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Leinster have confirmed their home Champions Cup pool fixtures against Sale and Pau will be played at the redeveloped Laya Arena, marking their return to the venue after two seasons away.
Leinster have confirmed that they will play their home Champions Cup pool games at the Laya Arena, marking a return to the venue after two seasons away from the RDS.
RDS Hosts Champions Cup Fixtures
The RDS ground, which underwent a €52 million redevelopment over the last two years, will host the eastern province's European group-stage fixtures against Sale on Saturday, 12 December (5:30pm) and Pau on Saturday, 9 January (5:30pm). The redevelopment increased the stadium's capacity to 20,600, and Leinster used a pre-season meeting with Zebre as a test event at the ground.
Leinster will play their first competitive fixture at the Laya against Cardiff in the URC on Saturday, 10 October (7:45pm), giving supporters their first taste of competitive action at the rebuilt venue. Leinster last played at the RDS in May 2024 and have alternated between the Aviva Stadium and, for more significant fixtures, Croke Park over the past two seasons.
Leo Cullen's side will return to the Aviva on Saturday, 24 October (6pm) when they face provincial rivals Munster in the URC. As well as home meetings with Sale and Pau in the Champions Cup pool stage, Leinster face trips to Clermont on Saturday, 17 October (3:15pm) and Leicester on Saturday, 16 January (8pm). Leinster open their campaign away to Clermont Auvergne on October 17th before welcoming the Sharks to Dublin on December 12th, and Pau on January 9th.
Leinster Confirm European Home Schedule
The province confirmed the arrangements with a post on social media stating: CONFIRMED - Both of our Investec Champions Cup home pool games will be played at Laya Arena. We will host Sale on Saturday, 12 December (KO: 5.30pm) and Section Paloise on Saturday, 9 January (KO: 5.30pm), both in the redeveloped stadium.
The confirmation ends a period of uncertainty over where Leinster would stage their European pool fixtures, with the province having split its home matches between the Aviva Stadium and Croke Park in recent seasons. The return to a redeveloped RDS represents a significant milestone for the province, which has invested heavily in upgrading the venue to modern standards.
The €52 million project delivered a capacity of 20,600, and Leinster tested the facilities with a pre-season outing against Zebre before committing to competitive fixtures there. Leinster's URC clash with Cardiff on 10 October will be the first competitive game at the Laya Arena, ahead of the European fixtures in December and January. The province will also face Munster at the Aviva Stadium on 24 October, one of the bigger domestic fixtures on their calendar.
Laya Arena Return Shapes Future Fixtures
Croke Park could be in the mix to host future Champions Cup and Challenge Cup finals, adding further intrigue to Leinster's stadium arrangements in the seasons ahead. The fixtures give Leinster supporters clear dates and venues for the opening months of the campaign, with the European pool stage set to be staged at the newly redeveloped Dublin venue.
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IrishTimes:This story was compiled and edited by the HeadTopics newsroom and HT AI from the reports above.
Leinster Rugby Leinster Rugby Champions Cup Laya Arena RDS Redevelopment Leo Cullen
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