Régis Keerle

Munster Rugby’s sporting model challenged by the financial crisis

Abstract Munster is a major force in European rugby. Due to several victories, its territorial anchorage was improved, which could be seen by the increasing number of supporters nicknamed the ‘Red Army’. A myth was created, an ‘invented tradition’ which reactivated an apparently egalitarian identity and a nationalist tradition in a territory of Gaelic culture. Munster must now face a serious financial crisis which calls into question Munster’s sporting competitiveness and the power of its territorial anchorage. The aim of this article is to stress the correlation between the financial power of the professional team and the sporting successes within the European liberal rugby system, and its relationship with the territorial formation of Munster. The analysis is based on the case study method. We therefore draw from scholarly literature, journalistic sources, official reports, and field research with interviews. We are able to show that the weaknesses of the Munster’s sporting model ensue from a competitive imbalance between the professional rugby teams in Europe and an economic recession in the province of Munster.