It was a positive weekend for Rugby with Leinster seeing off their nemesis La Rochelle in front of a 50,000 crowd at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday at the same time as Ireland scored an impressive win against Wales in front of over 6,000 in Virgin Media Park in Cork.

Things were not so good for Ulster and Connacht exiting the Investec Challenge Cup but the season rolls on for the two winners.

Leinster will now face Northampton Saints at Croke Park on Saturday evening, May 4th for a semi-final that will dwarf the size of the crowd that will watch the Final of the Investec Champions Cup at Tottenham three weeks later.

Tickets will go on sale next Friday and while filling the 82,000 seats will be a reach, the atmosphere and the performance in the Aviva on Saturday will have everyone that was there scrambling to see it through and plenty more ready to jump on the bandwagon.

The opportunity arises because the Aviva is out of action ahead of the UEFA Europa League Final but the prospect of 30,0900 more fans and the novelty of Croke Park makes it an unfortunate clash that may well prove to be an experiential and a financial winner.

Back in 2009 the stadium sold out with a crowd of 82,208 watching Brian O’Driscoll, Ronan O’Gara, Bernard Jackman, Alan Quinlan, Leo Cullen and more going at it. The hope now is that the same will be the case for a new generation of players, albeit with English rather than domestic opponents.

In the Women’s Six Nations the drama will come closer. England next week will be a big challenge but then the tournament will round out with Scotland at Kingspan Stadium in Belfast on Saturday 27th April.

After the Bonus point win against Wales on Saturday Ireland sit in third place in the table, with six points to Italy’s five and Scotland’s four.

Third place secures qualification for next year’s Rugby World Cup in England, a massive prize and one which is all of a sudden back on the cards.

A Scottish win over Italy next weekend could set up an all-or-nothing clash for Belfast and probably a record attendance for an Irish Women’s game in this country.

 

Sport for Business Perspective:

Leinster and the Irish Women played at the same time on Saturday which was an unfortunate clash but their both securing wins set up a few weeks of great anticipation for what might come next and that is where sport is at its best.

 

The IRFU and sponsors Vodafone, Bank of Ireland, Aviva, Laya Healthcare, Energia and others are full members of the Sport for Business community.

 

 

The Sport for Business Membership comprises nearly 300 organisations including all the leading sports and sponsors, commercial and state agencies. 

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