Munster rugby stadia revamp

MUNSTER Rugby has announced plans to partially fund a €30m redevelopment of both Thomond Park and Musgrave Park through a tax incentive scheme which could raise a third of the total cost.

The scheme was launched in Limerick yesterday with the intention of turning “passion into cash” for corporate backers and help develop Thomond Park into a 26,000 capacity stadium, Musgrave Park into a 13,000 capacity stadium, and also provide ancillary facilities for age grade rugby in both Cork and Limerick.

Munster Branch CEO Garrett Fitzgerald described the plan as integral to their intention to “provide the facilities the whole rugby community in the province deserve.” Not only did the branch need to do this work, but “we are going to do it,” he added.

Branch president Niall O’Driscoll said the success of the Munster team in recent years had been such that existing facilities were totally inadequate and with the numbers playing underage rugby “exploding,” the time was right to upgrade facilities which had become an “embarrassment.”

But he added that by utilising the Sports Capital Tax legislation, it was their hope that they could raise up to €10m of the estimated €30m cost.

“Individuals can make donations of €250 upwards to the scheme and, depending on the tax bracket they are on, the revenue will also make a contribution. Local businesses can also benefit from treating corporate donations as a deductible trading expense,” said O’Driscoll.

This would allow companies to write off a certain amount of their corporate investment in the plan against tax liabilities.

Although the plans for Munster’s two main venues have not yet been finalised, the Branch President said they intended to demolish the current stand in Musgrave Park and replace it with one which could seat 6,500 people and which would also incorporate improved changing facilities, a warm-up area and administrative offices, as well as a medical room, a drug testing room and a weights room and gym.

He said plans had been drawn up and these were with the local authority and were being discussed in a series of “pre-planning meetings.”

It is hoped the final plans could be sent for planning approval within two months.

The plan included the disposal to a developer of a one acre site at the Kinsale Road end of the ground.

The redevelopment of Thomond had not been finalised as yet, he said, but there were no plans to turn the ground around by 180 degrees.

More likely is the demolition of the current stand, to be replaced by a 7,500 seat replacement, with a similar stand on the opposite side.

Garrett Fitzgerald said rumours about the plan necessitating the purchase of houses in the Ballynanty area was something that had been discussed more on website chat rooms than in any planning meetings.

It was also revealed that the overall plan included the proposed development of a ten-acre site in Limerick for club and age grade rugby, while it was also intended to develop dressing room and storage facilities at the Cois Laoi site in Cork for use by both clubs and the Munster professional team.

“There are some 19,000 people participating in club, schools, tag and mini rugby in Munster and we have seen the establishment of clubs away from the traditional power bases in places like Mitchelstown, Fethard, Killorglin, Glenbeigh and Corca Dhuibhne,” said Fitzgerald.

“On top to that, we estimate that each Heineken Cup game can generate in excess of e1m, while the 85 players, management and support staff spend in excess of e6m in the Munster economy. We are generating this business and with the tax scheme we have unveiled today, we now want people to invest in us.

“We need facilities to allow us generate finances from outside the game completely and we need facilities to allow us to that,” he said.

The President added that the branch was aware that many Munster fans were disgruntled by the fact they could not get tickets to see their team and the plans being unveiled were aimed at allowing them access to see their team.

“The expansion of Thomond Park will ensure supporters having greater access to tickets for all Munster’s home games and we are acutely aware that we need to bring our grounds up to a level which reflects Munster’s standing in the world game.”

“The simple fact is that we need better stadia and better facilities for our under age structures and, because our support transcends all sports, we want to provide access for that support base,” he commented.