Limerick set for €5m Amlin Cup windfall

MUNSTER’S Amlin Challenge Cup semi-final with Harlequins could generate more than €5m for Limerick city and the surrounding region.

Mark O’Connell, associate director of Focus Consulting, believes the revenues wouldn’t be as significant as for a Heineken Cup match but predicts a significant upturn in business for pubs, hotels and restaurants on Shannonside on the May Bank Holiday weekend.

“It is difficult to determine the number of Harlequin supporters that will attend the semi-final as the Amlin Cup does not appear to generate gates as large as knockout games in the Heineken Cup,” O’Connell said.

“The support base of Munster will probably change the pattern with Thomond Park likely to be a sell-out for the game.

“While the 2009 home Heineken Cup quarter-final against Ospreys was worth €10.5m to the city the Amlin semi is unlikely to generate this level of economic activity.”

However, he revealed a number of factors are in favour of the local economy, explaining: “The game takes place on the Saturday of the May Bank Holiday weekend while English and Welsh opposition have always managed to attract greater levels of support and they tend to spend more per person.”

In terms of home supporters the fact the game will take place on the Bank Holiday weekend will result in more home-based supporters staying overnight in the city.

The game should be comparable to a Magners League game against Leinster which is always a major boast to the city. It was estimated that such a game could generate up to €6m in value for the city and based on the level of demand for hotel space in the city this Amlin semi should generate an economic boost of in the region of €5m to €6m.

Playing against English opposition will result in more supporters staying in the city for longer while Harlequins can access Limerick quite easily through London access into Shannon Airport.

The last study of a Heineken Cup knockout match at Thomond highlighted that visiting supporters spend an average of two nights in the Limerick area for the game and spent an average of €520 each.

The success of the Amlin Cup game on the city will depend on the attitude of Harlequins on the game and the number of tickets they will take up. The last major knockout game was Munster’s home quarter-final against Northampton which generated 4,000 bednights for the city among visiting supporters.

“It is the hotels, pubs and restaurants that are the main beneficiaries. Our studies have shown that accommodation accounts for 27% of visiting supporters expenditure with food and beverage accounting for 68%,” he said. “There is an additional trend when Munster progress in European competition as it attracts more people into the city to watch games in public houses even when games take place in the city while also increasing retail levels for Munster merchandise and replica shirt sales.”