RUGBY:The Leinster Branch have confirmed the senior Schools' Cup final at Donnybrook on March 18th will be all-ticket. The 6,100 capacity will be extended to just under 7,000, at least 10,000 shy of the traditionally attendance for the annual fixture at Lansdowne Road.
The extra capacity will accommodate mostly children in the main and temporary stands. But the Branch are adamant "health and safety will take priority". Also, in an attempt to keep supporters off the playing surface, the cup presentation is expected to be on the steps of the Bective clubhouse.
The competing schools will receive most of the tickets.
Clongowes Wood play Terenure in the first semi-final tomorrow, and the competition's surprise packages, Kilkenny, face the favourites, St Michael's, on Tuesday.
The finalists' allocations will be expected to factor in family members and past pupils.
As with Leinster's fifth-round game of the Heineken European Cup, hosting a game of such magnitude is a logistical nightmare, but with Lansdowne Road and the RDS unavailable, the branch have no option.
The European Pool Two game on January 13th highlighted the need for improvement at Donnybrook (work is to start in the summer).
Tickets go on general sale next Wednesday on www.leinsterrugby.ie. A few hundred will be available from the Spar and Leinster rugby shops in Donnybrook.
The main Donnybrook stand holds 1,100 adults, the temporary stand 900. The stands will accommodate the schools, sponsors, committee members and media. Non-involved Leinster schools will get tickets for other parts of the ground.
As for pitch maintenance, it must be noted things are better than last season, when the Connacht coach Michael Bradley described the Donnybrook surface as "a beach" before a Celtic League game.
Leinster play Connacht the following Saturday, March 24th. The Junior Cup final is on March 25th.
The car park in front of Bective will be closed on the day.
The renovated RDS Showgrounds - with a capacity of 19,000 - are expected to host the final next season, and for the foreseeable future, if the proposed agreement with Leinster rugby becomes reality.
This year's final was moved from its traditional St Patrick's Day slot to avoid a clash with Ireland's final Six Nations game, in Rome.
The large number of neutrals who usually attend the Senior Cup final will be disappointed in 2007, but at least they can view the game live on Setanta Sports, kick-off 3.30pm.
Setanta will also show deferred coverage of the Munster Schools' semi-finals between Christian Brothers College Cork and St Munchin's on Thursday, March 8th, and Presentation Brothers College and Crescent College Comprehensive the following day. Both will air at 5pm and be repeated later in the night.
