CONNACHT HEAD COACH Pete Wilkins says it would be brilliant if their URC clash against Munster in March is moved to the home of Mayo GAA in Castlebar.
Discussions have been taking place between Connacht officials and Mayo county board about the game being played at MacHale Park, with Mayo GAA clubs recently giving their backing to the plan.
Connacht have reduced capacity while they redevelop their home in Galway and while work is progressing well at their long-term home now known as Dexcom Stadium, the novelty at moving a match against Munster to Castlebar could yield a big pay day.
“It will be interesting,” said Wilkins. “I’m aware there’s been discussions, exploratory discussions I suppose, going on, above my head at CEO and board level in conversations they had with Mayo GAA. And the Munster game is one of the options that they’ve talked about.
“But I think our reaction as coaches and players, it’s one of excitement, I suppose. It’s obviously a little way off actually coming together into forming as a plan, but I think the prospect of it is brilliant, to go to a historic venue of that size.”
Connacht previously moved games to Dubarry Park in Athlone and Corinthian Park outside Galway city when development work was previously being carried out two decades ago at the Sportsground.
But this is the first time Connacht have looked at playing at a GAA ground in the province and Wilkins said playing in Castlebar would be an opportunity to expand their supporter base.
“Taking the game to another part of the province is a really good opportunity,” he added. “I think as well to be playing in front of whatever crowd we would get up there, as great as the atmosphere has been here at Dexcom with the reduced standing and seating, to go in a place somewhere larger where we get an opportunity for more supporters from a different part of the province to come and watch us, it’d be brilliant.
“And we’ve seen the success of the games taken to GAA venues by other provinces. So, look, if it does happen, then, we would be right behind the idea, because I think there’s a bit of road to go,” added Wilkins, whose side return to URC action this weekend when they host the Bulls at Dexcom Stadium in Galway.
Brilliant Idea!
@cian nolan: let’s hope they are more such events to bring great sporting entities together.
This is a great idea.after all we.are all connacht. Get that mentality in .nobody cares about us apart from ourselves
Venue of that size? It’s 26k ffs
@5sZl1dX2: that is probably twice the size of Connacht home ground at the moment. So of course it’s a big stadium to them.
@5sZl1dX2: The only provincial team to play in a stadium of comparable size is Munster at Thomond Park, and Munster only managed to sell it out once last season – against Leinster, and didn’t manage to sell it out for any of the Champions cup games. So I would say “venue of that size” is appropriate. Yes, Leinster play at Landsdowne now, but RDS is a more reasonable size for regular season games.