Munster to face Maori All Blacks at Thomond Park
Tuesday 10 May 2016 16:42, UK
Munster will take on the Maori All Blacks on Friday November 11 at Thomond Park.
The Maoris will take on USA Eagles in Chicago on Friday November 4 in an historic double header "Rugby Weekend" with the All Blacks playing Ireland at Chicago's Soldier Field stadium the following evening.
The Maoris then travel to Ireland to take on Munster, whose CEO Garrett Fitzgerald said: "This is an exciting opportunity for the province and we welcome the chance to hopefully replicate previous marvellous occasions that we had when hosting the All Blacks and Australia."
"In what will be a first encounter for these sides, we are really looking forward to the fixture and would like to thank the NZRU and IRFU for their efforts in bringing negotiations to a successful conclusion."
Maori board chairman Wayne Peters said the team is a special part of New Zealand's culture, heritage and tradition.
He said: "Any time the Maori All Blacks play overseas, they capture the imagination of fans with their exciting and entertaining style of rugby, together with their distinctive cultural identity.
"The Maori All Blacks players are great ambassadors for our culture so fans will be in for a memorable rugby experience.
"The Maori All Blacks also play a very important part in New Zealand Rugby's high performance strategy and this tour is another valuable opportunity for players to show their skills on the international stage and to press for higher honours."
