Ulster Rugby v Edinburgh
Official Digital Matchday Programme of Ulster Rugby v Edinburgh, Guinness PRO 14 League, Friday 7th September 2018 at Kingspan Stadium.
OFFICIAL MATCH DAY PROGRAMME £3
VEDINBURGH FRIDAY 7TH SEPTEMBER 2018 KINGSPAN STADIUM, BELFAST KICK OFF 7.35PM
FREE SPACE TO INCLUDE: • VISUAL CREATIVE • GUINNESS PRO14 TITLE TYPE AND FIXTURE • DATE & LOCATION
Welcome back to Kingspan Stadium, the home of Ulster Rugby, where the Ulster squad welcome Edinburgh for round 2 of the Guinness PRO14. Following last weekend’s dramatic win over a strong Scarlets side, there is great excitement for this second instalment of the competition. Edinburgh will be looking to bounce back from a narrow defeat to the Ospreys and claim their first win of the season which will no doubt make for a thrilling game at Kingspan Stadium. It was heartening to see a strong turnout from supporters for the first competitive game of the season and the passion shown undoubtedly played its part in achieving the result. Finally, on behalf of Kingspan, I would like to wish the Ulster Rugby squad and management team the very best of luck and extend a warm welcome to the Edinburgh squad and travelling supporters. To Ulster’s committed fans, enjoy the game, lead the way and help ensure that this is an evening to remember at Kingspan Stadium.
IN THIS ISSUE...
TONIGHT'S MASCOTS PRESIDENT’S WELCOME GUINNESS PRO14WELCOME INTERVIEW: JORDI MURPHY
2 3 5 8
Q&A: RORY BEST U18 GIRLS SQUAD ACADEMY UPDATE
13 14 18
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ULSTER SQUAD PROFILES
22 26 27 28
ULSTER TEAM
EDINBURGH TEAM
EDINBURGH SQUAD PROFILES
URSC UPDATE 31 STAFF PROFILE: PAULA BRADLEY 33 CLUB Q&A: GROVESNOR RFC 37
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GUEST ARTICLE: ROD NAWN OPPOSITION: 3 TOWATCH 45 INTERVIEW: STUART McCLOSKEY 46 SUBWAY HALF TIME TEAMS 48 STADIUM INFORMATION 49 MATCH PREVIEW 50 FIXTURES 51 SPONSORS AND PARTNERS 52 38
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TONIGHT’S MASCOTS
MATTHEW HOEY (10) Matthew is from Larne and attends Glynn Primary School. He plays mini rugby at Larne RFC and also enjoys playing football, basketball and video games. Matthew’s favourite player is Nick Timoney, because he plays Number 8 and he’s really fast and scores tries! When he grows up, Matthew would like to be a You-Tuber or play rugby for Ulster.
JONATHAN POWER (11) Jonathan is from Armagh and attends Clounagh Junior High School. He plays rugby at school and also enjoys playing football and watching rugby at the weekend. Jonathan’s favourite player is Rory Best, because he is an inspirational player and he rules the pitch when he’s on! When he grows up, Jonathan would like to be a professional football player or a Firefighter.
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PRESIDENT’S WELCOME
On behalf of Ulster Rugby, I would like to welcome you all to Kingspan Stadium for this evening’s second Guinness PRO14 match of the season.
As everyone will know we also played at home last week with the team recording a hard fought and well deserved win over Scarlets to get our Championship campaign off to a great start. Some of our new signings made their debuts last week and all made a favourable impression. It was also evident from the way that the team played, that the players and coaching staff have been working hard on their game plan during pre-season. This evening we entertain Edinburgh and extend a particularly warm welcome to Jonny Petrie, Managing Director, together with their guests and supporters. We trust they will enjoy their time in Belfast. Edinburgh have made significant signings for this season and it will be another difficult match for Ulster. However, we are back in our favourite Friday evening slot and we know that our faithful supporters will generate the kind of atmosphere which will inspire the team to what will hopefully be another victory. It would be great to have two wins under our belt before we embark on our long trek to South Africa for the matches against the Southern Kings and the Cheetahs. Last weekend saw the commencement of the Women’s, Girls and U19 inter-provincial tournaments. Unfortunately, all three teams lost with the Women losing 17-0 to Leinster, the Girls suffering a narrow 23-18 defeat to Connacht and the U19s going down 34-22 to Munster. All those matches were
away and with home advantage this weekend, we are hoping for better news. If anyone has time on their hands over the weekend, the three teams would welcome any support at Bangor RFC and Portadown RFC. On a brighter note, the Abbey Insurance Ulster Rugby Academy team had a home win against Leinster with sterling performances from some very promising young players. Significant work is going on in the development of those young men and we congratulate those in charge of the Academy. We look forward to seeing many of them on the senior team in the not too distant future. With the B&I Cup having finished at the end of last season, the Ulster A team are now playing in a new Celtic Cup competition involving the other three Irish provinces and the Welsh regions. By the time this evening’s match kicks off they will have completed their first match having played earlier at Malone against Leinster. We wish them well in their campaign. When finished that series of matches, hopefully the players will return to assist their clubs in the All Ireland League, where they gain valuable experience. As always, we thank our sponsors and followers for their continued support and hope that everyone enjoys the match and the Friday night experience at Kingspan Stadium. SUFTUM! Stephen Elliott President, IRFU Ulster Branch
IRFU ULSTER BRANCH 2018/19 OFFICERS Stephen Elliott President Gary Leslie Senior Vice President Philip Gregg Junior Vice President Denis Gardiner Honorary Secretary Michael Boyd Honorary Treasurer Greg Irwin Competitions Secretary EXECUTIVE TEAM Chris Webster Head of Rugby Development Audrey Robinson Head of Finance & Operations Fiona Hampton Head of Sales & Marketing Bryn Cunningham Operations Director
Kingspan Stadium, 134 Mount Merrion Avenue Belfast, BT6 0FT T +44 (0)28 9049 3222 ulsterrugby.com
