More than a game: the business of Munster Rugby

You do not need to look back at the rugby landscape of a decade ago to realise what a fast-changing environment the sport is in.

Just 40 days ago, there were 12 teams in Munster’s league competition and yet this evening they face South Africa’s Cheetahs in the second round of the Guinness PRO14.

Back in 2007, though, Munster took a significant step forward with the signing of All Blacks record try scorer Doug Howlett and 10 years on he sits across the boardroom table at the province’s Cork headquarters as its new head of commercial and marketing, although in a nod to some consistency in a world gone mad, his 49 tries for New Zealand remains unsurpassed.