GAA reaches a deal with IRU and FAI
Croke Park will be the home venue for Ireland's rugby and football teams for 2007 following an agreement between the Irish Rugby Union (IRU), Football Association of Ireland (FAI) and Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA).
Big Time: The huge Croke Park Grandstand
The GAA, who own the 82,300-capacity stadium had initially resisted the attempts by the other bodies to use the stadium, which has always been reserved exclusively for home-grown sports such as hurling, camogie and Gaelic football.
But under the new agreement, and with Lansdowne Road set to undergo a refurbishment, Croke Park will stage two rugby internationals next February and at least three football games in 2007.
The football internationals are likely to take place in March, October and November of next year.
France are likely to be the first rugby visitors to Croke Park on the weekend of 10/11 February while England will take to the field at the north Dublin venue later in that month.
The rumoured figure for rental of Europe's fourth largest stadium is £1m ($1.76m) per match, although the details will not be disclosed, and there was no discussion over what would happen beyond 2007.
GAA president Sean Kelly said that he was "pleased" that agreement had been reached.
"The development is practical and necessary to ensure that Irish sport and Irish sports followers do not have to travel abroad," he told the BBC.
"The Irish economy will also benefit from having access to home games while Lansdowne Road stadium is being developed."
IRFU chief executive Philip Browne said the agreement was a "significant milestone in Irish sport" and FAI chief executive John Delaney described it as "historic".
"It will be a major celebration for Irish sport and indeed for the general public in Ireland. The entire rugby community looks forward to what will be magnificent sporting occasions at Croke Park," said Browne.
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Tusi, mi no' digo niente, ma gnanca no' taso! Ne la vita pubblica, come nel rugby, ghe xe momenti tragici e altri, peggio ancora, seri: in quei momenti, trovar la forsa per xogar! In campo!
http://www.rugbyunion.it - http://www.bloguemahone.blogspot.com