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After a terrific opening round of action in the Guinness PRO14, Round 2 certainly has a lot to live up to! Opening round wins for both Italian teams, late drama in Cardiff, Belfast and Galway not to mention George North’s impressive return to regional rugby for Ospreys. After a summer of anticipation, we are delighted to see Premier Sports, eir sport and DAZN get up and running and deliver on their promise to provide supporters with more analysis and live matches than ever before. Round 1 also saw the record for most bonus points equalled – 10 overall which pointed to the try-scoring and competitiveness of the games. The action was also available live in the United States on the ESPN+ platform thanks to a landmark agreement signed last week which will see every game available live to our fans in the US with a number of games showcased on ESPN networks between December and May. In Italy, DAZN made their debut screening Zebre’s win over the Isuzu Southern Kings and we are delighted that they have also acquired rights to screen the Guinness PRO14 in Canada, Germany, Austria and Switzerland. We’ve also got fans covered in South East Asia and Australia thanks to Rugby Pass and in New Zealand with Sky Sport NZ. As for this weekend, a welcome back to those of you in Glasgow, Llanelli and Treviso who are getting your first taste of live Guinness PRO14 action after the summer break and there is a mouth-watering list of visiting teams on the cards. In Glasgow, the Warriors host Munster in a game that will already have big consequences in Conference A – both these teams will be eager to reclaim the title and these big head-to-heads count for so much by the end of the season. Benetton Rugby are on a real high, they have come off a season of record wins to kick-off their campaign with a win over Dragons. Now Cardiff Blues face a stern test at Stadio Monigo where Keiran Crowley will have his men eyeing up victory number two. In Llanelli, we will see last year’s Finalists go up against each other at Parc y Scarlets and already Scarlets will be eager to ensure they keep Leinster within their sights as this rivalry continues to grow with each game. Connacht, another former title holder, welcome Zebre and their old coach Michael Bradley to Galway and it should provide plenty of entertainment in a clash between two teams who want to play positive rugby. Elsewhere, Ulster and Ospreys will look to build on their encouraging starts as they aim to rebound from last season but Edinburgh and the Toyota Cheetahs will not make it easy for them. Finally, Bernard Jackman’s Dragons will be eager to claim their first win of the season at Rodney Parade, but the Isuzu Southern Kings made life difficult for Zebre last weekend and will have targeted a first road win in the Guinness PRO14 as an achievement for this season. Of course, your support in the stadium makes a big impact. We know that more and more of you are turning up each season and in the previous campaign our attendances rose by 10%. You saw more tries than ever before – 861 to be exact – and that all stemmed from the speed of our ruck ball which World Rugby statistics have ranked as the quickest of any professional club tournament across the globe. A total of 297 International players appeared in the Guinness PRO14 last season, with 76 making their Test debuts, all of which underlines the incredible work that takes place in all of our clubs to generate top-class talent season after season. For the first time the Championship is now home to the current Champions Cup winners and the Challenge Cup winners – Leinster Rugby and Cardiff Blues. Those are tremendous achievements to boast about and further congratulations to Leinster who not only became the first team do the Guinness PRO14 and European Cup double, but they also claimed their fifth title which is the most of any team in our Championship. Of course, everyone is fighting to reach the Guinness PRO14 Final at Celtic Park, which will mark another historic chapter for our Championship as the showpiece game is played at a non- rugby stadium for the first time. To access the best offers, check out our official accounts on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter or visit bit.ly/glasgow2019 to get your tickets. Enjoy the game, Martin Anayi Chief Executive Officer
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J O R D I M U R P H Y
EXCITED ABOUT THE NEXT CHA Having enjoyed a fantastic year which saw him collect PRO14, Champions Cup and 6 Nations Grand Slam titles, Jordi Murphy is now getting his teeth into the next challenge in his career following the summer switch to Ulster…
Following the extended break afforded to international players who represented Ireland during the tour of Australia, Murphy joined up with his new team-mates a few weeks into the pre-season programme and wasted no time getting settled in. “I really enjoyed pre-season,” explains Murphy. “My first week we had a camp up in Coleraine and Letterkenny, which was great. It was good to get away from the stadium and get to know the boys on an off-site week with a lot of activities going on as well as hard training. I know a few boys from playing age-grade rugby and playing for Ireland over the last couple of years, so it’s been good getting to know those guys better and then obviously just getting to know the rest of the lads. “In terms of the city, I know my way around IKEA well! For the first few weeks I was Google mapping everywhere. Now I’m testing myself and not using it while I’m in the car and trying to find places myself. I’ve just been spending the past month getting to know a city which I didn’t know at all before.” This Ulster side has experienced significant change over the past 12 months but Murphy is hugely optimistic about its future. “It’s an exciting time, it’s a relatively young squad so there is a great energy about. I think that rubs off and kick starts the older heads as well. It’s an ambitious group and I think that if we can mesh everything together - what
the coaches are asking of us and what we can deliver - then it’s an exciting time for the club. For myself personally, I’m really excited to be here. I want to contribute as much as I can and play to the best of my ability. It’s almost like a fresh start - everyone’s in a good place and they are all looking forward to the challenge of the season ahead. I suppose we don’t know where our ceiling is at the moment and that’s a positive.” Born in Barcelona, but bred in Blackrock, it’s now Belfast that Jordi will call home… “It’s only an hour and a half up the road, the fact that I could stay in Ireland and still be in contention for the Irish squad was a big contributing factor to move here. I spoke to the coaches and some of the players and it just seemed like the right move for me. “I know what it’s like to play here for Leinster against Ulster and how intimidating Kingspan Stadium is and how passionate the supporters are, so knowing that I would have that on my side was a huge positive in my decision to come here. “I can’t wait to get out there on Friday night, I’ve felt the wrath of the fans in the past and I can’t wait for them to be on my side now and to witness the intimidation happening to the opposition now instead! It’s an incredible set up and stadium so I’m looking forward to those big games where the stadium is packed out and the crowd is raising the roof.”
