Fitzgerald bullish on future

Munster Rugby chief executive Garrett Fitzgerald is confident the province is making the right moves towards emerging from the economic downturn and staying competitive on the European stage despite the greater riches being enjoyed in France and England.

As the Munster Branch AGM at UL Bohemian’s Thomond Park clubhouse saw UL Bohs’ Mick Goggin installed as branch president for 2014-15, the headline figures from the annual report for 2012-13 pointed to more financial doom and gloom.

Poor season ticket sales, reduced RaboDirect Pro12 gate income and behind-budget retail sales contributed to a cash-flow deficit of €800,000 for 2012-13. Yet the green shoots of recovery are the underlying reasons for Fitzgerald’s optimism that in a new era for European club rugby, Munster are still on target to break even in 2015-16.

That deficit is €200,000 lower than the previous financial year and projected to be another €200,000 lower in 2013-14, the season ticket sales decrease of more than €650,000 offset partly by an increase in individual match ticket sales of more than €315,000.

The home Heineken Cup quarter-final with Toulouse in April also made Munster a profit of more than €450,000, all coming from hospitality and sponsors’ performance-related bonuses rather than the gate and television income which is divided between the IRFU and the visiting team, while the branch’s new commercial board is also earning its keep with increased revenues coming on stream, with sponsorship of the Academy and the selling of naming rights for Musgrave Park in Cork, where work is set to begin on a €3.2m redevelopment.

Fitzgerald called the renegotiation of Munster’s repayment plan to the IRFU for the remaining balance of its loan for the Thomond Park redevelopment a “huge boost” and the soon-to-begin Musgrave Park project will also open doors to more revenue streams in Cork, the province’s largest population base.

“We would be hoping to attract ‘A’ internationals, things like that. Maybe look at hosting the Under 20’s internationals for Six Nations. These things, where we have a minimum cost and a quality stadium would be ideal. A stadium like Thomond Park is too big for those kind of games. It is too costly for those kind of fixtures too.”

With the Heineken Cup now dead and buried, all the attention will be on its successor, the European Rugby Champions Cup, but Fitzgerald believes Munster have to pay particular attention to the Celtic League as it enters next season with a new title sponsor, a new broadcast deal with Sky Sports and the added incentive of qualification for Europe through league position.

“I think our league was competitive up to the end of the season this year,” Fitzgerald said. “The two Italian teams were battling away until the last day. It’s an area that the league, the people in charge of it, the clubs, have to promote and we got to change the mental approach and frame of mind people have that all that matters is the European Champions Cup. If we don’t change our approach to that, there won’t be a European Champions Cup because some year we are not going to qualify. This is our domestic league, a minimum of 11 (home) games as against three in the Champions Cup. That is the area where we can drive our income and drive our income in the future.

“I think the Sky coverage of 30 games will produce a much more professional product. I think hopefully it will generate commercial and spectator interest.”