Thomond Park's capacity will remain at it's current level of 12,000 for next season's Heineken Cup despite ongoing redevelopment work on the Limerick venue but all home Celtic League fixtures will be hosted at Musgrave Park.
Outlining the rebuilding project this afternoon, Pat Whelan, chairman of the stadium development committee, confirmed that the first phase will be completed in time for Munster's first pool match in November when Wasps, Llanelli or Clermont Auvernge roll into town.
Once all work is completed on the €43 million project, the capacity for the new stadium will be just under 26,000 and is due to open in the autumn of next year.
On the thorny issue of renaming rights, Whelan expects the controversial decision to change the name from Thomond Park to generate in the region of €15 million over 10 years.
"This is the reality the world over in modern sport," Whelan explained. "We in Munster want to be trail blazers when it comes to providing facilities for our supporters and players."
