When you see the words Leinster, Munster and final in the same sentence it conjures up an occasion for the history books and despite the Irish provinces track record of success, this is only the third time in two decades that they have met in our deciding game. These two icons of club rugby brought some fury and daring to the first-ever Celtic League Final in 2001 before some of those very same icons, such as Brian O’Driscoll, Paul O’Connell, Gordon D’Arcy and Ronan O’Gara, went head-to-head once again in 2011. Maybe these teams are destined only to meet in years that end in ‘1’ but before we talk about this enticing match-up, there are some very important acknowledgements I would like to focus on first. Since last August, we in Italy, Ireland, Scotland and Wales have been very fortunate to have been allowed by the respective governments to operate the Guinness PRO14. Every week you will have seen the players and match officials do their level-best to perform in the unusual environments of the pandemic, but there are an army of people that you do not see that have made it possible. At the tip of the spear has been our Medical Advisory Group and the medics around the tournament. The Advisory Group is comprised of the chief medical officers of the five competing unions involved in the Guinness PRO14 – the FIR, IRFU, SRU, SARU and WRU. It includes Dr James Robson (SRU), who only last weekend was on duty for this 250th Scotland international and Prav Mathema (WRU), both of whom have been part of the medical teams on various British & Lions tours. There has also been a wealth of experience provided by Dr Rod McLaughlin, the IRFU’s medical director for over seven years, Clint Readhead, SA Rugby’s senior medical manager since 2008 and Dr Vincenzo Ieracitano, who has 10 years experience as the lead medic at the FIR. This group was also chaired by Dr Michael Dunlop, Edinburgh’s club doctor, and together they have steadily navigated our tournament team on the journey from return to play to our second final in seven months. Their expertise, knowledge and careful handling of our relationships with local health authorities has been invaluable. While making clear calls around the safety of fixtures – including postponements – they have added knowledge from other sporting codes and have helped to improve our processes throughout this Covid experience. Each of their contributions have come despite the onus and responsibilities of their primary roles with their unions and clubs and the day-to-day pressures that we have all experienced. We are truly indebted to them for making it possible to play our games and allow us to get to another momentous occasion. Beyond the rivalry that Leinster and Munster are known for, there are some familiar faces who may not get to experience this fixture again. CJ Stander will hang up his boots at the end of the season, whose contribution to Munster and Ireland has been immense. We are hugely proud that he was able to forge his path to international rugby through his performances in our tournament. He will be joined by team-mate Billy Holland, the type of player that the Guinness PRO14 is built upon, and it is a credit to him that his best rugby is being played in his final season. No doubt, there are others who have not yet made their future plans public, but naturally there are so many other sub-plots to this game. Munster are seeking their first trophy in a decade since overturning Leinster in Thomond Park in 2011, while their opponents are seeking to win their fourth title in a row to claim their eighth overall. Without fans in the stadium the players will generate an atmosphere of their own, but for the rest of you we will allow our broadcasters, eir Sport, Premier Sports, TG4, DAZN and SuperSport to bring the game into your living rooms. I would also like to pay huge thanks to our title partners Guinness and our broadcasters for their perseverance and ingenuity during the past six months, in addition to Gilbert and Macron, who have ensured we have all the right equipment available on matchday. Enjoy the game, Martin Anayi, CEO, Pro Rugby Championship
