Jake White has confirmed that the Vodacom Bulls will return to Bristol’s Ashton Gate should they get through to the semi-finals of the Champions Cup.
The Bulls gave their Champions Cup playoff hopes a major boost by claiming a bonus-point win over the Bristol Bears in Bristol in the third round last weekend.
Should the Bulls beat top-ranked Bordeaux in their final-round clash at Loftus Versfeld, they would likely finish in the top two of their pool.
However, as South Africa is currently not an EPCR shareholder, the local franchises are not allowed to host games beyond the quarter-finals of the Champions Cup.
Speaking after the win against the Bears, White revealed that if the Bulls get to the Champions Cup semi-finals, they would hold the game in Bristol.
“If we win [against Bordeaux] at Loftus, we get two home games in Pretoria [Round of 16 and quarterfinal if they progress], then the next game [semifinal] would be at Ashton Gate again,” White said.
“Maybe the stars have aligned.”
White explained why the Bulls had opted to use Ashton Gate, which has a capacity of 27 000.
“We get half the gate [takings]. It is a great stadium and has a nice feel.
“The chances of getting Bristol again in the competition would be highly unlikely.”
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