Ulster select the RDS as ‘home’ venue

Ulster have nominated the RDS in Dublin as their 'home' venue for the Rabo Pro12 final, should the northern province reach the league decider on May 25th.

All sides still in contention of reaching the play-offs have had to select a ‘home’ venue for a potential final with a capacity in excess of 18,000.

With the redevelopment work at Ravenhill still ongoing –the capacity is being increased to 18,200 with the work not due to be completed until the summer – Ulster have elected to choose the RDS as their home venue.

Mark Anscombe's side currently top the Pro12 standings with Joe Schmidt's Leinster in second place. The top two sides in the league will earn home semi-finals with the highest ranked side to reach the decider earning the right to choose the final venue.

Since the play-offs were introduced in the 2009-10 season, Leinster have reached all three finals and enjoyed home advantage at the RDS in two of them.

“While no-one is presuming that Ulster will be in a final, it is important that we and the organisers of the league prepare for every eventuality,” Ulster chief executive Shane Logan said today.

“Our primary focus is to have the two new stands open to welcome our loyal supporters at the start of the 2013/14 season. Our build is on time and on budget but it would not have been possible, without significant delay to our redevelopment project, to open the stands on a temporary basis for any potential final.

“Therefore, in agreement with Celtic Rugby, we have nominated the RDS, with its capacity of 18,500, as the venue for a final involving Ulster as host club.”