Shield final heads to Oxford

The Kassam Stadium will play host to the final

The Kassam Stadium, home to Oxford United Football Club, will play host to this season's final of the European Shield rugby tournament.

The final is being held in England for the second successive year, following last season's extra-time victory for Harlequins over Narbonne at Reading's Madejski Stadium.

Capacity at the stadium, which is more used to staging Third Division football than top-class rugby, will be increased to 15,000 for the 26 May final.

And the stadium will also host the first semi-final between English Cup winners London Irish and Welsh club Pontypridd on Saturday.

Irish captain Ryan Strudwick will be looking for more silverware

On Sunday the second semi will see Gloucester and Sale meet at Northampton's Franklin's Gardens.

Automatic qualification for next season's European Cup will again be on offer for the winners of the European Shield.

"The qualification for the Heineken [European] Cup is the Holy Grail, and it will be massive for this club if we could achieve it," said London Irish rugby director Conor O'Shea.

Gloucester boss Nigel Melville added: "It is very important to get into the Heineken Cup.

"The fact that there are three English teams in the Shield semi-finals says everything about how important this tournament is."

Gloucester, Sale and London Irish would qualify for the European Cup if they keep their current places in the top four of the Premiership.