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The GUINNESS word and associated logos are trade marks © Guinness & Co.2015.
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Favourite rugby memory? Winning the Grand Slam in 2018 Favourite place to eat in Belfast? Coppi TV Programme you can’t miss? Game of Thrones First album you ever bought? Garth Brooks Live The last movie you watched? The Zoo Q&A R O R Y B E S T
Who is your sporting hero and why? Roger Federer, standing the test of time Favourite thing about playing for Ulster? Representing a club that I have supported since I was a child If you could swap places with a celebrity for a day, who would it be and why? DJ Marshmello - nobody knows who he is If you could have dinner with anyone famous (dead or alive) who would it be? Harry Ferguson Favourite post-match meal? Captain Cook’s Special Burger (Banbridge) Goal for this season? Stay fit! The key to success is… Practise and enjoy what you do
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AVA
AOFIE
AMBER
CAHILL
FANNIN
AMANDA
Centre Virginia RFC
Scrumhalf Virginia RFC
Hooker Malone RFC
Prop Virginia RFC
McQUADE
REDMOND
ELLA
CARA
DELYTH COOK
CIARA
BYERS
O'NEILL
Hooker Malone RFC
Number 8 Virginia RFC
Prop Ballyclare RFC
Prop Mongahan RFC
GARLAND
FERN
RYAN
EMMA
EMMA
WILSON
COONEY
HANNAH
KEARNEY
Prop City of Armagh RFC
Wing Virginia RFC
Flanker Malone RFC
Prop Malone RFC
LISA
LUCY
INDIA
DALEY
MULLEN
LAUREN
Outhalf Virginia RFC
Flanker Dungannon RFC
Number 8 Enniskillen RFC
Outhalf Enniskillen RFC
KILFIDDER
TURKINGTON
RUTH
RACHEL McGEE
SOPHIE
HIGGINS
SORCHA
KINGHAN
Second Row Magh Ene College
Full Back Virginia RFC
Wing Monaghan RFC
Second Row Virginia RFC
GILSENAN
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ZOE
TONI
ZARA
FLACK
Full Back Larne RFC
Centre Enniskillen RFC
Scrumhalf City of Armagh RFC
RAFFERTY
McCARTNEY
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ULSTER U18 GIRLS SQUAD The Ulster U18 Girls Management team have named a squad of 26 girls selected from nine clubs within the Province for the Inter-Provincial Series, which continues this weekend.
Katie Hetherington will captain the team alongside vice-captain, Kelly McCormill. Both have represented Ireland on the 7s stage and been an integral part of the Ulster setup for the past three years. The squad has a good mix of youth and experience and have worked extremely hard over the past few months in preparation for this year's series. This includes 13 uncapped players who are ready to make a mark in the Ulster jersey over the next few weeks. Head Coach Charlie Farrell commented, "Training alongside the Ulster Senior Women has really lifted the intensity of our sessions. The girls have worked extremely hard over the summer months and now it’s time to put it all into practise.”
INTER-PROVINCIAL SERIES FIXTURES ROUND ONE Connacht U18s 23 - 18 Ulster U18s Ballinasloe RFC ROUND TWO Ulster U18s v Leinster U18s Sunday 2nd September, Kick off 12.30pm Portadown RFC ROUND THREE Munster U18s v Ulster U18s Saturday 15th September, Kick off 2.45pm Mu Barnhall
THREE TO WATCH
KELLY McCORMILL Centre Monaghan RFC Representing Ulster in her third Inter-
Flanker Clogher Valley RFC
NAOMI McCORD Second Row Malone RFC
Having been in the Ulster Age-Grade
Having been involved as a squad player in last year’s Inter- provincial Series, Naomi has quickly established herself as a key player within the team this year. Her acceleration and footwork make her a big threat in attack.
provincial Series this year, Kelly is a hard hitting centre who is extremely hard to deal with in attack because of her strength, footwork and deceptive pace. Consistently putting her team on the front foot with her line breaks.
