SRU in talks for Parkhead or Ibrox to host final

The RaboDirect final could be staged at Ibrox or Parkhead. Picture: Johnston Press

Glasgow have qualified for the PRO12 semi-finals and will conclude their league programme away to Connacht a week tomorrow. They are currently third but, should they finish above Leinster in second place, they would earn the right to host a semi-final and, if they won that, could host the final on Saturday 25 May.

The capacity of Scotstoun Stadium will be increased to 15,000 capacity by temporary stands set up for next weekend’s HSBC World Sevens Series event. They would remain if Glasgow earned a home semi-final but rules state the final venue must have a minimum of 18,000 seats. That is impossible at Scotstoun – and the ground is booked for a schools athletics event in any case.

Dominic McKay, the SRU’s director of communications and public affairs, said: “The focus right now is on Glasgow’s game with Connacht next week and where their semi-final might be but we have had tentative discussions with both Rangers and Celtic about the possibility of them hosting the RaboDirect PRO12 final.

“The focus is very much on putting together a package that would work well for supporters, and, if we can keep the game in Glasgow, we will. But, if it is not financially viable, then Murrayfield is also an option.

“We are not pre-judging anything or getting ahead of ourselves. There is still a long way to go before we are talking about Glasgow in a final but we have to explore the possibilities should they continue their successful form this season and secure what would be a first-ever final appearance for a Scottish club.”

There is a hope that, should Glasgow reach the final, they could attract a sizeable support from across Scotland, emulating the 38,000 fans who swarmed to Murrayfield for Edinburgh’s Heineken Cup quarter-final match with Toulouse last season.