Ulster Rugby: Cavan's Breffni Park to host club's first game at GAA ground
- Published
Ulster will face Glasgow at Breffni Park in Cavan on 7 October
Ulster Rugby will play a match at a GAA ground for the first time when they face Glasgow in Cavan in pre-season.
The club approached Ulster GAA about playing at a GAA stadium while their ground is redeveloped, and that fixture will take place at Breffni Park. Both venues are sponsored by Kingspan.
It was understood other possible venues included the Athletic Grounds in Armagh, Healy Park in Omagh and Derry's Celtic Park.
The game will take place on 7 October.
In a statement, Ulster Rugby said that "whilst the game marks a historic first, it reflects how the governing bodies regularly come together to promote rugby and Gaelic games across the province at a grassroots and professional level".
Ulster Rugby CEO Jonny Petrie said: "With upgrades of Kingspan Stadium ahead of the 2023-24 season ongoing, including the new high-performance 3G pitch, our pre-season fixture this year offers a unique opportunity to collaborate with Ulster GAA on hosting a senior men's game in another part of the province.
"Our thanks go to our friends at Ulster GAA and Cavan GAA for offering us the use of Kingspan Breffni, and their support in putting on the fixture."
The GAA's rule 42 would previously have prohibited a rugby match being played at a GAA venue, but that rule was altered in 2005.
The Ireland rugby team and the Republic of Ireland football team then used Croke Park, the GAA's Dublin headquarters, for home matches while the Aviva Stadium was being redeveloped.
Ulster's Kingspan Stadium hosted a charity GAA football match, featuring a number of All-Ireland winners, in 2014.
Ulster begin the 2023-24 United Rugby Championship campaign away to Zebre on 21 October. Their first match on Kingspan Stadium's new artificial surface will be against the Bulls on 29 October.