KATIE HETHERINGTON set up for four years, Katie has become a true leader on and off
the pitch. Her work rate as a flanker is outstanding, regularly topping the tackle and turnover count, as well as being a destructive ball carrier in attack.
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GRAHAM CURTIS ERIC O’SULLIVAN IWAN HUGHES Year 2 Scrum Half 12.09.99 174cm 85kg Malone Year 2 Prop 30.11.95 186cm 115kg Banbridge Year 1 Back Three 06.04.99 173cm 77kg Ballynahinch
Year 2 Back Three 19.08.97 193cm 89kg Ballymena
Year 3 Hooker 10.02.95
STEWART MOORE MARCUS REA JAMES HUME AZUR ALLISON Year 1 Centre 08.08.99 183cm 91kg Malone Year 3 Back Row 08.09.97 189cm 105cm Ballymena Year 2 Centre 07.09.98 184cm 95kg Banbridge Year 1 Back Row 19.04.99 192cm 99kg Ballymena
AARON HALL MATTHEW DALTON JACK REGAN Year 3 Back Row 26.06.98 193cm 98kg Ballynahinch Year 2 Flanker 16.11.98 197cm 112kg Malone Year 2 2nd Row 09.05.97
DAVID McCANN ZACK McCALL JOE DUNLEAVY MATTHEW AGNEW Year 1 Back Row 13.06.00 190cm 94kg Banbridge 180cm 100kg Ballynahinch Year 2 Flanker 22.12.98 190cm 101kg Malone Year 1 Back Row 20.11.98 180cm 95kg Malone
ROBERT BALOUCOUNE MICHAEL LOWRY BRUCE HOUSTON Year 2 Fly Half 20.08.98 170cm 81kg Banbridge Year 1 Fly Half 16.08.99 192cm 92kg Ballymena
197cm 112kg Ballynahinch
ABBEY INSURANCE ULSTER RUGBY ACADEMY SQUAD 2018/19
Year 1 Wing 02.03.99 181cm 94kg Queen's
PROUDLY SPONSORED BY
ANGUS KERNOHAN
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CELTIC CUP KICKS-OFF THIS WEEKEND The first round of the new Celtic Cup kicks off this evening as Ulster A, sponsored by CD Group, host Leinster A at Malone RFC (5.00pm).
The Celtic Cup will be contested by development squads from the four Irish provinces plus the four Welsh regions, and is aimed at providing a learning environment for emerging professional players, coaches and referees by recreating the week-to-week challenges presented by senior professional rugby. The new competition replaces the British & Irish Cup, which proved to be a particularly useful testing ground for young Ulster players such as Jacob Stockdale, John Andrew, Ross Kane and Rob Lyttle in recent years. The eight teams will be divided into two conferences of four Welsh regions and four Irish provinces. Each Irish province will play each of the Welsh regions and will play against two Irish provinces. Similarly, the Welsh regions will play each of the Irish provinces and will play two of their Welsh counterparts. The top-ranked province from the Irish conference will play the top-ranked region from the Welsh conference in the inaugural final (venue to be confirmed).
ULSTER’S 2018/19 CELTIC CUP FIXTURES: WEEKEND 1 Ulster v Leinster Friday 7th September Kick off 5pm at Malone RFC WEEKEND 2 Ulster v Scarlets Friday 14th September Kick off 7pm at Instonians/Cooke RFC WEEKEND 3 Cardiff Blues v Ulster Saturday 22nd September Kick off 2.30pm at Cardiff Arms Park WEEKEND 4 Ulster v Dragons Saturday 29th September Kick off 2.30pm at Ballymena RFC WEEKEND 5 Ospreys v Ulster Friday 5th October Kick off 7pm at Swansea RFC WEEKEND 6 Connacht v Ulster October 12th-14th at Details TBC CELTIC CUP ROUND 1 FIXTURES: FRIDAY 7TH SEPTEMBER Ulster v Leinster Kick off 5pm at Malone RFC Munster A v Connacht A Kick off 5.30pm at Irish Independent Park Ospreys A v Scarlets A Kick off 7pm at Bridgend RFC Dragons A v Cardiff Blues A Kick off 7.15pm at Rodney Parade
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WILL ADDISON Utility Back 20.08.1992 186cm 94kg 1 —
Prop 27.10.1988
Hooker 26.05.1993
Hooker 15.08.1982 180cm 106kg 208 Ireland 111
RORY BEST
JOHN ANDREW
184cm 128kg 35 Ireland 3
181cm 104kg 44 —
RODNEY AH YOU
DARREN CAVE Centre
PETER BROWNE Second Row 25.10.1987 201cm 117kg 34 —
BILLY BURNS Outhalf
Utility Back 03.02.1994 183cm 90kg 4 —
05.04.1987 183cm 96kg 211 Ireland 11
13.06.1994 185cm 85kg 1 —
DAVID BUSBY
ULSTER SQUAD 2018/19
ANGUS CURTIS Centre 26.03.1998 178cm 90kg 2 —
Back Row 08.05.1991 192cm 114kg 6 S Africa 28
JOHN COONEY Scrumhalf 01.05.1990 178cm 87kg 26 Ireland 2
Back Row 05.03.1985 191cm 112kg 13 S Africa 4
JEAN DEYSEL
MARCELL COETZEE
CRAIG GILROY Wing
IAIN HENDERSON Second Row 21.02.1992
