London Stadium will host a Premiership Rugby match between Saracens and Harlequins next March, it has been announced.
The London rivals will face off at the former Olympic Stadium on March 24. The stadium hosted a number of games during England’s staging of the Rugby World Cup in 2015.
Saracens had held a multi-year partnership with Wembley Stadium that saw the team host 14 Premiership and European matches at the national stadium. However, the club has opted to bring this association to an end following a breakdown in the relationship.
Saracens chief executive Heath Harvey said: “As a visionary and innovative club we are delighted to be teaming up with a stadium and team that matches our ambition to create a landmark showpiece event.
“London Stadium has become synonymous with delivering great entertainment and sporting spectacles and this opportunity is one that both parties are very excited about.”
On Wembley, Harvey added: “We have enjoyed a number of successful years with Wembley Stadium however despite continued attempts over the past year to build on the long-term relationship Wembley have not matched our ambition.”
Linda Lennon CBE, chief executive of London Stadium, said: “We are delighted to announce our partnership with Saracens and look forward to welcoming their supporters for a fixture of such prestige.
“We take immense pride in delivering a diverse calendar of events and look forward to building a strong bond with Saracens and their supporters.”
London Stadium currently serves as the home of Premier League football club West Ham United, which last week revealed that it had sold some 52,000 season tickets for the 2017-18 Premier League campaign.
The venue will also host this year’s World Para Athletics Championships from July 14-23 and the International Association of Athletics Federations’ (IAAF) World Championships from August 4-13.
Plans are also in place for the stadium to host games during the 2019 Cricket World Cup.
Image: Hammersfan
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