ULSTER COACH Brian McLaughlin has praised rugby fans travelling to the Heineken Cup final in London on Saturday for their commitment and loyalty but is concerned they are being subjected to a travel rip-off.
“I am just hoping that all the fans who want to get across can get out of Belfast because the travel companies seem to be making a bit of a killing on the game,” he said, when he and squad members met the press in Belfast.
The 6ft 7 in South African Ulster forward Johann Muller also took time at the session on Tuesday to express his admiration for Ulster supporters, predicting “Ulster fans will be that little bit louder” than Leinster’s
Iain Campbell, chairman of the Ulster Rugby Supporters Club, agreed with Muller. “Oh yes, I think we can out-sing them,” he said yesterday.
“We have an advantage – when we sing Stand Up for the Ulstermen we all have to stand up. You very quickly can see where all your fellow supporters are sitting. That does help focus us all on supporting the team together.”
Campbell agreed with McLaughlin about how difficult it was for Ulster fans to travel.
“There’s been a mad scramble and all sorts of silly prices have been bandied about. The worst I heard was of a colleague who paid £450 (€563) for a return flight,” he said.
There are 800 members in the supporters club, many of whom will be joining the thousands more exiting the North for the game.
The supporters have been working to outwit the travel companies, said Campbell.
“I think a lot of people have been enterprising. They will be flying into Bristol and Birmingham and Southampton and Southend and making their way by train, bus and car to London. And I think they are paying fairly normal prices,” he said. “More are getting the ferries to Scotland and travelling down to London.”
Supporters would not be thwarted: “Sure we might never have an all-Ireland final again for many, many years.”
Leinster are favourites but he feels Ulster have a real chance.
“Against Munster the heart said ‘yes’ but the head said ‘it is a big ask’. But we did it. The same can happen in Twickenham.”
