de fútbol se prolongan hasta transformarse en palos de rugby.

Final matches return to the city. On Friday the 22nd of May, the EPCR Challenge Cup will kick off under the stadium’s floodlights. On Saturday 23rd, the Investec Champions Cup will crown the continent’s champion. European and British rugby heavyweights dream of stepping onto the pitch in Bizkaia. The names of true rugby legends already echo through the bars of Licenciado Poza. They are the same players who shone in the recent Six Nations, but this time they will be wearing their club shirts.

The vibe will spread far beyond the banks of the estuary. Thousands of voices from the islands and the neighbouring country will fill the Old Town. As will the fans of clubs from Spain and Portugal, who are coming, just as they did in 2018, to enjoy a major rugby event taking place right on their doorstep. Multicoloured shirts, costumes, berets, hats, wigs, spontaneous melees and lineouts precede mass toasts, chants and shared jokes. There is no conflict, only fellowship and nobility.

The excitement is palpable in the local tourism industry. The city has set up special venues and big tops to help people get into the spirit of the event. Hotels are fully booked. Bilbao is showing off its finest international credentials. The city is buzzing. Rugby reigns supreme. Bizkaia is demonstrating its organisational skills once again. The spectacle awaits the kick-off. San Mamés is establishing itself as a global temple of the oval ball. Epic moments await on the San Mamés pitch, leading to glory. Rugby isn’t just passing through Bilbao; it’s etching its mark on the city’s memory.