Munster Branch CEO Garrett Fitzgerald said that on March 14th last year,  a Ticket Allocation document, circulated to every club, clearly stated that restrictions would apply in the event of Munster reaching a Heineken Cup quarter final at Thomond Park Stadium. These restrictions were again notified to clubs on January 26th 2009.

Fitzgerald explained,  "For Pool matches, a visiting club gets 3750 tickets. For a quarter final that figure rises to 6400. And  while the ERC's entitlement also increases as per our Participation Agreement,  there is no increase  for corporate clients or sponsors, contrary to newspaper reports.

He added, " Following the development of the wonderful new stadium that is Thomond Park and considering the huge effort - by staff and volunteers alike - to plan, activate and portray an improved professional image,  it is most disappointing that our own members would misrepresent the position unfairly in the media. All the decisions made by the Branch Committee in conjunction with the professional staff are transparent and have been made available for all to see.