The 14th Heineken Cup Final, staged at Murrayfield yesterday, was praised today as a tremendous spectacle which gave a multi-million pound boost to the local economy.

While the honours on the pitch were taken by Irish province Leinster, courtesy of a 19-16 victory over Leicester, organisers European Rugby Cup (ERC) working in partnership with Scottish Rugby, the City of Edinburgh Council, VisitScotland and EventScotland, also reflected on a hugely successful final.

Derek McGrath, ERC Chief Executive, said: “The 14th Heineken Cup final was a fantastic European occasion on and off the field and one that the whole city of Edinburgh embraced.

“The supporters from across Europe converged on the Scottish capital and received a warm welcome and I'm sure will leave with some great memories.

“The exciting season finale was a fitting result for the months of preparations carried out by our Edinburgh 2009 event partners and is certain to leave a positive legacy for the city and Scottish rugby.”

Leinster’s coach, Michael Cheika, said: “The crowd was unbelievable and the atmosphere in the stadium was amazing.”

His comments were echoed by Leinster’s stand-off, Jonathan Sexton, who kicked their winning penalty.  He said: “The atmosphere in Edinburgh and in the stadium itself was fantastic.”

A crowd of 66,523 watched the drama unfold at Murrayfield.  Lothian and Borders Police reported no arrests at the game and “no incidents of note” amid the post-match revelry in the city.

An economic impact study was being undertaken during yesterday’s event with the prediction that local business and the wider community would have benefited to the tune of £15 million.

Edinburgh’s Lord Provost, the Rt. Hon George Grubb, said: “Congratulations to Leinster on lifting the Heineken Cup for the first time, but also to Leicester for playing their part in what was a thrilling final.

“The atmosphere inside Murrayfield was electric – as it has been across Edinburgh all weekend.  Of course, it’s not just about the rugby, it’s about the pre and post-match activities and, once more, Edinburgh has proved it can put on a great show.”

Paul Bush OBE, Chief Operating Officer of EventScotland, said: “Murrayfield has proved yet again that it is a world-class stadium capable of hosting world-class events.  The supporters went on to party in the streets of Edinburgh and enjoy an evening to match the event that brought them to the city.

“We all look forward in anticipation to the Emirates Airline Edinburgh 7s Festival this coming weekend – the last event in a magnificent month of May at Murrayfield.”

Scottish Rugby’s Chief Executive Gordon McKie said: “I thank everyone who made a special day at Murrayfield possible yesterday, once again showcasing, in the best light, our stadium, the city of Edinburgh and Scotland.

“Scottish Rugby will continue to seek to work in partnership to attract major events to Murrayfield Stadium and Scotland, with the Emirates Airline Edinburgh 7s Festival this coming Saturday and Sunday our next event, bringing May at Murrayfield to a rousing end.”

Tickets for each day of the Emirates Airline Edinburgh Sevens Festival - priced at £15 for adults, £10 for students and senior citizens and £5 for under 18s – are available to purchase by logging onto www.scottishrugbytickets.com, by calling the Ticket Hotline on 0871 200 1511 or in person from the Murrayfield Ticket Centre (open 9am-5pm, Monday to Friday).

Notes to editors:  Scottish Rugby and ERC worked extensively with event partners EventScotland, Visit Scotland and the City of Edinburgh Council, to fully promote the 14th Heineken Cup Final, just one of the world-class events being staged at Murrayfield this month to ensure that everybody attending is fully aware of what Edinburgh as a city has to offer both the resident and the visitor.
The last major event of the month is the Emirates Airline Edinburgh 7s Festival on May 30 and 31.
 
Event Scotland – www.eventscotland.org
•    EventScotland is working to make Scotland one of the world’s leading event destinations. By developing an exciting portfolio of sporting and cultural events EventScotland is helping to raise Scotland’s international profile and boost the economy by attracting more visitors.
 
Visit Scotland – www.visitscotland.com
•    VisitScotland is Scotland’s national tourism organisation. Its core purpose is to maximise the economic benefit of tourism to Scotland.
•    The organisation has three key roles:
1.      To market Scotland to all parts of the world to attract visitors
2.      To provide information – and inspiration – to visitors and potential visitors so they get the best out of a visit to Scotland
3.      To provide quality assurance to visitors and quality advice to the industry and partners to help the industry meet and strive to exceed customer expectations
 
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