Croker in mix to host Leinster rugby ties

Croke Park could host a number of high-profile Leinster rugby matches in the coming months.

These include the Champions Cup semi-final on the weekend of May 4/5 and the URC Cup final if Leinster are playing in those games and have home advantage.

Rugby matches may also be staged at Nowlan Park next season due to the non-availability of Lansdowne Road due to necessary works for a significant period.

In the case of the URC final on the weekend of June 22/23, Lansdowne Road and the RDS are unavailable for rugby as both venues are hosting concerts.

Croke Park will also host a fans’ zone on May 22 if Liverpool reach the UEFA Europa League final, which will be played in the Aviva Stadium. Páirc Uí Chaoimh is also likely to host another rugby fixture later this year. The details were presented to delegates at yesterday’s Central Council gathering. There was a robust debate on whether the matter should be brought back to the delegates’ county boards. Delegates were evenly divided on the issue, but on the casting vote of GAA president Jarlath Burns, the proposal was approved.

A URC quarter-final and semi-final could also be played in Croke Park if Leinster are involved. The tie would have to be played on Friday, June 7, as the Leinster SHC final will be played there on June 8.

Meanwhile, an attempt to

address the dominance of Kerry’s intermediate and junior sides in the All-Ireland club football series was rejected at Central Council. Delegates voted 37-9 against a motion from Meath club Rathkenny, which sought to exclude players who have featured in the county senior championship for divisional teams from lining out with their clubs in either the junior or intermediate provincial and All-Ireland championships in the same season.

It is understood Kerry were heavily against the motion, but they promised Central Council delegates that the Kerry championship would be reformed with the number of teams being doubled from eight to 16. However, this measure has yet to be approved by county board delegates.

Last year, the Clifford brothers, David and Paudie, played a key role in East Kerry’s victory in the Kerry senior county championship. As East Kerry is a divisional team, the pair were eligible to also feature for their club Fossa, who achieved a historic hat-trick of wins in the Kerry Premier Junior championship and the Munster and All-Ireland series.

Kerry clubs have won 11 All-Ireland junior titles and seven All-Ireland intermediate titles since the introduction of the competition.

Ireland lost their first game of the Women’s Six Nations but there were some promising green shoots in their performance against France at the Stade Marie-Marvingt in Le Mans.

Ireland conceded five tries but they scored two thanks to Aoife Wafer and Aoife Dalton in the concluding ten minutes.

Considering Ireland have lost by an average margin of 39 points to