Mark Roddenlooks at the best Rugby and Golf deals
Rugby
The first fixture of the season for Munster, recently crowned Heineken Cup champions, is on Saturday, August 23rd, when they will take on the US Eagles in a friendly game at the 40,000-seat Rentschler Field in Hartford, Connecticut.
Munster Sports Travel (061-414717, www.munstersportstravel.com) is offering a six-night trip to the game from August 18th to 24th, for from €1,645 per person sharing. The deal includes flights to Boston, accommodation, transfers, match tickets and taxes. If you'd rather travel independently, match tickets range in price from $20 to $135 (€13-€87) and are available from www.ticketmaster.com/munsteror 00-1-860-5254500.
Munster Sports Travel also has ticket packages for the Munster-New Zealand tie on November 18th, which will mark the official opening of the redeveloped Thomond Park and commemorate the 30th anniversary of the province's famous 12-0 win over the All Blacks.
Foreign Afares (021- 4278999, www.foreignafares.ie) has announced details of its package for next summer's British & Irish Lions tour. The Lions are due to touch down in South Africa in May for a six-week stay, during which they will play three test matches against the world champions. The Foreign Afares trip leaves Dublin on June 17th and returns on June 28th, taking in two matches against the Springboks. Prices are from €3,245 per person, plus taxes.
Golf
Foreign Afares also has some late availability for this year's British Open at Royal Birkdale. Its three-night deal includes tickets for the final two days' action, on July 20th and 21st.
The package costs €899 per person, including accommodation and transfers. Flights are available from Dublin, Cork and Shannon.