Daniel Ruddock: If American football and Bruce Springsteen fans can drink in Croke Park seats, why can’t rugby supporters?

Croke Park Groundsman talks about the challenges of making the pitch rugby ready

Daniel Ruddock

The news arrived from a European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR) spokesperson last week. Leinster and Northampton fans would not be allowed to drink alcohol at their seats during their European Champions Cup semi-final in Croke Park on Saturday, out of respect for “the GAA’s rules and regulations regarding alcohol consumption”.

This is very different to the GAA’s position when the last ‘foreign’ sport landed on to its hallowed turf: the Croke Park Classic in 2014, a college football game featuring Penn State and the University of Central Florida.