Leinster issue statement on 'incident' at Grandstand at RDS

An area of seating at the RDS was closed off by Irish police last night over safety concerns regarding a row of seats.

Leinster says reports in the media that the stand 'collapsed' were 'hugely wide of the mark'.

Leinster Rugby issued the following statement late last night: "At the Guinness PRO14 game between Leinster Rugby and Ulster Rugby on Saturday, 6th January 2018 in the RDS Arena there was an issue with the flooring in a single isolated row of seats at the back of Block L in the Grandstand.

"As a result, up to 12 patrons were moved from their seats and the area was shut down by members of An Garda Síochána and Sword Security.

"There were no injuries reported at the time and a formal investigation is now underway by the RDS in conjunction with their event safety management contractors Eamon O'Boyle & Associates."

The RDS has been home to Leinster Rugby since 2007 when the senior team’s games were relocated from Donnybrook Stadium.

Leinster Rugby’s first game after the official move was a home win against Edinburgh Rugby in the Magners League in September 2007, though the first game played at the RDS by the province was a 34-15 win over Cardiff Blues in September 2005.

The move to the RDS came due to a lack of capacity at Donnybrook Stadium. After renovation and expansion, the Grandstand and North and South Stands were expanded, boosting the capacity to 18,500 along with floodlights being installed and a new playing surface being laid, to withstand the demands of a full rugby season and show jumping events.