The United Rugby Championship has confirmed that the home and away sequence for the fixtures between Leinster and Munster in Round 15 and 18 have been switched.
Munster will now be the home team in Round 15, hosting Leinster at Thomond Park on Saturday, April 2 at 19:00 (UK/IRE) with the game televised live on RTÉ.
Leinster’s home fixture with Munster, originally fixed for April 2 will now take place on the weekend of May 20/21. the date and kick-off time of this fixture will be confirmed in the near future once the schedule for all R18 games have been agreed upon with broadcasters and teams. This match is due to take place at the Aviva Stadium and will be shown live on TG4.
The switch has come about as a result of a tighter than would be comfortable turnaround time to get Thomond Park back to a playable pitch after hosting Ed Sheeran concerts in April.
Munster home game was originally rescheduled to Round 18 after the postponement of the St Stephen’s Day fixture due to Covid regulations.
“Following a thorough consultation process between Munster Rugby, Leinster Rugby and the IRFU I believe we have reached the best possible outcome in this situation,” said Munster Rugby CEO Ian Flanagan.
“We have all done exceptionally well in adapting to challenging and unique circumstances over the last two years in an ever-changing landscape and we are grateful to our partners and supporters for their ongoing support and understanding.”
“We are appreciative of the efforts of Leinster Rugby, the URC and broadcasters in working with us to find a practical solution for hosting our rescheduled Thomond Park game that was postponed over Christmas.”
This was not a straightforward process by any means, added Leinster CEO Mick Dawson.
“But the reality is that we were approached by the IRFU and Munster Rugby with a view to facilitating a switch in dates for the two games.”
“We understand that there will be disappointment in particular amongst Leinster Rugby fans who have been planning for the game on 2 April, but a solution needed to be found for that fixture in May with Thomond Park unavailable.”
Given everything that has been thrown at teams and fans over the past two years, it is a small inconvenience and the right result.