Back Row 17.10.1984 191cm 105kg 184 Ireland 24
Prop 05.07.1988 180cm 117kg 73 —
11.03.1991 183cm 91kg 163 Ireland 10
CHRIS HENRY
199cm 117kg 91 Ireland 39
WIEHAHN HERBST
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ROB HERRING Hooker
Back Row 13.01.1996
ROSS KANE Prop
ROB LYTTLE Wing
GREG JONES
27.04.1990 185cm 102kg 144 Ireland 6
14.10.1994 179cm 116kg 24 —
28.01.1997 174cm 83kg 14 —
196cm 106kg 4 —
ULSTER SQUAD 2018/19
Utility Back 08.10.1986 182cm 90kg 78 —
Centre 03.03.1991 181cm 97kg 119 Ireland 11
Hooker 05.09.1996
KYLE McCALL Prop
LOUIS LUDIK
02.01.1992 176cm 108kg 49 —
182cm 102kg 4 —
LUKE MARSHALL
ADAM McBURNEY
Centre 06.08.1992
Outhalf 13.03.1997 179cm 85kg 13 —
Back Row 22.04.1991 188cm 105kg — Ireland 23
Prop 01.03.1991 178cm 119kg — Ireland 10
MARTY MOORE
JORDI MURPHY
194cm 108kg 83 Ireland 1
JOHNNY McPHILLIPS
STUART McCLOSKEY
Second Row 19.06.1995
Full Back 05.10.1992 180cm 87kg 47 —
ALAN O’CONNOR Second Row 10.09.1992
Prop 05.10.1993 183cm 118kg
PETER NELSON
191cm 103kg
197cm 114kg 64 —
TOMMY O’HAGAN
— —
— —
CALEB MONTGOMERY
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Back Row 21.09.1993
TOM O'TOOLE Wing
JACK OWENS Wing
Back Row 10.05.1989
MATTY REA
SEAN REIDY
23.09.1998 185cm 113kg 6 —
04.10.1995 188cm 94kg 1 —
193cm 114kg 18 —
182cm 103kg 81 Ireland 2
ULSTER SQUAD 2018/19
Back Row 14.06.1989
Scrumhalf 20.06.1993 174cm 90kg 22 —
Wing 24.03.1988 186cm 97kg 1 Australia 19
Scrumhalf 20.02.1998 174cm 77kg 4 —
CLIVE ROSS
192cm 110kg 61 —
HENRY SPEIGHT
JONNY STEWART
DAVE SHANAHAN
Utility Back 03.04.1996 191cm 103kg 43 Ireland 11
Second Row 21.11.1995
NICK TIMONEY Back Row 01.08.1995 190cm 113kg 24 —
Second Row 06.11.1995
201cm 115kg
198cm 118kg 45 Ireland 3
ALEX THOMPSON
JACOB STOCKDALE
KIERAN TREADWELL
— —
Prop 04.12.1990
Prop 12.03.1991
Keep up to date with the latest player profiles, career stats and squad news at ulsterrugby.com
182cm 114kg 3 —
179cm 112kg 96 —
ANDREW WARWICK
SCHALK VAN DER MERWE
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1
WILL ADDISON
ANDREW WARWICK
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2
CRAIG GILROY
ROB HERRING (C)
13
3
ROSS KANE
DARREN CAVE
12
4
KIERAN TREADWELL
STUART McCLOSKEY
ULSTER RUBGY
11
5
HENRY SPEIGHT
IAIN HENDERSON
6
10
MARCELL COETZEE
BILLY BURNS
7
9
JORDI MURPHY
JOHN COONEY
REPLACEMENTS 16 17 18 19 A McBURNEY E O’SULLIVAN W HERBST A O’CONNOR
20 21 22 23
S REIDY D SHANAHAN A CURTIS A KERNOHAN
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TODAY’S OFFICIALS
REFEREE STUART BERRY SARU 15TH COMPETITION GAME ASSISTANT REFEREES KIERAN BARRY IRFU | ROBERT O’SULLIVAN IRFU CITING COMMISSIONER JOHN COLE IRFU TMO OLLY HODGES IRFU
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1
15
BLAIR KINGHORN
PIERRE SCHOEMAN
14
2
DOUGIE FIFE
STUART McINALLY (C)
EDINBURGH RUGBY
3
13
MARK BENNETT
WP NEL
4
12
MATT SCOTT
BEN TOOLIS
11
5
TOM BROWN
GRANT GILCHRIST
6
10
LUKE HAMILTON
SIMON HICKEY
7
9
JAMIE RITCHIE
HENRY PYRGOS
REPLACEMENTS 16 17 18 19 R FORD A DELL M McCALLUM F McKENZIE
20 21 22 23
L CROSBIE S KENNEDY J VAN DER WALT J JOHNSTONE
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BILL MATA
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ALLAN DELL Prop
BEN TOOLIS Lock
Fullback 18.01.97 192cm 104.4kg 65
Lock 27.02.97 201cm 116.3kg 1
16.03.92 183cm 106kg 45
31.03.92 207cm 118.5kg 89
BLAIR KINGHORN
CALLUM HUNTER HILL
Hooker 20.11.95 183cm 103.6kg 10
Scrum-half 03.12.97
CHRIS DEAN Centre
Wing 11.01.1994 155cm 91kg 58
15.03.94 189cm 102.8kg 66
CHARLIE SHIEL
155cm 82.2kg —
DAMIEN HOYLAND
CAMERON FENTON
Wing 21.06.97
Prop 01.11.90 186cm 114.6kg 10
DAVE CHERRY Hooker 03.01.91 183cm 102.5kg —
DOUGIE FIFE Wing
08.08.90 183cm 94.5kg 108
EDINBURGH SQUAD 2018/19 DARCY GRAHAM DARRYL MARFO
155cm 84.2kg 6
Wing 04.06.95 195cm 106.1kg 19
Lock 28.03.88 201cm 110.2kg 101
Centre 24.11.96
Lock 09.08.90
183cm 94.5kg —
201cm 118kg 121
GEORGE TAYLOR
GRANT GILCHRIST
FRASER McKENZIE
DUHAN VAN DER MERWE
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HAMISH WATSON Back-row 15.10.91
Scrum-half 09.07.89 155cm 83kg 1
Stand-off 01.02.94
Centre 17.04.90
HENRY PYRGOS
186cm 102kg 83
156cm 91.8kg 18
155cm 90.3kg 19
JAMES JOHNSTONE
JACO VAN DER WALT
EDINBURGH SQUAD 2018/19
