- South Africa are now favourites to stage World Cup 2023
- Week-end local Gleeson League results, scores and scorers
- Newcastle West shock Enniscorthy in All-Ireland Cup opener
- Sweet win for Young Munster in Cork: Garryowen’s late victory
- High-scoring AIL game sees Shannon continue 1B winning run
- Connacht show up some weaknesses in Munster’s armour
- Munster make just three changes as they take on Connacht in Galway
- No room for Simon Zebo a questionable decision by the Irish selectors
- Connacht seeking a third win on the trot as Munster visit the Showgrounds
- Garryowen and Constitution will meet three times this season
- A look at the Champions/Challenge Cups apres Round Two
- Reflections on another Champions Cup win at Thomond Park
- End of season departure for Munster player Simon Zebo
- St Mary’s maintain their league challenge: Richmond draw
- Defence and hunger to win eventually breaks down the Racing 92 Thomond Park challenge
- All-local official line-up for Montpellier and Exeter cup tie
- The loss of key players is a worry for Rassie’s Munster tomorrow
- Richmond and St Mary’s at home this Sunday in Junior Leagues
- 16th man can again play its part as Munster face Racing 92
- Garryowen’s Mike Sherry starts for Munster A in Cork
- All the details of the opening round of the Champions Cup
- IRFU/Ulster Bank ‘Your Club Your Country’ Grand Draw update
- Limerick junior clubs ‘blown out’ of cups over the week-end
- Proud Munster live up to their image with well-deserved draw
- Clonakilty run riot in the last quarter to ease past St Mary’s
- Munster A team for their visit to Swansea is named
- Zebo at full-back, Mark Flanagan gets first start v Castres
- Some interesting facts about European Champions Cup journey
- Munster will want to avoid a ‘one win out of four’ statistic
- Johaan van Graan is appointed the new Munster coach
- Charlie O’Neill is Old Crescent’s new Junior Vice President
- Wins for four Limerick clubs in today’s Junior Leagues
- AIL: Garryowen, Young Munster, Thomond and Bohs beaten
- Leinster win the bragging rights in relatively tame derby
- Experimental Munster are hoping their backs gamble pays off
- Robin could be eyeing a second-row spot with the Reds
- Taute a major loss for Munster as bad knee injury rules him out
- Anthony Foley programme raises €35K for charitable causes
- Exciting lock forward Tadhg Beirne to join Munster next season
- League wins for Richmond, St Mary’s and Newcastle West
- Double success for locals in Ulster Bank 1A and 1B
- Second-half rout gives improved Munster a winning bonus point
- It’s time to bounce back as Munster release their hungry Lions
- New name in the ring for Munster job
- Eagle-eyed local rugby fan breaks Munster’s new coach story
- It’s a three week ban for Munster’s Fineen Wycherley
- Hurting Munster hope to bounce back against Cardiff Blues
- Good start for Abbeyfeale and Richmond as MJL 1 kicks off
- Young Munster are creaking at the early stages of the AIL
- Last night’s Ulster Bank All-Ireland League results
Munster could play semi in Marseille
- Updated: 03/04/2014
IF Munster beat Toulouse on Saturday and Leinster go down in Toulon, the semi-final will be held in the coastal French city of Marsaille.
The Stade Vélodrome in Marseille will become the 105th venue to stage Heineken Cup action if reigning champions Toulon overcome Leinster Rugby in Sunday’s massive Heineken Cup quarter-final, with the winners set to meet either Munster Rugby or Toulouse on the road to the Cardiff 2014 final.
The iconic stadium which staged the 2010 Amlin Challenge Cup final is currently being redeveloped and will have a capacity of 41,000 for what could be the second match of the Heineken Cup semi-final weekend on Sunday, 27 April.
Leinster will be targeting a semi-final in the familiar surrounds of Dublin’s Aviva Stadium on the same date should they come away with a prized win from Stade Félix Mayol.
The first of the 2013/14 tournament semi-finals will take place on Saturday, 26 April in Dublin or London. Ulster Rugby could set up a two-day festival of European club rugby in the Irish capital as a quarter-final win for the 1999 European champions over Saracens will earn them a semi-final at the Aviva Stadium on the Saturday, with the possibility of a dream Leinster v Munster showdown for Irish rugby fans at the Dublin venue the following day.
Should Saracens come away from Ravenhill Stadium with a victory, then they will meet the winners of the ASM Clermont Auvergne v Leicester Tigers quarter-final at Twickenham Stadium on Saturday, 26 April.
Details of ticket sales for the two high-profile matches will be available on ercrugby.com next week. Tickets will be sold via the competing clubs and will also be on general sale.
This weekend’s European action gets underway today with the Amlin Challenge Cup quarter-final clash of Sale Sharks and Northampton Saints and both clubs will have the added incentive of playing for a home semi-final on Friday, 25 April in which they will meet either Stade Francais Paris or Harlequins.
The second Amlin Challenge Cup semi-final will take place on Sunday, 27 April when the winners of this weekend’s contest between London Wasps and Gloucester Rugby will take on either Bath Rugby or Brive at home.
The Heineken Cup semi-finals are played at venues designated by ERC which are selected in conjunction with the relevant home Union. Home country advantage in the last four was determined by a draw in January following the conclusion of the tournament pool stage. In the Amlin Challenge Cup, the semi-finals are played at home venues with home advantage also decided by the draw in January.
Heineken Cup semi-finals
(Kick-offs local time)
Saturday, 26 April
Ulster Rugby v winners ASM Clermont Auvergne v Leicester Tigers
Aviva Stadium, Dublin (capacity: 51,000) 3.40
OR
Saracens v winners ASM Clermont Auvergne v Leicester Tigers
Twickenham Stadium (capacity: 82,000) 3.40
Sunday, 27 April
Toulon v winners Munster Rugby v Toulouse
Stade Vélodrome, Marseille (capacity: 41,000) 4.30
OR
Leinster Rugby v winners Munster Rugby v Toulouse
Aviva Stadium, Dublin (capacity: 51,000) 3.30
Final: Saturday, 24 May; Millennium Stadium 5.00
Amlin Challenge Cup semi-finals
(Kick-offs local time)
Friday, 25 April
Sale Sharks or Northampton Saints v Stade Francais Paris or Harlequins
AJ Bell Stadium or Franklin’s Gardens 8.00
Sunday, 27 April
London Wasps or Gloucester Rugby v Bath Rugby or Brive
Adams Park or Kingsholm Stadium 1.00
Final: Friday, 23 May; Cardiff Arms Park 8.00
• If Toulon defeat Leinster, Stade Velodrome will host a Heineken Cup match for the first time.
• The stadium, which is home to Olympique Marseille, staged the 2010 Amlin Challenge Cup final in which Cardiff Blues defeated Toulon 28-21.
• Opened in 1972, Stade Velodrome was a venue for the 1998 FIFA World Cup and the 2007 Rugby World Cup. It is currently being redeveloped for the UEFA Euro 2016 finals.
• If a semi-final is staged at Twickenham Stadium, it will be the third time a last-four match in the tournament has been played at English rugby HQ. The previous occasion was in 2013 when Toulon defeated Saracens 24-12.
• Two semi-finals have been played at Dublin’s Aviva Stadium. In 2012, Ulster Rugby defeated Edinburgh Rugby 22-19, and in 2011, Leinster Rugby got the better of Toulouse by 32-23.
You must be logged in to post a comment Login