Defeat a heavy blow for provincial economy

MUNSTER’S failure to reach the Heineken Cup knock out stages will have financial implications for the provincial economy.

The side’s Thomond Park quarter-final against Ospreys in 2009 was worth €10.5m to Limerick but the impact of the team’s progression in Europe’s famed rugby competition is felt far beyond the host city in terms of pub trade, hotel stays and merchandising.

Focus Consulting have under-taken a number of studies on the impact major Heineken Cup games have on the Treaty City and its surrounds.