New Aviva Stadium bid to host 2011 Heineken Cup decider
IRFU chief executive Philip Browne, who is also chairman of the Lansdowne Road Stadium Development Company, revealed yesterday that a bid to that affect will be launched in the coming months.
Should the bid be successful, the new Aviva Stadium would play host to two major sporting finals in the month of May in that year as the ground has already been confirmed as the venue for that season’s Europa League decider.
Dublin last played host to the Heineken Cup final six years ago when Perpignan lost out to Toulouse while Ulster won the first final to be played at the old Lansdowne Road when they defeated Colomiers in 1999.
“It’s up to the board of ERC Ltd but we haven’t had a final here for a long time,” said Browne. “Our time is due and 2011 seems like a good time to have it. There is a bidding process which has to go through and that won’t be finished for some time.”
It is a major boost for the new arena and for the city and country in general, and Browne highlighted the wider significance of the stadium in pointing out that 650 people are currently employed at the ground, a figure that will reach as high as 900 in time.
“We have carried out research of all our major rugby internationals, the most recent being the Ireland-England in 2007. That match generated an economic impact of almost e90m. So, stadium activities are not just good for soccer and rugby. They are a benefit to the community at large.”
Less certain are the details concerning the first official game to be played at the ground, which is due to be completed in April of next year. With the IRFU the bigger stakeholder, it will certainly be a rugby fixture.
However, the beginning of August has been pencilled in for the first game of any real significance and that does not tie in with the international rugby calendar. A sevens event was mentioned yesterday but Browne himself was giving little away.
“We are planning a rugby event which hopefully represents what Irish rugby is about. It’s interesting that the first rugby match played at Lansdowne Road in 1876 was a fixture between Leinster and Ulster.
“It was also interesting that the last fixture at Lansdowne Road was also Leinster and Ulster but I’m sure Munster and Connacht will have something to say about that.”
FAI chief executive John Delaney stated that there would be an official joint opening ceremony as well as a number of corporate events held to break the new ground in gently.
It has also emerged that a handful of League of Ireland games will be played in the ground prior to August and Delaney suggested that a number of Dublin-based clubs would be approached with that in mind.
It was reported last November that Argentina had been lined up to provide the first opposition for an international soccer fixture at the venue in August of 2010 but Delaney maintained yesterday nothing has yet been confirmed.
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
