Thomond naming rights for sale as Munster seek new shirt sponsor deal

Munster will sell naming rights to Thomond Park if the right offer is tabled — but at the moment, the commercial arm of the operation if putting all its efforts into securing a shirt sponsor for next season.

Executives at the Heineken Cup semi-finalists want a replacement for main sponsors Toyota by June and though there is several enquiries, they are nowhere near the reputed €900,000 a year the car manufacturer was investing in Munster Rugby.

Toyota will end their main sponsor commitments with the province at the end of this season though they are likely to stay involved as car provider.

In a depressed sponsorship market, Munster will have to lower its asking price to seal a multi-year deal with a new sponsor. Cork GAA struggled for months to find a replacement for O2 before Chill Insurance came on board.

Munster officials have confirmed that they would sell the naming rights to Thomond Stadium, but are not confident of such a deal in the current climate. With the exception of Bord Gáis Energy’s tie up with the Grand Canal Theatre, there hasn’t been a significant naming rights deal since the opening of the Aviva Stadium in Ireland.

However there was some good news yesterday for Munster, with the ‘advantage’ of the home dressing rooms and jersey colours for the Heineken Cup semi-final clash with Clermont-Auvergne in Montpellier.

Munster won the toss to decide who will use the home changing room for the first tournament semi-final to be staged at Stade de la Mosson in Montpellier on Saturday, April 27. Saracens, meanwhile, have secured home changing room advantage for their semi-final against Toulon at Twickenham Stadium on Sunday, April 28.