JAMIE RITCHIE Back-row 16.08.96 192cm 108.7kg 49
JASON BAGGOT Stand-off 12.07.95 183cm 94kg —
JOHN BARCLAY Back-row 24.09.86
Centre 30.05.88
189cm 102kg —
180cm 95.4kg —
JUAN PABLO SOCINO
Lock 02.05.95 198cm 110.1kg 33
LUKE CROSBIE Back-row 22.04.97
LUKE HAMILTON Back-row 07.01.92 192cm 107.3kg 1
Back-row 23.08.95 195cm 111.4kg 53
195cm 108kg 12
LEWIS CARMICHAEL
MAGNUS BRADBURY
Centre 03.02.93
MATT SCOTT Centre
Prop 16.03.96 183cm 117kg 39
Scrum-half 08.04.93
30.09.90 186cm 106kg 75
MARK BENNETT
183cm 90.8kg 13
155cm 89.8kg 59
NATHAN FOWLES
MURRAY MCCALLUM
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Prop 07.05.94 186cm 118.3kg 1
Prop 16.02.92 183cm 112.8kg —
Prop 24.08.92 183cm 113.1kg 63
Hooker 23.04.84 186cm 115.6kg 180
ROSS FORD
PIERRE SCHOEMAN
RORY SUTHERLAND
PIETRO CECCARELLI
Scrum-half 24.04.91
SENITIKI NAYALO Back-row 28.06.88
Prop 07.12.90 192cm 119.6kg 50
SIMON HICKEY Stand-off 12.01.94
SEAN KENNEDY
180cm 81.3kg 61
189cm 112kg
155cm 80.2kg 1
SIMON BERGHAN
WP NEL
Hooker 09.08.90 192cm 109.5kg 121
TOM BROWN Wing
VILIAMA MATA Back-row 22.10.91 198cm 115.4kg 38
Prop 30.04.96 156cm 114.5kg 116
31.03.90 156cm 91kg 113
EDINBURGH SQUAD 2018/19 STUART MCINALLY
Keep up to date with the latest player profiles, career stats and squad news at edinburghrugby.org
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ULSTER RUGBY SUPPORTERS CLUB (URSC) NEWS
JOIN THE URSC TODAY! 650 FANS ALREADY HAVE
COMPETITIONS
During the season we will be running a number of exclusive competitions for our members, including a Ryder Cup competition at the end of September – where members will have the opportunity to win signed Ryder Cup memorabilia. A new feature for 2018/19 will be our virtual celebrity Ulster XV: URSC have been, and will be, busy getting celebrities (so far we have got Olympians, an F1 driver and Premiership footballers) to sign Ulster caps. By the end of the season we should have a complete team. Each month throughout the season, starting in August, one of caps will be the prize in a members’ ballot. URSC are running a bus to the Munster game in Limerick on Saturday 29th September. £30 members, £35 non-members & £15 U18s - buy online at www.ursc.co (Match tickets need to be purchased separately from Munster). URSC BUS In your membership pack, you will also find two books of Big Ballot tickets priced at £5 per book (or £1 per individual ticket). The money raised from the sale of these tickets goes towards providing additional expertise for the players at the Ulster Rugby Academy – last season £2,500 was donated by URSC to provide psychology sessions for Ulster’s youngest and brightest players. Details of the Big Ballot prizes will be publicised over the coming weeks and months and we are grateful to local businesses for donating these. BIG BALLOT
Membership costs £12 for adults, £6 for juniors or £30 for a family. You will find full details on how to join at membership.ursc.co In this season’s membership pack you will find:
» » A membership card » » a members’ badge » » a car sticker » » and a drawstring gym bag
INTERNATIONAL TICKETS
For those of you who opt to enter our draw for the right to buy Ireland home international tickets, there is good news in that we will have 25 pairs of tickets (previously we had 20 pairs) available for each match. Including some crackers – South Africa, Argentina and the All Blacks in the Autumn and France and England in the 6 Nations. Remember the first name out of the hat wins their tickets for free! As some of you will be aware, Ulster Rugby has granted Chris Henry a Testimonial Year - which he is sharing with NI Chest, Heart and Stroke charity. There are a number of events planned right across the season. We would encourage all fans to support Chris and his nominated charity. The next event in Chris’ Testimonial calendar is a Comedy Night at Kingspan Stadium on Wednesday 26th September, doors open @ 7.30pm. Popcorn and beer on arrival! Tickets £20 each - on sale at the URSC Information Point tonight. For more information visit www.chrishenrytestimonal.co.uk CHRIS HENRY TESTIMONIAL YEAR
For more information on URSC, please visit membership.ursc.co or email membership@ursc.co.uk.
