GAA chiefs received Croker back-up request from IRFU

GAA chiefs have received an official request from the IRFU to play Leinster’s Heineken Cup game with Brive at Croke Park on Saturday – should the RDS be deemed unplayable.

However GAA and Leinster officials are adamant the game will go ahead as planned at the first choice venue.

The request was made before the thaw in line with ERC regulations that the host team nominate a standby ground. But, following the heavy rain and rise in temperatures yesterday, the RDS pitch is set to be deemed playable.

A GAA spokesperson said: “An official request was tabled for a game to be played on a once off basis. There would be no opposition to it in theory but with the way the weather is going in looks highly unlikely that the RDS is deemed unplayable on Saturday evening. In theory the game could be played at Croke Park but it is highly unlikely.”

Meanwhile Munster GAA chiefs are confident they can play their first round of McGrath Cup tomorrow night despite the torrential rain which swept across the southern province yesterday.

Three first round games in the McGrath Cup are scheduled and officials admit there may be some venue changes due to the conditions. If the games cannot be played then they will be moved to Saturday with the winners in action 24 hours later in the quarter-finals. However Met Eireann last night reported that conditions should improve closer to the weekend.

Kerry are due to play IT Tralee in Austin Stack Park but it remains unclear if any of the All-Ireland winning squad will feature. The Kingdom endured a horrendous journey home from their team holiday after their flight home was delayed by a combination of bad weather and missed connections following the emergency landing of another plane. Players and management arrived back in Ireland yesterday almost 48 hours after they set out on the return leg.

Elsewhere, a decision on whether Mayo’s National Football League opener against Galway will go ahead under floodlights will be taken within the next 24 hours. County Board Secretary Sean Feeney said a call would have to be made on when the game will be played ‘this week’, most likely by this evening.

The game has been fixed for Saturday, February 6, but whether the County Board have permission to use the floodlights installed at McHale Park is still uncertain. Local residents have appealed Castlebar Town Council’s decision to grant retention planning permission for the McHale Park development to An Bord Pleanála. The appeal includes references to the floodlights, which could scupper the plan to play the game at night.

If that proves to be the case, the match will go ahead on Sunday, February 7, at the same venue.