RDS Arena

At about 9.30pm on Friday, May 31st, 2024, the final whistle blew in Leinster's 33-7 win over Connacht, and it was also the final whistle for Leinster Rugby being played in front of the old Anglesey stand.

835 days later, on Saturday just gone, Leinster Rugby staged their test event for the new RDS slash Leia Arena, with Zebra, the visitors, and fans getting their first opportunity to celebrate the homecoming in inspect the new surroundings, and, of course, get a first look at the back-to-back URC champions out on the pitch ahead of the new season.

Keno, we're going to start with yourself.

You were there.

it going? We'll start with yourself, Kiko.

Yeah, I think, you know, great expectations and all that sort of stuff.

I think I'm hoping to move back to the RDS and Leo finishing up gives us that little bit of juice, a bit of extra aggression, a little bit more spite throughout the year.

I think the one thing, and again, it's easy from the couch, but the one thing I want to see week in week is picking our best available players.

I've been to it in the past and it is incredibly overwhelming in terms of the scale.

There's multiples of the RDS Arena back to back to back, filled to the brim with new gadgets, gizmos and everything in between.

Some of which will make an impact and some that will disappear into the ether.

But our dear pal John Reilly of TheEffect.net is with me now to run through some of the bits and pieces that jumped out at him.

played in that Maori, the night before Ireland played South Africa.

In the RDS?

Yeah, he played in that Maori game, which is 2022.

I'm pretty sure

I think we will.

It's funny you mentioned Rugby League and its kind of burgeoning presence in New Zealand rugby.

Do you know the Wigan Warriors are playing the Warrington Wolves in the new RDS next April? I was served it on Instagram.

I'm very intrigued with the sort of crowd that might get.