Sacre bleu – Dublin coffers to swell by €21 million from rugby weekend

Clermont and Toulon fans aren’t the only ones looking forward to Saturday’s Heineken Cup Final with the capital expecting a major cash injection.

By Declan Whooley

Thousands are expected to travel from France, up to 22,000 according to The Irish Independent, and a good portion of tickets were sold as soon as they were made available after last year’s campaign with many Irish supporters are expected to fill the seats. The ERC have said that there are less than 1,000 tickets available for the showpiece.

The capital is expecting a shot in the arm in economic terms with the Dublin Chamber of Commerce estimating that the grand finale will be worth a cool €21 million, while the Irish Hotels Federation estimates it will result in €12m in additional revenue for accommodation, food and drink.

Of course the hosting of the Amlin Challenge Cup in the RDS tomorrow night will also play a part in the windfall when Leinster look to follow Chelsea’s lead in footbal by holding both European trophies at the same time, even if only for a few hours.

It promises to be a colourful weekend in Dublin during a feast of rugby action and a 'champions village' has set up at Merrion Square for fans to enjoy live music and a broadcast of the game, in addition to bars and food stalls.

Dublin will certainly have that certain je ne sais quoi.