Aviva Stadium
The Aviva Stadium is a good example of how to build a modern stadium without completely losing sight of the people who actually have to sit in it.
It replaced the old Lansdowne Road stadium and, while there will always be those who miss the character and history of the old ground, the Aviva is a thoroughly modern venue and feels like a stadium fit for the 21st century.It is an impressive building from the outside, with its distinctive curved roof and glass exterior, but for me the real test of any stadium is what it is like once you are sitting in your seat. And here the Aviva gets a big thumbs up.
The leg room is excellent.
This might sound like a rather mundane thing to praise, but anyone who has spent a couple of hours squeezed into a cramped stadium seat will appreciate just how important it is. At the Aviva there is considerably more room between the rows than at many other stadia, meaning you aren't constantly having to stand up to let somebody shuffle past you. You can actually sit down and watch the rugby in reasonable comfort.
It is one of those features you perhaps don't appreciate until you've experienced a stadium where the opposite is true.
The stadium itself provides excellent views, helped by the steeply tiered seating, and despite its size it doesn't feel quite as overwhelming as some of the giant modern sporting arenas. When Ireland are playing and the crowd gets going, it produces an excellent atmosphere, with the noise held inside the stadium rather than disappearing into the surrounding area.Being in Dublin also means there is no shortage of places to eat and drink before or after the match. The stadium is in the Ballsbridge area, so you are not short of pubs and restaurants within walking distance, and the city centre isn't particularly difficult to reach by public transport.
As you would expect from a modern international stadium, the food and drink operation inside is much the same as elsewhere: convenient, but not necessarily the place to go if you are looking for a bargain. Dublin itself offers far more choice, so arriving early and making the most of the pubs and restaurants outside is probably the better option.
The Aviva isn't perfect. Modern stadiums inevitably sacrifice some of the quirky character and history found at older grounds, and those who remember Lansdowne Road may feel that something was lost when the old stadium disappeared.
But as somewhere to actually watch a game of rugby, it is difficult to complain too much.
The facilities are good, the location is convenient, the atmosphere can be excellent and, most importantly for me, you can sit in your seat without feeling as though your knees are being forced into the back of the person in front.
Old Moaner verdict: A modern stadium that gets the basics right. Good facilities, good atmosphere and, best of all, proper leg room. Sometimes it's the little things that make the biggest difference.
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