With Ireland formally announcing it's intention to bid for the Rugby World Cup in 2023 after years of hot air, it will be intriguing to see what stadia will be used for the event. World Rugby have a big list of requirements that the IRFU will be aware of. Such requirements include a stadium that has a capacity of at least 60,000, and at least 12 stadiums that have a capacity of no less than 12,000 with other factors like dressing room facilities, amongst other things also required.
According to the Irish Times, the deal that sees the GAA agree to allow use of their stadiums in the bid also includes a deal that will fund upgrades for 6 GAA stadiums. Those include: Semple Stadium in Thurles, MacHale Park in Castlebar, Pearse Stadium in Galway, Gaelic Grounds in Limerick, Páirc Uí Chaoimh in Cork, and Casement Park in Belfast.
Pairc Ui Chaoimh already has the planning permission required for an upgrade, while Casement Park's inclusion on the list of grounds allowed is dependent on an upgrade.
It's likely that because each stadium has the required capacity, that the upgrades would not be major aside from Casement Park. The facility upgrades being suggested are the installation of floodlights, big screens and enhanced media and corporate facilities.
It's likely that one other stadium is needed, with the most obvious candidate being Fitzgerald Stadium in Killarney with its 43,180 capacity, and it's close proximity to Kerry, Cork and Shannon airports.
