Attendances for the Heineken Champions Cup and European Rugby Challenge Cup are up by more than seven per cent on the same stage last season. Just under 1.35 million spectators have passed through the turnstiles in the two tournaments this season so far, with the Challenge Cup showing a particular improvement at nearly 18 per cent. Indeed, quarter-final gates in the Challenge Cup soared by a staggering 41% on last year’s figure so that the total for the 2018-19 campaign is on target for a record. As for the Heineken Champions Cup, the weekend aggregate of 124,147 was the fifth highest in the quarter-final history of the European Cup and the highest since 2011-12. We are now sure to pass the 20-million mark for the all-time total attendance for the European Cup during the second semi-final in Dublin on April 21 between Leinster Rugby and Toulouse.