Not qualifying for Champions Cup could have cost Munster €1m in direct revenue

Munster’s Chief Operating Officer Philip Quinn admitted that potential scenario of not qualifying for the Champions Cup  “did not bear thinking about”.

FINANCES: Munster Rugby’s annual accounts for 2023-24 and their financial projections for 24-25 perfectly outline the difference between securing a home draw in the knockout stages of both Europe and the URC. Picture: Dan Sheridan/Inpho

Munster Rugby’s annual accounts for 2023-24 and their financial projections for 24-25 perfectly outline the difference between securing a home draw in the knockout stages of both Europe and the URC. What is more difficult to quantify, or even consider for some, is the impact of failing to qualify for the Champions Cup at all.

Munster’s Chief Operating Officer Philip Quinn admitted that potential scenario “did not bear thinking about” when he spoke to the Irish Examiner on Wednesday yet it had been a very real prospect heading into the last two rounds of the URC regular season, as Munster faced a finish outside the top of eight in the standings and a potential pool campaign in the second-tier Challenge Cup.