Work is expected to start on the stadium next summer.

Work is expected to start on the stadium next summer.

AN ANNOUNCEMENT ON a naming rights holder for the RDS main arena is imminent, according to its chief executive Michael Duffy.

Expected to cost between €25-35 million, the home of Leinster rugby plans to increase its capacity from 18,500 to 25,000, with development at the Ballsbridge ground likely to begin next summer.

Selling the naming rights will raise a significant amount of those funds and, speaking to Pat Kenny on Newstalk this morning, Duffy revealed that a deal is close.

We are at the penultimate stage so we’re very close,” said Duffy, who was keeping quiet about the identity of the company involved. ”Hopefully it will be announced very soon.

“It’s a very exciting and challenging time for the RDS because we have the main arena development, we have planning permission for our second phase of office blocks, and we also have quite a lot of plans to develop the campus.”

Listen to the full interview with Pat Kenny here