Ulster nominate RDS as home venue for potential Rabo final

As the title states, Ulster have nominated the RDS as their home venue if they are top seed in the final (as Ravenhill under development does not meet the 18,000 rule).

This could be interesting if Leinster make the final and are the away team in the RDS. I wonder did Ulster consider Thomond as an option given that Leinster could well be the finalists.

This has been covered in the Ulster vs Connacht thread. For what its worth every Ulster fan I've spoken to so far thinks its a very very silly decision to have been made.

Covered off in Connacht thread

What are the alternatives Dodger?

Thomond Park- an extra two or three hours drive and therefore less likely to get as many supporters down. Aviva- simply too big and even more likely to get outnumbered by Leinster fans.

Have to say I was against thomond but the possibility of winning the league and then having to potentially play a final where Leinster (should they make it) are the home team (let's not kid ourselves, this is what the reality would be) is ludicrous.

We have won there once in 14 years and now we would have to do it twice in a row to win silverware. I can't believe that the players were consulted on this either. It's a pretty sh1tty situation and I know there are reasons but if we do make the final as top seeds we have just handed the initiative to Leinster in a massive way (should they make it)

But we'll have more fans there if we win the league assuming the Ulster faithful don't do a 'Harlequins'.

How will we have more fans? 8/9000 max. Thomond could 12/13000 . As I understand it no matter the size of the allocation the ulster branch would have control over who they sell to and how they distribute it so it's really up to them to make sure that their allocation goes exclusively to ulster fans.

Admittedly this becomes harder when the allocation goes up but there are ways around that

Just realising I may have taken you up wrong. I think we have the same amount of fans as Leinster would potentially

Unfortunately theres not a lot Ulster could have done. Its either extra long journey or giving the opposition home advantage.

They should have done a deal where Leinster have to go play in Ravenhill if the roles were ever reversed.

profitius wrote:Unfortunately theres not a lot Ulster could have done. Its either extra long journey or giving the opposition home advantage.

They should have done a deal where Leinster have to go play in Ravenhill if the roles were ever reversed.

Thats not a bad shout but in reality it wouldnt ever happen.

Strange that there isnt any options at all in NI.

Standulstermen wrote:How will we have more fans? 8/9000 max. Thomond could 12/13000 . As I understand it no matter the size of the allocation the ulster branch would have control over who they sell to and how they distribute it so it's really up to them to make sure that their allocation goes exclusively to ulster fans.

Admittedly this becomes harder when the allocation goes up but there are ways around that

Just realising I may have taken you up wrong. I think we have the same amount of fans as Leinster would potentially

I think it's a 50/50 split for final tickets alright.

Thomond surely wasnt ever a runner. You could hardly put the match any further away from Belfast than Limerick. Maybe if the game was played Musgrave park.

All it'll mean is that the Ulster branch will be inundated by callers from very weird places all around Ulster. I say weird because they'll not have heard many of the dialects before as the Leinster lads try to whistle and see-sawrrrr their way through bad Paisleyish attempts at the local lingo!

"Sucks tukits forrrr me please up hore in Lon'hon Magherageetadown, please. Could'yough leave thum doyn there in Newry unher a stone on the side of the A1, please, of dots not too much to osk, please?"

I'm with Notch in thinking this is a good decision by Ulster. Wouldn't it be great to get the home dressing room if both provinces make it to the final!

Well Leinster are 0 for 2 in finals at the RDS, might not be that bad an idea after all.

the-goon wrote:Well Leinster are 0 for 2 in finals at the RDS, might not be that bad an idea after all.

Yeah but they were both "home" finals