Munster Rugby set sights on playing games in the US, says CEO

“All those things are options for us to look at,” chief executive Ian Flanagan told the Irish Examiner.

AMERICAN DREAM: Munster Rugby CEO Ian Flanagan would like to see games played in the USA. Pic: ©INPHO/James Crombie

Munster Rugby decamps to Dublin’s Mansion House on Thursday night for their annual fundraising dinner in the capital but the province has its sights set further afield, across the Atlantic.

The commercial dinners provide vital income to Munster’s domestic, grassroots game with London the next stop in February, while their annual New York event is becoming a firm fixture for the province’s North American supporter base.

The United States is of considerable interest as the sport bids to gain traction there with six years to go to their historic hosting of the World Cup and finding a way to take games overseas without sacrificing home gate revenues is a primary objective.

Munster had begun talking to the Sharks about the South African URC franchise taking their league fixture from Durban to the USA before the fixture schedule pitted them together in October, too soon to put the necessary framework in place.

Yet chief executive Ian Flanagan is eager to continue his pursuit of an American fixture for the province, believing only the involvement of Munster or Leinster, or both, can help interested partners get plans off the ground across the pond.

“All those things are options for us to look at,” Flanagan told the Irish Examiner.

“The URC have played South African games in London for the South African diaspora, and the URC is very keen to play a game in London, very keen to play a game on a regular basis, very keen to play a game in North America.

“The NRL have moved their season opener to Las Vegas for a five-year period and the first edition of that was very successful. NFL move games, NBA move games, so this isn't something new. All leagues and tournaments are looking at that.

“We've been quite clear that we don't want to move a Munster home game out of Munster. We're very open to playing a Munster away game somewhere if it works for us and our supporters.

“There were initial discussions with the Sharks in Durban, about potentially moving the Durban game somewhere because obviously, they're owned by an ownership group that have American owners in it.

“So we will always be open about a scenario that works for us but what we are talking at the moment is moving a Munster away game.

"Whether it'll happen in the next couple of years, it very much depends on the league and the league finding the right promoter, and the financials working for everyone and the event working for people in terms of travel and everything else but we won't be moving a home game out of Ireland anytime soon.

“Realistically I think a number of the URC clubs would look at moving a home game versus Munster or home game versus Leinster somewhere, if it made sense for them, so it's all about the circumstances being right, but I don't see it happening anytime soon.

“It's something that may happen in the future, but probably the more realistic scenario we're exploring now was the idea of doing a pre-season game at some stage. But rugby is very much a sport in its developmental stage in the States and it's all about finding the right city, the right promoter, the right venue, the right opposition and then for the city to back that game and to make it happen.

"So I would say that's probably the more likely first step. There's nothing in the offing at the moment, so I think probably you're looking at 2026 before anything like that might happen but again, it's something we would only undertake if it made sense for us as a business and as a club and something that delivered real value to us.”