Heineken Cup Final Sales top 30,000

Derek McGrath, ERC Chief Executive, said: "We are delighted to have broken through the 30,000-ticket barrier with almost three months to go before the final.

"We have got eight fantastic teams still left in the tournament from England, Ireland and France and many of the world's top rugby names are still on course to reach our 10th final in May."

"The huge demand for tickets for the Heineken Cup final in Edinburgh reflects the success of the partnership approach adopted by Scottish Rugby and ERC, working with the City of Edinburgh Council, VisitScotland and Event Scotland in the promotion of the event. The Heineken Cup final's first visit to Scotland promises to be another spectacular sporting occasion on and off the field."

Leicester Tigers skipper Martin Johnson is looking to bow out on a high with a third Heineken Cup triumph, while his English World Cup winning colleague Jonny Wilkinson is also hoping for a short hop over the border from Newcastle to add a new title to his collection.

Six Nations captains Brian O'Driscoll (Leinster), Fabien Pelous and Gareth Thomas (Toulouse) are all still in the hunt for Heineken Cup winners' medals along with fellow world class players like Serge Betsen (Biarritz Olympique), Steve Thompson (Northampton Saints), Christophe Dominici (Stade Francais Paris) and Ronan O'Gara (Munster).