Croke Park to host major Leinster rugby games
Leinster Rugby matches at Croke Park are approved by the casting vote of new president Jarlath Burns.
The GAA has granted permission to use Croke Park for a pre-season soccer friendly in addition to several upcoming Leinster rugby matches.
A proposal to accommodate the province’s matches at GAA HQ and UPMC Nowlan Park due to the Aviva Stadium’s unavailability for necessary works ahead of the Europa League final in May and later in 2024 was given to Central Council earlier today. Later in the year, SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh will host another rugby match.
Following a heated discussion on whether to remand the matter to the delegates’ individual county boards, precisely half of the delegates decided to approve the policy change and the other half supported further deliberations.
Jarlath Burns, the newly elected president of the GAA, cast the deciding vote and chose the latter, with each game’s list being voted on separately.
The delegates were informed that a number of games during this and the upcoming club rugby season may be moved to Croke Park due to the prolonged closure of the Lansdowne Road site.
Leinster play the Leicester Tigers in the Aviva Stadium in the last 16 of the European Champions Cup on April 6. It is understood should they have home advantage for a semi-final on the weekend of May 4, Croke Park will stage the game.
The matches also include the involvement in the knock-out stages of the URC, starting with a quarter-final on the weekend of June 8. It was explained that the game could only be facilitated in Croke Park on Friday, June 7 as the Leinster senior hurling final is fixed for the venue on June 8.
Croke Park will also be available to Leinster for the semi-finals and final on the next two weekends should Leo Cullen’s side reach those stages.
The reported fanzone for the Europa League final should Liverpool qualify for the May 22 decider was also rubberstamped. A request by Australian events promotion company TEG to stage a soccer friendly in late summer has also received the green light, while UPMC Nowlan Park has been earmarked for a Leinster URC game later this year.
