Leinster sell out 82,300 capacity Croke Park within hours

Tickets for the Investec Champions Cup semi-finals between Leinster and Northampton Saints at Croke Park were sold out within hours of public release on today.

The semi-final match between the Irish giants and Gallagher Premiership top dogs Northampton Saints went on public sale this morning following a pre-sale to season-ticket holders, with all over 50,000 public tickets greedily hoovered up within hours of release.

This event marks the first major rugby match at the 82,300-capacity stadium since 2010. The stadium previously hosted a Champions Cup match in 2009 between Leinster and Munster, with the men in blue famously taking the honours before going on to win their maiden European trophy.

Similarly, the second semi-final featuring Stade Toulousain and Harlequins at Le Stadium in Toulouse which holds 33,000 also sold out quickly for the Sunday game.

With both venues at full capacity, the European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR) anticipates a total attendance exceeding 110,000 fans over the weekend.

Croke Park - the headquarters of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) - was something of a controversial call for the game, with some pundits claiming it hardly counted as a neutral venue for Leinster. The game would have been played in the Aviva Stadium but for a Europa League game at the venue already pencilled in.

Writing in the Sunday Times, Stephen Jones branded the move as an unfair advantage for the Irish province. "The organisers of this tournament have made it partially ridiculous by allowing the seedings from months ago to apply all the way through until the final, which has devalued the event and given Leinster a ludicrously priceless advantage.”

The match is likely to Leinster’s Investec Player of the Year nominees Caelan Doris, Jamison Gibson-Park, James Lowe and Dan Sheehan take centre stage. Northampton’s Courtney Lawes and Fin Smith - both contenders for the prestigious award - will also be on show.

Leinster will be aiming to repeat the dramatic comeback victory they achieved against Northampton in the 2011 tournament final in Cardiff, the last time the two teams met in the knockout stages of the competition.