There’s more money in Pro12 campaign, claims Fitzgerald

Munster Rugby chief executive Garrett Fitzgerald has played down the financial windfall of securing a Heineken Cup home quarter-final,insisting success in theRaboDirect Pro12 is worth more.

Fitzgerald welcomed Tony McGahan’s side’s achievements in marching into the last eight with six wins from six pool matches, a feat which earned the province top seeding and a home quarter-final date with Irish rivals Ulster on April 6, 7, or 8. Yet a week after competition organisers ERC trumpeted thepotential financial jackpots on offer to quarter-finalists, Fitzgerald suggested success in the Pro12 offered far greater revenue benefits.

“From a rugby point of view, it’s very important to move into the knockout stages with home advantage,” the Munster chief executivetold the Irish Examiner.

“It gives us the best opportunity of reaching the next round. But it is not as economically viable as you may think because in the quarter-finals, the gates are split in two between the two sides. This is the only round of the knockout phase where we would receive gate income — after that our gate revenues go to the IRFU — and so our home pool games would give us more gate income.”

Fitzgerald did point out there were also some financial benefits to reaching the last eight. “We would hopefully see a boost to merchandise sales and it will keep interest in Munster Rugby going through the Six Nations campaignbecause we will still be playing inEurope in April rather than finishing in January. Obviously there is a prestige to the Heineken Cup because it is a European competition and there is a big benefit to our sponsors from being involved but the domestic side of things, the RaboDirect Pro12 is very important to us financially because if we earn home semi-finals and a final in that it’s a bigger payday for us than the Heineken Cup.”

While Munster Rugby may not reap the benefits, the local economy seems set to do so with ERC last weekpublishing research that found the 2009 Heineken Cup quarter-final at Thomond Park against Ospreys saw the local economy benefit by up to €10.5m.

“This is hugely beneficial to the local economy,” Fitzgerald said of the home quarter-final draw. “But there is nodirect windfall for us.”

Success over Ulster on Easter Sunday will see Munster decamp to the Aviva Stadium in Dublin for the semi-finals, after McGahan’s side were handed a ‘home country’ draw against either Edinburgh or Toulouse for the last four on Sunday evening. That is whereLeinster will play their quarter-final against Cardiff Blues, having moved their game across the road from the RDS to the national stadium. That will mean a further windfall as by moving to a bigger stadium, the defending champions are entitled to a 65% share of the gate revenues.

The ERC also had good news to report on Monday night as they reported almost 2,000 tickets had been sold in 24 hours for the 2012 Heineken Cup final at Twickenham on May 19.

Heineken Cup quarter-finals

Saturday, April 7: Edinburgh v Toulouse,Murrayfield, 3pm; Leinster v Cardiff Blues, Aviva Stadium, 5.45pm. Sunday, April 8: Munster v Ulster, Thomond Park 1.45pm; Saracens v ASM Clermont Auvergne, Vicarage Road, 4.30pm.