Rugby

Croke Park to host first rugby match in 14 years if Leinster beat La Rochelle

Leinster’s usual Champions Cup knockout home venue, the Aviva Stadium, is unavailable due to hosting the Europa League final

Croke Park will host Leinster's Champions Cup semi-final, should they beat La Rochelle. Photograph: Sportsfile

Nathan Johns
Thu Apr 11 2024 - 14:53

Croke Park will host a rugby match for the first time in 14 years should Leinster manage to beat La Rochelle in this weekend’s Champions Cup quarter-final.

With the Aviva Stadium unavailable due to preparations for hosting this year’s Europa League final, GAA headquarters has been confirmed as the venue should a Champions Cup semi-final be played in Dublin. As the highest seed remaining on their side of the draw, Leinster would be granted a fixture on Irish soil if they reach the competition’s last four.

Leinster and La Rochelle have met four times previously in European action, La Rochelle winning on three occasions while Leinster earned their first win during December’s pool stages. The province has never beaten the French side in a knockout game.

The last time Croke Park hosted a rugby match was Ireland’s Six Nations defeat to Scotland in 2010. The year previous, Leinster and Munster squared off on Jones’ Road in a Heineken Cup semi-final in front of a then world record crowd for a club match.

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Should Leinster reach this year’s semi-finals, the match will take place on the weekend of May 4th/5th.

Nathan Johns

Nathan Johns

Nathan Johns is an Irish Times journalist

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