Irish Rugby Gathering To Deliver Tourism Boost.

Irish Rugby will deliver an estimated 250,000 euro boost to the economy with over 100 teams expected to ‘Gather’ in University College Dublin on Saturday, August 17 to compete in the GUINNESS Mid-Strength Irish Rugby Gathering, organised by the IRFU and Leinster Rugby.

The festival of rugby was specially created as part of the Gathering with over 1,200 players and 100 teams, including over 500 international participants from 50 international teams, expected to take part in Tag, Touch and Sevens competitions.

For more information and to register your team check out www.irishrugby.ie/thegathering.

UCD have made their world class facilities available for the festival, and a summer carnival atmosphere will be created in a tented village that is expected to attract over 5,000 spectators, supporters and players.

Information on how to sign up for the Tag, Touch and Sevens events is available on irishrugby.ie/thegathering.

Minister for Transport, Tourism & Sport, Leo Varadkar TD, said: “I’m really looking forward to this event which promises a feast of rugby. The Irish are a sports-mad nation, and sporting occasions like this are a crucial part of the Gathering. I want to commend the IRFU for organising this rugby festival.”

At the launch of the initiative, Ireland captain Jamie Heaslip said: “There are times as a professional player when you wish you weren’t in the middle of your pre-season and the GUINNESS Mid-Strength Irish Rugby Gathering Festival is one of those.

“The festival will deliver a great mix of rugby which will allow people to pit their skills against international teams and even get some pre-season training in.

“The social side of summer rugby events is amazing and this is one of those events that promises to be the highlight of the summer, so I encourage everybody to pull a team together and get involved.”

Rory Sheridan from GUINNESS said: “We are delighted to support the IRFU and Leinster Rugby’s Gathering initiative. The tournament provides a great mix of rugby and with such a large concentration of teams and competitions all in the one venue, through the support of UCD, the GUINNESS Mid-Strength Irish Rugby Gathering certainly promises to deliver a real festival of rugby and a carnival atmosphere on August 17.”