Munster’s first-ever European Champions Cup game at SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh next Saturday is as much a logistical operation as it is a rugby occasion.
The Round 2 clash with Gloucester (kick-off 5.30pm) will see Champions Cup rugby played at the Cork GAA stadium for the first time, with a crowd of over 30,000 expected and a record attendance for a European game in the province already confirmed.
Both stands are sold out, with terrace tickets the only remaining option on Ticketmaster in the build-up to the game.
Although Páirc Uí Chaoimh has successfully hosted Munster’s glamour games against South Africa A and the Crusaders, including a 40,885 sell-out against the Super Rugby champions in February 2024, this is the first time the venue has been configured for a high-stakes European pool fixture.
The most visible change will be that the posts from Thomond Park are being removed, transported to Cork, and installed for the weekend.
Virgin Media Park’s posts can’t be used due to different fittings, making Thomond the only viable source.
Match clocks will be added in the corners of the ground because the Páirc’s central scoreboard clock runs continuously and does not stop for breaks in play, as required in rugby.
A large screen will be erected at the City Terrace end, both to enhance the match-day experience and to help manage replays and information for a predominantly rugby audience in a GAA stadium.
The big-screen installation means a slight reduction from the 40,885 capacity reached for the Crusaders game.
The ground’s location at the Marina, just a short distance from Cork city centre, means a heavy reliance on public transport, walking routes along the river, and event-day traffic management, all of which will be familiar to regular visitors to the ground.
Munster’s ticketing strategy has also had to adapt. Season-ticket holders were told earlier this year that the traditional Thomond-only package would become a nine-game product, including this Páirc Uí Chaoimh pool fixture, with terrace season-ticket holders assigned seats in the Cork venue and offered the chance to upgrade.
Munster chief executive Ian Flanagan has previously described the decision to move a Champions Cup pool game to Cork as “a great opportunity to do something a little different” and to showcase a major competitive fixture to a wider audience in the south of the province.
Chief operating officer Philip Quinn has highlighted the financial dimension too, pointing to rising costs across the professional game and forecasting “a significant financial uplift” from staging the December pool fixture at the higher-capacity GAA ground compared to Thomond Park.
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