Record-breaking derby day at Croke Park

SPOTLIGHT: History will be made at Croke Park on Saturday when the United Rugby Championship showdown between Leinster and Munster is played out in front of a new record league attendance.

The provincial derby clash in Dublin is heading for an 80,000-plus sell out.

That would be an echo of the last time the Irish arch rivals met in Croke Park when they set what was then a world record attendance for a club fixture with 82,208 watching their 2009 European Cup semifinal.

This weekend’s huge gate will comfortably surpass the previous league best of 68,262 for the Judgement Day Welsh double header at the Principality Stadium back in 2016.

The highest figure for an individual match was 56,344 for the 2023 URC Final in Cape Town where Munster beat the Stormers.

As for a regular season fixture, the previous best was the 50,026 who attended the meeting between Bulls and the Stormers at Pretoria’s Loftus Versfeld in March of this year.

The addition of the top four South African sides has seen a number of bumper crowds, with 50,388 watching this year’s grand final between the Bulls and Glasgow Warriors at Loftus, while 47,261 watched the Stormers defeat Connacht in the 2023 semifinal in Cape Town.

You have also had crowds of 44,106, 41,205, 39,925 and 37,246 for South African derbies over the last year or so.

But now a new benchmark is about to be set by Saturday’s all-Irish affair.

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Who else can’t wait for another day out in Croker? 🙋🤩#LEIvMUN #FromTheGroundUp pic.twitter.com/9tZzLEyj8o

— Leinster Rugby (@leinsterrugby) October 8, 2024

“The nature of this one focuses the mind straight away,” Leinster forwards coach Robyn McBryde said.

“The internationals are now back. It’s a big one on Saturday. Croke Park is a great stage.”

The former Wales hooker added: “My experience is the form book goes out of the window in derbies.

“It’s all about winning on the day.

“You are not there to play pretty stuff.

“There is possibly a little bit more blood and thunder around the approach and we know there is plenty of blood of thunder about Munster.

“You can turn your season around just by having a great win over your local rivals.

“The nature of Munster and the threats they pose, that focuses the mind. It’s one we look forward to, but you’ve got 15 proud Munstermen in opposition, so we are going to have to be at our best.”

Giving his thoughts, Munster head coach Graham Rowntree said: “You don’t get the rivalry between Munster and Leinster until you are stuck in the middle of it. For 80,000 people to want to attend a club game that isn’t even a play-off just shows how incredible that competition is between us and Leinster.

“There is an intense, but respectful rivalry there and they are a great team.

“Our recent history against Leinster would have shown how class these games have been and certainly, from what I am seeing and hearing from the group, I am expecting a huge performance on Saturday.”

Previous Highest League Attendances

68,262 – Judgement Day (April 2016)
62,338 – Judgement Day (April 2018)
60,642 – Judgement Day (April 2017)
56,344 – Stormers v Munster (Final, May 2023)
52,762 – Judgement Day (April 2015)
51,297 – Judgement Day (April 2019)
50,388 – Bulls v Glasgow Warriors (Final, June 2024)
50,026 – Bulls v Stormers (March, 2024)
47,261 – Stormers v Connacht (semifinal, May 2023)
47,125 – Glasgow Warriors v Leinster (Final, May 2019)
46,092 – Leinster v Scarlets (Final, May 2018)
44,558 – Munster v Scarlets (Final, May 2017)
44,106 – Stormers v Bulls (quarterfinal, May 2023)
41,205 – Bulls v Stormers (Feb 2023)
41,139 – Judgement Day (April 2023)
39,925 – Stormers v Bulls (Dec 2023)
37,904 – Edinburgh v Glasgow Warriors (Jan 2024)
37,246 – Stormers v Sharks (Jan 2024)
36,174 – Judgement Day (March 2013)