Rugby fans splash out €492,000 on lunches

LIKE Napoleon’s soldiers, more than 1,000 battle-hardened warriors of rugby’s Red and Blue armies will march on their stomachs into Lansdowne Road for next week’s Heineken European Cup semi-final.

A total of €492,000 has been splashed out by 1,100 Munster and Leinster fans to attend pre-match lunches.

For each lunch ticket costing €400 (Munster) and €425 (Leinster), a supporter will get a stand ticket and complimentary drinks.

Tickets were sold in blocks of 10 for €4,000 and €4,250.

Mike Dawson of the Leinster Branch said they will host 500 supporters at their corporate lunch in the RDS.

He said: “Our corporate lunch sold out in 10 minutes. We could have sold twice as much places.”

The Munster Branch will host 700 supporters at their lunch in Jury’s Hotel.

Ken Lyons, president of the Munster branch, said: “It’s very good value for €400 a ticket with each person getting a stand ticket. We will also have a guest speaker and a free bar.”

He also disclosed that the architectural drawings for the new €40 million Thomond Park will be unveiled in coming weeks.

It will open for the first Heineken European Cup game in November 2007 and 10-year tickets have gone on sale for €5,000.

The venue will have seating for 15,000 in two new stands and 11,000 on the terraces.

The 10-year tickets can be bought by phoning 1800-311078.

Mr Lyons said: “It’s a significant phone number which nobody can forget, as Munster beat the All Blacks in Thomond Park on the 31st of the 10th, 1978.”