The refurbished stadium at the RDS is on schedule to open on September 10th for Leinster's first Magners Celtic League game of the 2007-08 season, while Thomond Park will open during reconstruction to cater for Munster's Heineken European Cup pool games.
The RDS, near Dublin's city centre, which is being completely refurbished to cater for bigger crowds and expanded hospitality, will have 19,000 seats compared to the current capacity at Donnybrook, which holds around 6,000 spectators.
Leinster are hoping to capitalise on the enhanced support they received during the 2005/06 season at the RDS, where they had sell-outs for three European Cup matches and a crowd of over 13,000 for a Celtic League game against Munster on New Year's eve.
Of the four sides of the new stadium, two will be covered and two uncovered and there will also be supporters' bars and entertainment on site. Season tickets are going on sale today with the province expecting to exceed the 3,500 they sold last season.
Reconstruction on Donnybrook has also started and while the ground will look better and offer more comfort to supporters, the capacity will only increase marginally.
Munster, though, are using a different approach to the renovation of their grounds in Limerick. Construction will be ongoing but will be halted for Munster's first European Cup outing in the autumn. The team will play all of their home pool matches in Thomond Park before closing again for the European Cup break during the Six Nations.
It may then be reopened depending on whether or not Declan Kidney's side qualify for the knockout stages. The capacity of the stadium will increase from its current 13,000 to 26,000 when completed.
Neither Munster, Leinster or Ulster yet know the date for the beginning of next season's European Cup but the ERC have said they will have the starting weekend confirmed later this week.
Given that the World Cup final takes place in Paris on October 20th, the first European Cup matches are likely to be staged a few weeks later, possibly the weekend of November (Friday 9th).
Most of the qualified sides for next season's European competition are, however, known, although the 2006-07 French Championship is still in progress. While the weekends can be confirmed, the draw and seeding for next season's tournament will not take place until all of the six qualified French clubs are known. That will not be the case until their championship finishes on June 9th.
The six teams from France will be joined by seven from England (Gloucester, Leicester, Bristol, Saracens, London Wasps, London Irish and Harlequins), four from Wales (Cardiff, Llanelli, Ospreys and the Dragons), three from Ireland, (Leinster, Munster and Ulster), two from Italy, (Treviso and Viadana) and possibly two from Scotland (Glasgow and Edinburgh).
Given that the Borders Reivers side folded after this season's Celtic League was completed, the ERC have yet to decide on whether one or two Scottish sides will enter into the European Cup or if one of them will play in the Challenge Cup.
Eddie Jones resigned as Queensland coach yesterday, after what he described as a "dreadful" season in which the Reds finished bottom of the Super 14 standings.
The former Wallabies coach signed a three-year contract with the Reds in 2006 but stepped down following a meeting with Queensland Rugby Union chairman Peter Lewis.
The Reds only managed two victories in their 13 matches and ended the season with a humiliating 92-3 loss to eventual champions, the Bulls.
Jones said it was "100 per cent" certain he would not coach in Australia again and plans to move his family to England where he has a consultancy contract with Saracens. He has also been linked with the vacancy at recently relegated Northampton.
Frank Hadden has named 10 full internationals in the starting line-up for Scotland A's Barclays Churchill Cup opener against the USA.
The Scotland head coach will also hand 24-year-old Glasgow Warriors flanker Steve Swindall his A team debut for tomorrow's match in Henley.
SCOTLAND 'A' (v USA): R Lamont (Glasgow); S Webster (Edinburgh), C MacRae (Borders) G Morrison (Glasgow), T Evans (Glasgow); G Ross (Castres), R Lawson (Gloucester, captain); A Dickinson (Edinburgh), S Lawson (Glasgow), B Douglas (Borders), A Hall (Newport Gwent Dragons), I Fullarton (Saracens), S Swindall (Glasgow), J Beattie (Glasgow), J Barclay (Glasgow). Replacements: F Thomson (Glasgow), C Smith (Edinburgh), M Rennie (Bourgoin), A Strokosch (Edinburgh) R Chrystie (Borders), P Godman (Edinburgh), R Kydd (Northampton).