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STAFF PROFILE
NAME: PAULA BRADLEY ROLE: TICKET OFFICE MANAGER EMAIL: PAULA.BRADLEY@ULSTERRUGBY.COM
Describe your role within Ulster Rugby? As Ticket Office Manager, I work as part of the Commercial Department at Ulster Rugby. My role focuses on all things involving tickets… and that means absolutely everything related to fans and customers! I co-ordinate the day-to-day Ticket Office and Reception operations which includes the delivery of customer service to Season Ticket holders, fans and customers on a match by match basis. Depending on the time of year, I can be working on Season Ticket renewals or at this time of year, I am concentrating on the fixtures and ensuring we continue to have large numbers of spectators at our games. Describe your career / employment history? I studied History & Politics at university and then at nights I completed a postgrad in Computing and IT, which took me to the Waterfront Hall in Belfast managing the Box Office. I then worked in the Heritage Sector in National Museums Northern Ireland, managing the Visitor Services function in the Ulster Museum and later the Folk and Transport Museum. When Ulster Rugby were recruiting for this role I knew my past experiences I love the variety of tasks and working within a professional stadium running events. It sounds like a cliché, but no two days are the same. With everything from helping Season Ticket holders with queries, organising away tickets, group bookings, co-ordinating club and school matches, to just making sure the turnstiles work when the gates open, I am always busy, which I love! What do you enjoy most about working for Ulster Rugby? At Ulster Rugby, there is a lot of work which goes on behind the scenes and feeling part of a team would stand me in good stead. Favourite thing about your job?
working together towards a shared goal is very rewarding. There is a strong team of dedicated individuals and everyone here is welcoming and encouraging. What is your biggest achievement to date? This is my second season at Ulster Rugby so just seeing the Season Ticket cards in operation at the first few games is an achievement for me! I always worry about that. On reflection, I would say that being involved in the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2017 was my biggest achievement to date. It was a very different venture with multiple stakeholders involved and just seeing the success on the final day with New Zealand playing England and the rousing Haka being performed, was something I will never forget. What is the most challenging aspect of your role? The most challenging aspect is dealing with problems and finding solutions when there are ticketing issues on match night. When there can be 18,000 people in the stadium you can imagine there is always something to deal with but there is always a solution and we do everything to ensure the best outcome. What are your plans/goals for the upcoming season? This season I am planning to continue to increase the service we provide to our loyal fans and work with providers to ensure a greater fan experience. Personally, I plan to engage in more rugby including away games and match experiences at other stadiums. Who is your favourite Ulster player? Craig Gilroy. He brings a level of energy to the game and is such a positive person.
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CONTACT US FOR A QUOTATION THE BEST CLUBS WEAR MACRON WHY DON’T YOU?
www.macron.com
Q&A CLUB
What is your Club logo and what does it represent? The club was founded by former pupils of Grosvenor High School in 1953 and we took the rampant Stag from the school badge. Who is your Club mascot? A gorilla cuddly toy bedecked in Grosvenor colours called Harambe. How many teams do you field? We have three adult teams playing in Championship 1, Provincial 1 and Regional East respectively giving our players the chance to play both serious and social rugby. Biggest achievement Our 1st XV a.k.a. ‘The Invincibles’ went through the 17/18 league campaign with 18 wins from 18 which we believe is a club record, securing a return to the top flight of Junior Rugby after a 40 year break. Another highlight was winning the Gordon West and Forster Cup finals on a memorable sun kissed day at Ravenhill in 2009. Proudest moment? 18 years ago we almost folded as a club and to have been nominated as ‘Ulster Club of the Year’ three times in the last ten years is a real honour. Having club member Stephen Hilditch MBE as IRFU President in 2016 was also very special. Tell us something unique that not everyone knows about the club? Stephen Hilditch refereed the 1995 World Cup semi-final where Will Carling's England were smashed almost single-handedly by Jonah Lomu who scored four tries.
