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URC quietly pleased with Croke Park final attendance
By Ian Cameron
The BKT United Rugby Championship has expressed its satisfaction after more than 46,000 fans attended Saturday’s Grand Final between Leinster and the Vodacom Bulls at Croke Park.
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The fixture marked the first time a URC final has been staged at the iconic 82,000-capacity venue, and despite organisers having just six days to sell tickets following Leinster’s semi-final win, the event delivered a record-breaking attendance for the league’s showpiece match.
The turnout surpassed the previous Irish record for a league final — 46,092 at the Aviva Stadium for Leinster v Scarlets in 2018 — a figure reached after a nine-month sales window. In contrast, this year’s crowd was assembled in under a week, with final sales hitting 46,127.
There had been suggestions in the Irish press that fatigue was setting in among rugby supporters after a long season, with Leinster’s home games already being played at the 50,000-plus capacity Aviva Stadium due to the redevelopment of the RDS.
Yet the gamble to bring the game to Croke Park with limited turnaround appears to have been vindicated. The strong turnout also came despite several days of poor weather along the eastern seaboard of Ireland, with Leinster fans arriving at the home of the GAA in decent numbers despite the conditions in the hope of seeing Leo Cullen’s men lift their first trophy in four years
While the URC is understood to have privately hoped to break the 50,000 mark, league officials have hailed the attendance as a quiet success under the circumstances.
Leinster Rugby have been credited with playing a major role in driving demand, helping ticket sales exceed initial expectations.
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