Hampden to host Glasgow v Edinburgh in December

A general view of Hampden ParkImage source, SNS
Image caption,

Hampden Park has previously hosted athletics as well as football

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Glasgow Warriors will stage their home leg of this season's 1872 Cup tie against Edinburgh at Hampden Park.

Warriors will face their Scottish rivals in the first match of the United Rugby Championship festive double-header on 21 December.

Edinburgh traditionally elect to host their derby matches at Murrayfield rather than their own Hive Stadium.

The national rugby stadium in Edinburgh's 67,000 capacity offers a far greater scope for attracting more fans, and the December 1872 Cup game between the sides last season in the capital drew a crowd just short of 38,000.

With the capacity at Warriors' home ground of Scotstoun currently just above 7,000, the URC champions have moved to utilise the 52,000-capacity national football stadium to ensure they too can maximise the commercial opportunities that come with the showpiece fixture in Scottish rugby.

Warriors have staged big matches at football grounds before. The Pro14 final between Glasgow and Leinster in 2019 was held at Celtic Park, attracting a Scottish club record crowd of more than 47,000.

Glasgow and Scottish Rugby will hope the switch to Hampden for the December derby will bring greater exposure for the 1872 Cup and grow interest in the game in a city traditionally dominated by football.