With the bulldozers expected into the RDS as early as next week to begin the redevelopment of Leinster’s grounds in Dublin, the province’s season is already looking solidly supported in terms of ticket sales and expected crowds attending matches at both alternative venues in the Aviva Stadium and Croke Park.
Leinster have already broken records with capacity attendances against Munster in 2009 and Northampton last season. The Champion’s Cup semi-final in May against the Premiership side in Croke Park was a total sell-out with an attendance of 82,300 and set the record for an EPCR fixture. The game against Munster, which held the record for a number of years, drew 82,208 people.
In fact, the Northampton match attracted the biggest crowd at a rugby union game last season, eclipsing even the 2023 World Cup final between South Africa and New Zealand in Stade de France. Tickets for the match sold out within 36 hours.
Some 55,000 tickets have already been sold for Leinster’s match against Munster in the United Rugby Championship (URC) before the season has even begun. Organisers are hoping for a figure north of 70,000 for the fixture, which takes place in Croke Park on October 12th and is averaging 400-500 sales a day.
Leinster play their first home match next week against Dragons, with the lower bowl (the middle and upper levels will not open for the match) area of the Aviva ground available at just under a 20,000 capacity.
“One thing that we did do really well last year was mange to have eyes on a couple of the big events,” said Leinster media manager Marcus O’Buachalla. “We had 82,000 in Croke Park for the Northampton game and we had a fair few Aviva games as well. When you get supporters in and you get a chance to show what a match-day experience can be, you try to bring them with you for further games.
“The Northampton Saints game was brilliant for us last year in terms of bringing in more people to Leinster games that probably would not have been there before and just having more of those knockout Aviva games last year allows us to showcase what an Aviva game can be. You are tapping into an audience that have already had their eyes opened.”
The hoardings went up around the RDS last week and ground is expected to be broken on the site within the next two weeks. The tender processes have been completed and builders selected. The cost have increased since the plan was conceived in 2014 and it is anticipated to come in at about €50 million.
The application seeks to demolish the existing Anglesea Stand and Anglesea Terrace, and the new stand is to accommodate 6,775 people and consist of three levels, while there will also be a two-storey hospitality building. The RDS arena currently has a match-day capacity of 19,532, with the redevelopment gaining about 2,000 more seats.
Leinster ticket sales are generally consistent but sometimes receive a lift after team announcements on Fridays. For the Dragons match next week the sales are tracking at about 17,000 between season tickets, of which there are more than 15,000, and sales.
With the established international players gradually feeding into the squad, the matches become more eye catching and this season new faces – French international prop Rabah Slimani and Springbok lock RG Snyman – will add star power and freshness over the coming weeks.
Leinster will also face South African side Lions in a URC fixture on October 26th and that will take place in the Aviva lower bowl. At European level Clermont are in Leinster’s group in the Champions Cup and come to Dublin on December 14th. The entire Aviva Stadium will be open for that clash in Round Two.
The pity is that Clermont tend to bring few fans, and Leinster’s European clash in January with their Ronan O’Gara-coached rivals, La Rochelle, takes place in Stade Marcel Deflandre.
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