It’s official: Irish sports fans can breathe a sigh of relief as outdoor sporting events in Ireland can now return to 100% capacity. The much-welcomed announcement from the Irish government came on October 22. It presents a significant boost to the Irish sporting community as the country has not seen full capacity stadiums since March 2020.
The changes will not just benefit sports organizations. The lifting of restrictions will have a positive effect on other related industries as well. One of these industries is sports betting.
Irish punters will once again be able to bet on their favorite teams from the electric, live environment of a packed stadium. With the convenience of mobile betting provided by these new betting sites, they can now stand in the crowd and place their in-game bets using first-hand information.
In recent weeks, sporting events were allowed up to 50% capacity, and Irish fans took full advantage. The All-Ireland Football Championship attracted a crowd of over 41,000. The international football friendly against Qatar had over 25,000 spectators. With the recent easing of COVID-19 restrictions to 100% capacity, we expect these figures to be much higher for upcoming games.
Under the new guidelines, outdoor events can operate without capacity limits. Vaccine passports and recovery certificates are not required. Officials still urge spectators to remain careful though, and state that all protective Covid-19 measures must be in place.
The IRFU and FAI have welcomed the decision to ease restrictions. Both organizations have been hard hit financially by the pandemic. With major fixtures coming up for the FAI and the IRFU in November, the changes have come just in time.
The organizations will now receive a much-needed cash injection from hosting the upcoming games. The FAI can expect to earn in the region of €1m for the World Cup Qualifier against Portugal. The IRFU is hoping to make over €3m for its Autumn series.
Upcoming sports fixtures that will now welcome 100% capacity crowds
Football
On November 11, the Republic of Ireland will benefit from playing to a 100% capacity home crowd at Aviva Stadium in Dublin. They face off against Portugal for the FIFA world cup qualifiers. The Republic of Ireland will look to redeem themselves against the Portuguese team after two goals from Cristiano Ronaldo saw them lose against them in Faro in September.
League of Ireland fans are also in for a treat: the finals of the FAI Cup between the Bohemians and St. Patricks Athletic will take place on November 28.
Rugby
The Autumn Internationals will arrive in Ireland in November. There are three match fixtures scheduled at Aviva Stadium. The competition will see Ireland vs Japan on the 6th, vs New Zealand on the 13th and vs Argentina on the 21st.
Conclusion
While the Covid-19 pandemic has seen live sporting events cancelled and sports organizations taking heavy knocks, the decision by the Irish government to reduce restrictions and open up outdoor events is a positive move towards getting back to normal. All signs point towards Irish sports fans now responding to the call of live sports and filling up stadiums once again.
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