Leinster vs Munster: Record number of spectators at what is probably the biggest rugby derby in the world

On Saturday Leinster and Munster in the URC will play the great Irish rugby derby in the legendary Croke Park. For the second time ever, as the Aviva Stadium is currently undergoing renovation work and is now moving to the even larger Gaelic Football Stadium. It looks set to be the next big chapter in the history of this particular rivalry, which has had many of them since 1879. .

Almost 83,000 spectators will fill Europe’s third largest stadium for the big Irish final duel on Saturday. This means that the number of spectators will be higher than that of all international rugby matches worldwide this year and also beyond that of all the top European football teams. The two biggest teams on the Emerald Isle have been meeting each other for 125 years and the rivalry never seems to have been greater.

Leinster is now by far the most popular sports team in Ireland – the actual home team of Croke Park, the Dublin Gaelic football team, sold around 40,000 fewer tickets in six games in 2024 than Leinster sold in just two games. The popularity hasn’t changed, even though Leinster have now lost three European Cup finals in the series and failed in the URC semi-finals three times in the series.

The title drought in Dublin, which is unpleasant for Leinster standards, should definitely end this year, but the club has significantly upgraded its personnel. Probably the most spectacular new signing, Jordie Barrett, will only join the team with the All Blacks in a few weeks after the November Internationals and will then compete with stars like Robbie Henshaw and Garry Ringrose for a starting place in the inside positions.

2009 was the only time Leinster and Munster have ever played at this special stadium

In addition to France prop Rabah Slimani, the transfer of Springbok world champion RG Snyman is particularly eye-catching. The two-meter man from the Cape comes directly from arch-rivals Münster and will play against his first teammates on Saturday. The fact that Leinster is now poaching players from their national competition is offending many fans and observers.

Leinster is already considered to be the dominant team in Ireland and is preferred by the national association IRFU because they prefer to park promising young players here. This probably doesn’t matter to the host fans and the association probably feels the same way. Because the development of Leinster goes hand in hand with that of the Irish national team. Both have made enormous progress as players over the last ten years and have produced some very respectable rugby in the process.

The competition has recently been left behind the most, but this duel still fascinated both sides. For Munster it’s about getting one over on their big rivals again. Like in May 2023, when Munster bowled out Leinster in the URC semi-final in Dublin. On Saturday, thousands of Red Army fans will also make the journey across the island from Munster’s hometown of Limerick.