Leinster And Munster Set For Record-Breaking Derby Day At Croke Park
Leinster will play at Croke Park for the first time since last season's Investec Champions Cup semi-final win over Northampton Saints ©INPHO/James Crombie
History will be made at Croke Park on Saturday when the BKT United Rugby Championship showdown between Leinster and Munster is played out in front of a new record league attendance. The last remaining tickets are on sale here.
The interprovincial derby, which kicks off at 5.45pm, is heading for an 80,000-plus sell out.
That would be an echo of the last time the arch rivals met at the Jones’ Road venue when they set what was then a world record attendance for a club fixture with 82,208 watching their 2009 European Cup semi-final.
This weekend’s huge gate will comfortably surpass the previous league best of 68,262 for the Judgement Day Welsh double header at the Principality Stadium back in 2016.
The highest figure for an individual match was 56,344 for the 2023 URC final in Cape Town where Munster beat the DHL Stormers.
As for a regular season fixture, the previous best was the 50,026 who attended the meeting between Vodacom Bulls and the Stormers at Pretoria’s Loftus Versfeld in March of this year.
The addition of the top four South African sides has seen a number of bumper crowds, with 50,388 watching last season’s final between the Bulls and Glasgow Warriors at Loftus, while 47,261 watched the Stormers defeat Connacht in the 2023 semi-final in Cape Town.
You have also had crowds of 44,106, 41,205, 39,925, and 37,246 for South African derbies over the last year or so. But now a new benchmark is about to be set by this weekend’s derby on Dublin’s northside.
Looking ahead to what will be a huge occasion, Leinster assistant coach Robyn McBryde said: “The nature of this one focuses the mind straight away. The internationals are now back. It’s a big one on Saturday. Croke Park is a great stage.
“My experience is the form book goes out of the window in derbies. It’s all about winning on the day. You are not there to play pretty stuff.
“There is possibly a little bit more blood and thunder around the approach, and we know there is plenty of blood of thunder about Munster. You can turn your season around just by having a great win over your local rivals.
“The nature of Munster and the threats they pose, that focuses the mind. It’s one we look forward to, but you’ve got 15 proud Munstermen in opposition, so we are going to have to be at our best.”
Giving his thoughts, Munster head coach Graham Rowntree commented: “You don’t get the rivalry between Munster and Leinster until you are stuck in the middle of it.
“For over 75,000 people to want to attend a club game that isn’t even a play-off just shows how incredible that competition is between us and Leinster. There is an intense, but respectful rivalry there and they are a great team.
“Our recent history against Leinster would have shown how class these games have been and, certainly, from what I am seeing and hearing from the group, I am expecting a huge performance on Saturday.”
PREVIOUS HIGHEST LEAGUE ATTENDANCES:
68,262 – Judgement Day (April 2016)
62,338 – Judgement Day (April 2018)
60,642 – Judgement Day (April 2017)
56,344 – DHL Stormers v Munster (Final, May 2023)
52,762 – Judgement Day (April 2015)
51,297 – Judgement Day (April 2019)
50,388 – Vodacom Bulls v Glasgow Warriors (Final, June 2024)
50,026 – Vodacom Bulls v DHL Stormers (March, 2024)
47,261 – DHL Stormers v Connacht (Semi-Final, May 2023)
47,125 – Glasgow Warriors v Leinster (Final, May 2019)
46,092 – Leinster v Scarlets (Final, May 2018)
44,558 – Munster v Scarlets (Final, May 2017)
44,106 – DHL Stormers v Vodacom Bulls (Quarter-Final, May 2023)
41,205 – Vodacom Bulls v DHL Stormers (February 2023)
41,139 – Judgement Day (April 2023)
39,925 – DHL Stormers v Vodacom Bulls (December 2023)
37,904 – Edinburgh v Glasgow Warriors (January 2024)
37,246 – DHL Stormers v Hollywoodbets Sharks (January 2024)
36,174 – Judgement Day (March 2013)