Munster rule out Páirc Uí Chaoimh for URC play-off game

Province end speculation by confirming they will not seek move to Cork and instead stick with Thomond Park for potential play-off run

Mon, 03 Jun, 2024 - 14:06

Simon Lewis

Munster have confirmed they have no intention to leave Thomond Park during this month’s URC play-offs.

The decision, relayed to the Irish Examiner, ends speculation the defending champions were lining up a return to Cork’s Supervalu

Páirc Uí Chaoimh should they progress beyond this Friday’s home quarter-final against Ospreys.

Munster, who have earned top seeding and a home draw throughout the play-offs after finishing top of the URC standings at the end of the regular season last weekend, have twice played at the home of Cork GAA in front of 40,000-plus spectators. They defeated a South Africa XV on Leeside in November 2022 and Super Rugby champions Crusaders last February.

The success of those fixtures has fuelled calls for a return to the Páirc for competitive matches and the Cork GAA county board in April approved handing their venue over to Munster for a possible home Champions Cup semi-final on the weekend of May 3-5, though that became moot when the province was knocked out in the Round of 16.

The Cork GAA stadium would be free to use for a URC semi-final on Saturday, June 15, should Munster defeat the eight-seeded Ospreys at Thomond Park this Friday night, although that would be a tight turnaround for the playing surface to recover ahead of its use the following weekend.

“There are no plans to host any URC knockout games at Páirc Uí Chaoimh this season,” a Munster spokesperson told the Irish Examiner on Monday.