Matthew Dowling: "It's fantastic to welcome our supporters home to the new Laya Arena"
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Matthew Dowling: "It's fantastic to welcome our supporters home to the new Laya Arena"
Matthew Dowling, Chief Commercial Officer of Leinster Rugby, addressed members of the Official Leinster Supporters Club (OLSC) at this evening's AGM and reflected on an exciting new chapter for the club as supporters return to the redeveloped Laya Arena at the RDS.
The €52m redevelopment includes the reconstruction of the Anglesea Stand and brings the capacity of the stadium up to 20,600 along with a host of improvements to the matchday facilities.
Speaking with supporters at tonight's AGM, Dowling shared his excitement for the return to Leinster's home ground after a two-year absence.
"It's fantastic to finally be welcoming our supporters back home to Laya Arena at the RDS. This is a landmark moment for Leinster Rugby and one that so many people have worked incredibly hard to make a reality.
"This is much more than a stadium redevelopment. It is an investment in the future of Leinster Rugby and in the supporter experience. The result is a venue that is more modern, more accessible and better equipped to support the continued growth of the club, while still retaining everything that supporters have always loved about the RDS.
"Supporters will immediately notice the improved facilities, increased comfort, enhanced sightlines and additional capacity, but what is most important is that it still feels like home. Preserving the identity, character and atmosphere of the RDS has been central to the project from day one."
Dowling noted that the lessons learned from hosting games at different venues over the last two years will help Leinster Rugby provide an even better matchday experience for fans at Laya Arena.
"While being away from our traditional home for two seasons was not part of the original plan, the experience has taught us a huge amount as an organisation. Over the last two seasons we have successfully delivered matchdays across four different venues, including Aviva Stadium, Croke Park, Tallaght Stadium and Energia Park.
"During that period, almost one million supporters came through our gates across a range of fixtures. We welcomed record attendances, managed an increasingly diverse range of events and experiences, and continued to grow our supporter base despite the challenges that naturally come with operating away from home.
"The experiences and learnings from operating across multiple venues will directly benefit supporters as we return to the Laya Arena. We have learned a great deal about crowd flow, fan engagement, premium experiences, hospitality, family offerings and matchday operations, and we will look to bring all of those lessons back with us."
Dowling also thanked the fans for their support and patience during the two years away from Laya Arena while looking forward to the homecoming game against Cardiff Rugby on 10 October.
"Renewal rates hit over 90% within a matter of days post on-sale for this year’s return. That level of loyalty and commitment is something we never take for granted and it demonstrates the incredible connection that exists between Leinster Rugby, our supporters and the RDS.
"In many ways, our time away has reinforced just how special the RDS is to our supporters, our players and our staff. We leave those venues with great memories and enormous gratitude to everyone who supported us along the way, but there is no doubt that coming back to Laya Arena represents the beginning of an exciting new chapter for Leinster Rugby."
The €52m redevelopment includes the reconstruction of the Anglesea Stand and brings the capacity of the stadium up to 20,600 along with a host of improvements to the matchday facilities.
Speaking with supporters at tonight's AGM, Dowling shared his excitement for the return to Leinster's home ground after a two-year absence.
"It's fantastic to finally be welcoming our supporters back home to Laya Arena at the RDS. This is a landmark moment for Leinster Rugby and one that so many people have worked incredibly hard to make a reality.
"This is much more than a stadium redevelopment. It is an investment in the future of Leinster Rugby and in the supporter experience. The result is a venue that is more modern, more accessible and better equipped to support the continued growth of the club, while still retaining everything that supporters have always loved about the RDS.
"Supporters will immediately notice the improved facilities, increased comfort, enhanced sightlines and additional capacity, but what is most important is that it still feels like home. Preserving the identity, character and atmosphere of the RDS has been central to the project from day one."
Dowling noted that the lessons learned from hosting games at different venues over the last two years will help Leinster Rugby provide an even better matchday experience for fans at Laya Arena.
"While being away from our traditional home for two seasons was not part of the original plan, the experience has taught us a huge amount as an organisation. Over the last two seasons we have successfully delivered matchdays across four different venues, including Aviva Stadium, Croke Park, Tallaght Stadium and Energia Park.
"During that period, almost one million supporters came through our gates across a range of fixtures. We welcomed record attendances, managed an increasingly diverse range of events and experiences, and continued to grow our supporter base despite the challenges that naturally come with operating away from home.
"The experiences and learnings from operating across multiple venues will directly benefit supporters as we return to the Laya Arena. We have learned a great deal about crowd flow, fan engagement, premium experiences, hospitality, family offerings and matchday operations, and we will look to bring all of those lessons back with us."
Dowling also thanked the fans for their support and patience during the two years away from Laya Arena while looking forward to the homecoming game against Cardiff Rugby on 10 October.
"Renewal rates hit over 90% within a matter of days post on-sale for this year’s return. That level of loyalty and commitment is something we never take for granted and it demonstrates the incredible connection that exists between Leinster Rugby, our supporters and the RDS.
"In many ways, our time away has reinforced just how special the RDS is to our supporters, our players and our staff. We leave those venues with great memories and enormous gratitude to everyone who supported us along the way, but there is no doubt that coming back to Laya Arena represents the beginning of an exciting new chapter for Leinster Rugby."
