Aviva Stadium – Ireland

The Aviva Stadium in Dublin is built on the former site of the Lansdowne Road Stadium. That historic stadium was demolished in 2007, having served for 134 years as the home of Irish rugby. The new stadium not only boasts a more modern look and design, but also offers seating for an additional 8000 fans.

Aviva Stadium Stats

Opened: 2010
Capacity: 50,000
Owner: Irish Rugby Football Union, Football Association of Ireland
Home side: Ireland
Cost: €410 million

Aviva Stadium Overview
The Aviva Stadium stands on the site previously occupied by Lansdowne Road. The stadium stands adjacent to the Lansdowne Road Railway Station in Dublin. Rather than keep the name of historic Lansdowne Road, the IRFU sold the naming rights to the stadium to the Aviva Group for 10 years.

The stadium faced numerous challenges to its design from local residents, resulting in a relatively small seating capacity and several design innovations intended to prevent the blocking of light to neighbouring residences. Three sides of the stadium feature four tiers of seating, while the north stand has only one tier due to zoning restrictions.

The small size of the stadium has proved controversial, because the seating does not meet the demand for Six Nations fixtures, and therefore limits attendances and increases ticket prices for those who do attend.

Aviva Stadium History
The Aviva Stadium is built on a historic site. Lansdowne Road has featured prominently in both Irish sports and cultural history, and was where 350 of Ireland’s finest rugby players convened in 1914 to volunteer for the First World War. Virtually all of these men were subsequently killed in the conflict.

The stadium remained one of the oldest in service in the United Kingdom and Ireland, only having floodlights installed in the 1990s. Concern over safety of spectators, as well as the relatively low number of seats and high number of standing spectators, eventually led to the decision to demolish and replace the stadium.

The Aviva Stadium Experience
The Aviva Stadium is yet to develop the ambience of the old Lansdowne Road Stadium. In its short existence the cost of ticket prices has affected match attendances, although the stadium has attracted capacity crowds in the most recent Six Nations tournament.