Cork rugby fans face tough test before take-off

Johannesburg-born Tony Stacey of the airport’s search unit was on passenger screening duty as the first Irish fans began to arrive

Irish rugby supporters (from left) Aidan Clarke, Peter Graef, Andrew Kelly, Seán Murphy, Shane Dwyer, and Jeff McCarthy at Cork Airport prior to departure for Paris for the Irish Rugby World Cup game against South Africa. Picture: Denis Minihane

Irish rugby fans at Cork Airport faced a tough South African test even before being cleared for take-off to attend Saturday’s World Cup crunch match against the Springboks in Paris.

Johannesburg-born Tony Stacey, a member of the airport’s search unit, was on passenger screening duty as the first of the estimated 30,000 Irish fans who are expected to travel for the game began arriving for the first of four flights departing Cork for Paris on Friday.