Munster secure approval to stage Champions Cup clash at Páirc Uí Chaoimh

PÁIRC LIFE: A bumper pay day at SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh is on offer for Munster Rugby following Wednesday’s Champions Cup pool draw. Pic: ©INPHO/Ken Sutton

A bumper pay day at SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh is on offer for Munster Rugby following Wednesday’s Champions Cup pool draw for next season to offer the province a much-needed fiscal boost following a dismal treasurer’s report delivered the night before.

Supporters will have to wait for competition organisers EPCR to deliver a fixture list for their 2026-27 edition but the draw held in Dublin threw up plenty appetising home games with Union Bordeaux Bègles, their French counterparts Racing 92 and English PREM duo Bristol Bears and Gloucester placed in the same pool.

Clayton McMillan may be less than enamoured with his side’s name being pulled out alongside reigning back-to-back European champions and top seeds Bordeaux.

UBB sent Munster packing 47-29 at the quarter-final stage at Stade Chaban-Delmas in 2024-25, the season before the New Zealander arrived as head coach from the Chiefs and they are set to be spearheaded once again by France wing Louis Bielle-Biarrey, whose two first-half tries in last season’s final helped to kill Leinster’s dreams of a fifth star in a blistering 41-19 victory in Bilbao less than two months ago.

That last-eight defeat in Bordeaux came in a season for which Munster’s accounts reported a €1m cashflow, revealed at the province’s Annual General Meeting at Cashel RFC on Tuesday night.

The same report predicted a similar shortfall for the season just past as home knockout rugby once again eluded Munster, and honorary treasurer Tom Kinirons warned delegates that continuing deficits were “unsustainable”.

Munster have secured approval to stage one of its home games at the home of Cork GAA in either October or December and will be hoping EPCR delivers a tasty fixture. The competition rule changes implemented for this season should make any of the four potential visitors an entertaining prospect, with match points at a premium with the number of automatic qualifiers for the knockout stages reduced to three teams in each pool and the remaining four places for the Round of 16 awarded on total points accrued rather than the final standings.

Furthermore, EPCR will separate teams tied on match points by matches won rather than points difference, while the introduction of offensive bonus points to reward teams winning by three or more tries is designed to encourage the superior side to keep attacking and defending to the full-time whistle, and send fully-stacked line-ups for away games, something that was lacking in previous seasons.

Each of UBB, Racing and Bristol have the attacking flair to deliver excitement from minute one to 80 while a Gloucester squad now boasting former Munster man Jean Kleyn in its ranks will be an equally attractive opponent to draw crowds to Leeside.