RaboDirectPRO12 Race to Playoffs 2012/13

.ak

What other neutral venues could it be played at? Any GAA stadiums that could be used etc?

tolosenc

Munster

.ak wrote: »

What other neutral venues could it be played at?

The RDS? It's near Leinster's home ground at Donnybrook, but that shouldn't matter... :pac:

totallegend

Ospreys

.ak wrote: »

What other neutral venues could it be played at? Any GAA stadiums that could be used etc?

Nope, at the moment the GAA management only have the remit to use Croke Park for other sports. To use Casement Park or anywhere else would require a motion from GAA Congress next year...

bilston

Windsor Park it is then:)

Buer

bilston wrote: »

Windsor Park it is then:)

Only holds 13k currently due to H&S.

P_1

Buer wrote: »

Only holds 13k currently due to H&S.

Apparently the Oval in Belfast can hold 15k, a few temp seats could bump it up to the 18k. Ugly looking ground though.
http://www.worldstadiums.com/stadium_pictures/europe/united_kingdom/northern_ireland/belfast_oval.shtml

CIARAN_BOYLE

Munster

P_1 wrote: »

Apparently the Oval in Belfast can hold 15k, a few temp seats could bump it up to the 18k. Ugly looking ground though.
http://www.worldstadiums.com/stadium_pictures/europe/united_kingdom/northern_ireland/belfast_oval.shtml

Don't have a clue about the details but supposedly limited to 5K for H&S reasons.

wiki wrote:

Capacity 26,556 (5,056 safe capacity)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Oval_(Belfast)

P_1

CIARAN_BOYLE wrote: »

Don't have a clue about the details but supposedly limited to 5K for H&S reasons.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Oval_(Belfast)

H&S, two letters that I've learned to hate

CIARAN_BOYLE

Munster

P_1 wrote: »

H&S, two letters that I've learned to hate

I've been assured that they are even more terrifying when reversed in order ie. S&H

desertcircus

In fairness, of all the structures in the world to fall foul of health and safety standards, sports stadia are a pretty fair category. There's a long and unpleasant history of unsafe stadia being the site of tragedies..

awec

The Oval would never be allowed to host such a game. It's restricted massively and isn't much more than a glorified bomb crater.

The only alternative in Belfast would be Casement Park and they won't allow it.

P_1

awec wrote: »

The Oval would never be allowed to host such a game. It's restricted massively and isn't much more than a glorified bomb crater.

The only alternative in Belfast would be Casement Park and they won't allow it.

Is it that bad? From looking at pictures it reminds me a lot of the Bradford Bulls' home ground

awec

Yes, Glentoran are planning to leave the stadium as it isn't viable for them anymore.

P_1

awec wrote: »

Yes, Glentoran are planning to leave the stadium as it isn't viable for them anymore.

Ah right, strikes me as being similar enough to Dalymount I guess.

Larbre34

Munster

It'll have to be Lansdowne Road really. The schedule there is clear, itll be in rugby setup after the HEC, Rabo will love the exposure and theyd probably get 40,000 at it, especially after both sides miss out on the big enchillada.

Just reviewing the run-in, has to be Scarlets nailed on to get 4th place now, Ospreys have to play Leinster and Glasgow and Scarlets have the comparatively easy Cardiff and Treviso. Its very much in Leinsters interests to thump Ospreys at the RDS in Round 22, although as usual those buggers will be well rested having had a typically rubbish European campaign!

molloyjh

Larbre34 wrote: »

It'll have to be Lansdowne Road really. The schedule there is clear, itll be in rugby setup after the HEC, Rabo will love the exposure and theyd probably get 40,000 at it, especially after both sides miss out on the big enchillada.

Just reviewing the run-in, has to be Scarlets nailed on to get 4th place now, Ospreys have to play Leinster and Glasgow and Scarlets have the comparatively easy Cardiff and Treviso. Its very much in Leinsters interests to thump Ospreys at the RDS in Round 22, although as usual those buggers will be well rested having had a typically rubbish European campaign!

I'll still be cheering the Ospreys on this weekend. Should they win and should we beat Zebre that will put anywhere from 4 to 6 points between us going into the last round.

awec

http://www.ulsterrugby.com/news/11384.php

"Ulster Rugby has today nominated the RDS in Dublin as its 'home' venue for a potential RaboDirect PRO12 Final on Saturday, 25 May."

its_phil

Munster

awec wrote: »

http://www.ulsterrugby.com/news/11384.php

"Ulster Rugby has today nominated the RDS in Dublin as its 'home' venue for a potential RaboDirect PRO12 Final on Saturday, 25 May."

:eek:

Leinster fans must be feeling like a pig in s*** today. Here is hoping Ulster fans don't do what Quins fans did and actually go to the game making it enough of a fortress so not to give Leinster an advantage. All on the proviso they make it of course

I presume the tickets wouldn't go on general sale like ticketmaster then if it happened? Ulster to sell them on their own?

ssaye

Last year the grand final tickets for Leinster went to your season ticket account, buy your own seat and no more and if not bought by x date, its goes to a public pile.

18500 seater

12-13k Leinster season ticket holders first 9000+ and thats it

First come first served for your 50/50 split

Podge_irl

Ulster and Leinster will each sell half and presumably only to their STHs.

Won't be enough tickets for every STH though. Which could be unpleasant.

awec

Podge_irl wrote: »

Ulster and Leinster will each sell half and presumably only to their STHs.

Won't be enough tickets for every STH though. Which could be unpleasant.

All the more reason why any all irish final should be punted over to the Aviva.

pc7

Is there any way if it was an Ulster V Leinster final that they could use the Aviva? Or now that Ulster have picked RDS as their 'home' final venue that's that?

Podge_irl

They'd be moving it to the Aviva on two week's notice, which I think would be unfeasible.

ssaye

awec wrote: »

All the more reason why any all irish final should be punted over to the Aviva.

It wont be unfortunately.

The weather last May, the players on show, the possibility of a double. I would have imagined Leinster alone would have sold the Aviva for the final easily maybe more.

awec

I think it would be a real shame for an Ulster Leinster final to be played at the RDS.

Not because I dislike the RDS, but because I think such a fixture would be yet another rugby spectacle in Dublin this year and if it's in the RDS there will be a lot of disappointed ticketless fans.

ssaye

Oh yeah , it will be 50/50 with probably 500 or so less for corporate sponsors
so 9000 each I imagine.

jamiedav2011

There were loads of tickets around for last year's final, think I remember a good bit of space on the North/South Stands too.

Think the lack of marketing time would put paid to a possible Aviva final.

Will Leinster increase the capacity for the final? Think we've done that before to up around 21,000.

ssaye

jamiedav2011 wrote: »

There were loads of tickets around for last year's final, think I remember a good bit of space on the North/South Stands too.

Think the lack of marketing time would put paid to a possible Aviva final.

Will Leinster increase the capacity for the final? Think we've done that before to up around 21,000.

Clermont home QF 2010 extra seats where the TV's were afaik

Probably wont happen.

Podge_irl

jamiedav2011 wrote: »

There were loads of tickets around for last year's final, think I remember a good bit of space on the North/South Stands too.

Think the lack of marketing time would put paid to a possible Aviva final.

Will Leinster increase the capacity for the final? Think we've done that before to up around 21,000.

This is true, though Leinster also had a slightly bigger final in London the week before so people would have spent a lot travelling to that. That won't be the case this time around.

jamiedav2011

ssaye wrote: »

Clermont home QF 2010 extra seats where the TV's were afaik

Probably wont happen.

Didn't they do it for the first Ospreys final too?