The GAA has cleared the way for a number of soccer and rugby matches to take place at its venues. At the meetings of its Management Committee and Central Council over the weekend, the association “granted permission” for “rugby and soccer events” to take place in Croke Park and SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh.
A motion to the 2019 annual congress liberalised the use of county grounds for events organised by other sports – once approved by Central Council – which had been previously restricted to Croke Park.
Should Leinster win their next two knock-out matches in the European Champions Cup – they play Leicester on April 6th and if successful, a quarter-final the following week – the semi-final, on the weekend of May 4th/5th is in line to be staged in Croke Park.
The Irish side’s usual venue for such a fixture, the Aviva, is unavailable because of the Europa League final, which is scheduled for May 22nd, and the associated work it entails.
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The RDS, Leinster’s home venue is also partly unavailable to them in June with a concert booked in the for the weekend of 23rd. Permission has accordingly been given for the use of Croke Park for any knock-out matches in the URC, scheduled to play its quarter-finals, semi-finals and final that month.
Croke Park hasn’t hosted a rugby match since Ireland’s last appearance in 2010, the final fixture in the schedule agreed during the redevelopment of Lansdowne Road and which earned the GAA €36 million.
Leinster have previously played there after special permission was given to stage the province’s 2009 European Cup semi-final against Munster in Croke Park, which attracted a then record attendance for a club rugby match.
The preponderance of the fixtures, however, relates to next season when Leinster will be homeless for a while, as the RDS undergoes development work with the new Anglesea Stand due to be built, staring this coming August.
It is believed Leinster are looking for alternative facilities for a total of 11 matches. As Croke Park would be too large a venue for a number of early season URC matches, it has been proposed that UPMC Nowlan Park may also be used.
SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh has already successfully hosted a number of these events in Cork. In November 2022, Munster played South Africa A and drew the venue’s first capacity crowd.
More recently, the New Zealand side Crusaders also drew a capacity crowd for a friendly with Munster.
The first full house in the redeveloped ground came in 2018 when a soccer testimonial for the late Liam Millar was staged. The controversy around this led to the official relaxation of the rules the following year.
