National stadium a necessity not a luxury, insist IRFU

THE Irish Rugby Football Union has turned the heat back on the Government after Lansdowne Road was yesterday named as host to the 2003 Heineken European Cup final.

The IRFU used the announcement from European Rugby Cup Ltd to hammer home its view a national stadium was a necessity and not a luxury.

Union chief Philip Browne said the decision was: "A marvellous acknowledgement of Dublin as a fitting venue for the staging of major representative rugby fixtures. Based on 30,000 people travelling to Dublin, the event will generate something between 40m and 50m to the economy."