Leinster to Host Champions Cup Home Games at Aviva Stadium

Leinster have announced that they will be staging their home fixtures in the Investec Champions Cup at the Aviva Stadium for the upcoming season. Due to redevelopment work at their usual home ground, the RDS Arena, the Irish province will temporarily relocate their matches to the national stadium, with Croke Park also being available if needed.

Leinster’s Champions Cup pool includes a formidable line-up: La Rochelle, Clermont Auvergne, Bath, Bristol Bears, and Italian side Benetton. The Irish side will face Clermont Auvergne on 14 December and Bath on 18 January at the Aviva Stadium. However, due to tournament rules, Leinster will not play against Benetton in the pool stages as teams from the same domestic league do not face each other in the group phase.

The move to the Aviva Stadium marks a significant shift for Leinster, who have seen considerable success in recent seasons. Despite their impressive performances, they have been runners-up in each of the past three Champions Cups. They lost to La Rochelle in the 2022 and 2023 finals, and fell to Toulouse in extra time in the 2024 decider.

The decision to play at the Aviva Stadium reflects Leinster’s continued ambition to compete at the highest level, and their supporters will be hoping that the change of venue will bring them the success they have narrowly missed in recent years.