Leinster’s RDS Arena gets €20m makeover

Leinster’s RDS Arena has secured the green light for a €20m redevelopment.

The Dublin stadium is to be transformed into a 25,000-capacity venue with the ground’s naming rights possibly being sold off to help pay for it.

The new venue will also host equestrian events, music concerts and other sports as they arise. Leinster will continue to play their home games at the ground during the redevelopment, which is expected to begin in 2016 and will create a mainly all-seater stadium with plans for one terrace to be finalised.

Mick Dawson, the club’s chief executive, said: “Leinster Rugby has a loyal supporter base and the redeveloped capacity of 25,000 in a purpose-built venue will provide greater opportunities for our supporters and commercial operations. Gate revenue is a significant feature of our current business model, and we are sure this redevelopment will help with this, as well as allowing us explore additional commercial revenue streams.

“At the moment we have a section of terrace for supporters and though the final plans are not yet complete, we hope to have a terraced section in the new stadium.”

A consortium of architect firms, Dublin-based Newenham Mulligan Architects and London-based Grimshaw Architects, won the international design competition for the RDS Arena. Commenting on the significance for the 2023 Rugby World Cup bid, Dawson said: “A newly-developed RDS Arena has the potential to significantly add to the World Cup bid, and we hope to speak to the IRFU in due course.”