RDS Arena
Multi-purpose stadium in Dublin, IrelandWikipedia
79
MENTIONS
21
EPISODES
18
PODCASTS
Search complete. 79 mentions across 21 episodes found for "RDS Arena".
Oct 15, 2026
AndyHOST
Good evening.
HugoHOST
We'll start with Leinster returning to the RDS.
HugoHOST
And I'm just going to keep on calling it that.
HugoHOST
I think first of all, The stand is fantastic.
IanHOST
You're quite close to the pitch, even if you're in the upper tier.
IanHOST
And yeah, nothing but positive about it.
IanHOST
Great to be back in the RDS to see some familiar faces.
IanHOST
Some of the people have kept a sort of equivalent season tickets, which was really nice.
Stephen ByrneHOST
Paddy, we're going to start, uh, with yourself, but before that, I was up at the Leinster match against Cardiff the weekend.
Stephen ByrneHOST
The, the reopening I suppose of the RDS, or as now, as it's now called, the Aviva Arena.
Stephen ByrneHOST
Um, they've done a grand old job on it.
Stephen ByrneHOST
The main stand is, uh, is really well done.
36 MINS LATER
Stephen ByrneHOST
He makes-
Paddy BrowneGUEST
Yeah
Stephen ByrneHOST
... um, [laughs] I was looking at him last week, it was up at the RDS, but he was standing beside Joe McCarthy, and he made Joe McCarthy look small.
Paddy BrowneGUEST
Yeah, I think he's-
Hugo GordonGUEST
It just felt like we just completely had Cardiff where we wanted them.
Jeff PaganoHOST
We harped on Leinster's win over Cardiff last weekend, plus all the occasion that was in it on the night at the RDS Arena.
Jeff PaganoHOST
We also talked about the Ulster Munster game, and we had to look at the contenders to take over from Leo Cohen, as well as the contenders for this year's Champions Cup, which kicks off, of course, next weekend.
Jeff PaganoHOST
So without any further ado, here's how we got on.
Andy GoodeHOST
And we check out the South African derbies over in the URC as the Springboks returned and started flexing their muscles.
Jim HamiltonHOST
What else has occurred then? Leinster kicks start their season with a convincing victory over Cardiff at the finally reopened RDS, now known as the Leia-
Andy GoodeHOST
Leia
Jim HamiltonHOST
...
19 MINS LATER
Jim HamiltonHOST
Fair play, it's taken a while.
Andy GoodeHOST
Yeah, I mean, it's been a long time coming, hasn't it? A lot of the URC games that were played at the Aviva, and I, I, I mean this respectfully, it was, it wasn't great, was it? When you're playing at the Aviva against Zebre or you're playing anyone at the Aviva, apart from one of the Irish teams, it became a bit soulless, didn't it? You're at a big stadium, there's only the lower tier open and all that stuff.
Andy GoodeHOST
So to get back to their natural home, um, which is the, the old RDS, which is now the Laya Arena, and it looked good.
Andy GoodeHOST
And the best thing about it-
Róisín IngleNARRATOR
Ulster giving up a hefty lead to Munster at halftime but coming back to draw in a result that probably left both sides a bit frustrated.
Róisín IngleNARRATOR
And then later on Saturday night, Leinster returned to the RDS or the Leia Arena as it's now known for their first competitive match back at their home ground.
Róisín IngleNARRATOR
They beat Cardiff in a display that had fits and starts.
Róisín IngleNARRATOR
accounting for the return of a number of Irish internationals, not least Sam Prendergast, who impressed Jimmy O'Brien, who scored two tries after scoring a similar number the last time Leinster played at the RDS.
Róisín IngleNARRATOR
So a nice piece of symmetry there.
Róisín IngleNARRATOR
So joining me to discuss those three matches, Gordon and John.
21 MINS LATER
Gordon D'ArcyPANELIST
As you said, a performance we've seen and a result we've seen countless times before.
Nathan JohnsHOST
Absolutely.
Dara Smith-NoctonCORRESPONDENT
Do you feel there's a different buzz around the building on a Champions Cup, uh, game week th- than your, than your average week?
Jacques NienaberGUEST
I w- I, I must say, like, last week was a, was a lot of the players' first week and we're going back to the Aviva, ach, uh, to the Laya arena.
Jacques NienaberGUEST
So I mean, there was a good buzz, uh, last week going into the week and during the whole week and going into the game.
Jacques NienaberGUEST
So, uh, but o- obviously it's a new competition and everybody loves playing in this competition.
Simon HickPANELIST
[audience cheering]
Eoin McDevittHOST
I was driving past the RDS on Saturday evening around half five, quarter to 6:00, so still two hours to go till kickoff at the homecoming between Leinster and Cardiff.
Eoin McDevittHOST
Already, though, a good number of fans making their way through the gates to get their money's worth or maybe drop more money in the two hours before kickoff.
Ciaran MurphyHOST
Mm.
Eoin McDevittHOST
I was whale jail, as the kids say, Murf.
Eoin McDevittHOST
[laughs]
Ciaran MurphyHOST
Certainly, certainly the kids around the RDS say it, O.
Eoin McDevittHOST
Yeah, [laughs] exactly.
CaolánHOST
Or at least varying degrees of wise is actually more accurate.
CaolánHOST
But, sticking with Saturday, Leinster stormed to a fairly routine 29-5 win over Cardiff on their return to the RDS.
CaolánHOST
um david will you kill me if i say that this was a blindingly good performance or is that a little bit too on the nose about the the light discourse
DavidPANELIST
i i was unaware of the light discourse like i from where i sat i was up on the north stand uh it was fine like i wasn't dead on to the those headlights uh there was a running joke because they kept shutting lights off and turning them back on and uh one lad from cardiff just kept yelling at them about paying the electric bill but uh you know other than that like It was impressive.
6 MINS LATER
AdamPANELIST
It looked a lot like, you know, are Leinster ever going to miss that old sort of horse stable type...
AdamPANELIST
I know it is a horse place, but like the old sort of horse stable type stadium that I've been to multiple times.
AdamPANELIST
But I am glad that they are back at the RDS as well because...
AdamPANELIST
To be honest with you, we all sort of mentioned that Saga Viva Fatigue, but I think the good thing about the Viva Fatigue is that it's going to make the RDS full every single week, in theory, de facto.
Eoin McDevittSOUNDBITE_SPEAKER
[static]
Eoin McDevittHOST
I was driving past the RDS on Saturday evening around half 5:00, quarter to 6:00, so still two hours to go till kickoff at the homecoming between Leinster and Cardiff.
Eoin McDevittHOST
Already, though, a good number of fans making their way through the gates to get their money's worth, or maybe drop more money in the two hours before kickoff.
Ciarán MurphyHOST
Yeah.
Eoin McDevittHOST
I was whale jail, as the kids say, Murf.
Eoin McDevittHOST
[laughs]
Ciarán MurphyHOST
Certainly, certainly the kids around the RDS say it, though.
Eoin McDevittHOST
Yeah, exactly.
HarleyPANELIST
He saved up all that, he saved up all his mental energy to take out, um, James in Gibson Park, and they, they baulked and decided not to play him, so he just went, "Oh, well, what's the point?"
Jon NowtweeGUEST
So speaking of the Leinster lineup, it is worth pointing out for a moment that this is, this was Leinster's, like, homecoming to the new Laya Arena.
Jon NowtweeGUEST
You know, and, like, I lived in Dublin for 11 years.
Jon NowtweeGUEST
Like, I was in the ODS, the old ODS fairly often.
11 more episodes mention RDS Arena.
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