The first-ever rugby match to take place at Hastings Insurance MacHale Park has officially sold out.
Connacht Rugby confirmed that over 25,000 tickets have been snapped up for their highly anticipated URC clash with Munster at the end of March.
This milestone not only sets a new attendance record for the province’s home fixtures—surpassing the previous record of 9,120 by more than 15,000—but also brings a significant financial boost to Mayo GAA.
Last month, the Central Council approved Mayo's request to host this historic interprovincial showdown on March 29. Remarkably, this event comes just eight days before MacHale Park is set to stage the Connacht Senior Football Championship quarter-final between Mayo and Sligo.
"After unprecedented demand, we are delighted to confirm that our historic BKT URC fixture against Munster in Castlebar is now sold out. On Saturday, 29th March, a crowd of over 25,000 will be in attendance at Hastings Insurance MacHale Park—a number that smashes the club’s previous all-time attendance record, which was 9,120 for the club’s first Champions Cup fixture in 2011," a Connacht Rugby statement confirmed.
And after this morning's news, an exciting reminder of what's to come 🤩#DexcomStadium #OneConnacht https://t.co/x9vjZwr0xJ
— Connacht Rugby (@connachtrugby) January 13, 2025
Connacht Rugby also shared further details about the ticketing process this week:
“Tickets first went on sale to season ticket holders last Wednesday, who had a 48-hour priority window to choose their location in the ground and purchase additional tickets. Friday then saw sales open to those who had registered their interest in the game on connachtrugby.ie. The 11,000 of those who did so purchased tickets amid a frenzy of interest and set a new record for daily ticket sales for a Connacht Rugby fixture," they added.
“The remaining allocation of tickets was snapped up within an hour of going on general sale at 10 am this morning.”
Commenting on the announcement, Connacht head coach Pete Wilkins said the demand for tickets reflects the hunger for rugby and the opportunity to showcase another sport in a different part of the region.
“It’s great news. To have sold out this early shows the hunger to come and see Connacht in a different part of the province.
“We’re really, really pleased, and obviously, the support that we’ve had in terms of ticket sales has been magnificent, so it adds to the excitement of the occasion.
“We’ve got a few important games to come before then, but as that game against Munster rolls around, the boys will be determined to put on a good show. It’s just a really exciting opportunity for everyone.”
