THE UNITED RUGBY Championship have confirmed that the home and away sequence for Leinster and Munster’s scheduled derby fixtures in rounds 15 and 18 have been switched.
The postponed St Stephen’s day clash between the two provinces at Thomond Park had initially been rescheduled to take place on the final weekend of the regular season – the weekend of 20/21 May – although there were concerns surrounding the condition of the Thomond Park pitch as English singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran is due to play concerts at the stadium on 5, 6, 7 and 8 May.
It has now been confirmed that the feasibility of playing on the pitch surface at that time is not possible.
The possibility of moving the fixture to Cork’s Páirc Uí Chaoimh also appeared unlikely with Sheeran playing that venue across two nights in late April.
The new scheduling means Munster will now be the home team in round 15, with Leinster visiting Thomond Park on 2 April.
Leinster’s home fixture with Munster, originally scheduled for 2 April, will now be played on the weekend of 20/21 May, the round 18 game taking place at Aviva Stadium, with the date and kick-off time to be confirmed at a later date.
Munster Rugby CEO Ian Flanagan said, “Following a thorough consultation process between Munster Rugby, Leinster Rugby and the IRFU I believe we have reached the best possible outcome in this situation.
“We have all done exceptionally well in adapting to challenging and unique circumstances over the last two years in an ever-changing landscape and we are grateful to our partners and supporters for their ongoing support and understanding.
“We are appreciative of the efforts of Leinster Rugby, the URC and broadcasters in working with us to find a practical solution for hosting our rescheduled Thomond Park game that was postponed over Christmas.”
Leinster Rugby CEO Mick Dawson said, “This was not a straightforward process by any means but the reality is that we were approached by the IRFU and Munster Rugby with a view to facilitating a switch in dates for the two games.
“We understand that there will be disappointment in particular amongst Leinster Rugby fans who have been planning for the game on 2 April, but a solution needed to be found for that fixture in May with Thomond Park unavailable.”
Rescheduled fixtures
Saturday, 2 April
R15: Munster v Leinster (Thomond Park), KO 7pm
Live on RTE, Premier Sports, SuperSport, URC.tv
Weekend of 20/21 May
R18: Leinster v Munster (Aviva Stadium), KO TBC
Live on TG4, Premier Sports, SuperSport, URC.tv