Who is your President? Colin Dunwoody. Who is your Head Coach? Robert Ford. 1st XV Captain? Andrew Kelly. Number of members? Approximately 100. Name 3 players to watch? Allen McCluggage : veteran scrumhalf and ‘Le Petit General’. Andrew Kelly : rampaging former Ulster Juniors No.8 and club captain. Adam Skelton : precocious talent and hugely gifted footballer who can play anywhere in the backs. Who is your longest serving member? Sam Stewart is one of our founding members going back to 1953. Who is the ‘Club Clown’ and why? Peter ‘Daisy’ Davison – choirmaster, quizmaster and practical joker. Who is the hardest trainer? Big Willie Rea, hugely popular man-mountain who rarely misses a training session and never fails to give 100%. Club’s unsung hero and why? Stalwart Rab Weir propped for the club for over 40 years, was a team captain and committee member who combined playing in his later years with refereeing at Minor, School and Youth levels. A popular figure in local rugby, there’s not a club in Ulster Rab hasn’t refereed at, bringing his trademark droll style to each game. What is your Club song? Bizarrely, it’s a popular Sunday School song ‘There is a flag flying high’ complete with hand actions! The origins date back to an incident on a Scottish Tour over 20 years ago.
Email: aaron0288@hotmail.co.uk Website: www.grosvenorrugby.com @GrosvenorRFC
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R O D N A W N
Richard Cockerill is not someone, as a player or coach, who has ever knowingly taken a backward step.
EDINBURGH WILL BE ‘IN YOUR F
then new ambitions instantly formed in a mind which is brilliantly attuned to the physical demands of the modern game, which is consistently inventive in strengthening frailty and constantly improving players’ individual qualities. Now it is Edinburgh where he plies his trade, not perhaps the most obvious rugby home for a rugby pitbull Englishman who has played with and worked with some of the game’s most ruthlessly gifted and consistent talents. The Scottish club, despite many advantages, would never claim that consistency has been a hallmark of an erratic history in league and European rugby. Alan Solomons and Andy Robinson made some progress, but the challenges of shaping an authentic rugby identity and a reliable, enduring style have proved considerable, and though there have been many victories, they have been small and too infrequent to frame a really competitive side. Cockerill, on arrival last year, seemed to instantly imbue a steel and collective sense of purpose which other coaches and many other players did not quite tap into on a weekly basis. The Head Coach of tonight’s visitors to Kingspan Stadium studied his squad and in one short year his team has earned a regard.
The former England hooker played the game hard, made everything of his front row skills, and if a belligerent nature gave him an ‘edge’ he made the most of it for his team and for himself. Leicester is the club with which he is synonymous: over 250 appearances for a club which set the standards for so long in England. Between 1992 and 2002 he was integral to an intimidating pack of forwards who forged the platform for the Midlands side to release generations of brilliant three-quarters. When, as seemed such a natural course, he was appointed Head Coach in 2005 Cockerill brought immense experience and a daunting reputation to the role: as a player. He was demanding of himself and his team-mates, and that didn’t change in the 12 years he was at the helm until he left in 2017. He was, and remains, hugely respected, because he scorns the mediocre, relentlessly chases success and has developed in players a similar hunger and appetite to work, to improve, to be the best. Martin Johnson was for so long his club captain, and the two shared a common goal for Leicester and no concessions were ever made on the field as Cockerill’s targets were set, so often achieved and
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CE’
It’s taken a lot of work, and one imagines voices have been strident in the team room, but that only one really counts: that everyone knows what Richard Cockerill wants, how it will be achieved and the consequences of falling short. John Barclay, Scotland’s barnstorming skipper, bruising Fijian lock Viliame Mata, roustabout breakaway Hamish Watson and resurgent hooker Stuart McInally have ‘bought in’ to the ‘Cockerill Way’ – and have the international caps to prove it! Playmakers Henry Pyrgos and Jaco van der Wait, Mark Bennett, Juan Pablo Socino and the scoring machine that is Duhan van der Merwe, Blair Kinghorn, Damian Hoyland and Sean Kennedy have seen their stars rise since the new regime took control, and they’ve been given their creative, free-running heads. ‘In Your Face’ was the title of Cockerill’s robust memoir, appropriate for a plain-spoken member of the front-row union. His observations in that time probably cost him his place in Clive Woodward’s more sophisticated plans for England, but the Edinburgh boss ‘moved on’. He’s signed up until 2021 at Edinburgh, so Scotland is no short-term respite, and opponents should beware! Ulster will know that having started with a win last week against Scarlets, that Edinburgh will be hurting after an opening PRO14 week defeat at Ospreys.
Head Coach Dan McFarland – no shrinking violet himself - knows how Cockerill operates, that his Ulster side will be asked some penetrating questions, especially up front, this evening. The Scots will be rugged, aggressive and dangerous. Ulster has already shown real character, its supporters a refreshing zeal for the campaign, and with Will Addison, Billy Burns, Henry Speight, Marty Moore and Jordi Murphy making up an impressive list of additions to the squad for this evening’s match, it will be another signal of realistic home expectations this season. It’s a game about which to get excited, so much is new or renewed about Ulster, and Edinburgh is a pretty formidable opposition just two weeks in! Next stop South Africa!
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AVAILABLE NOW - IN STORE & ONLINE TRAINING RANGE NEW 2018-19 ulsterrugbyshop.com
PREMIER SPORTS - AT THE HEART OF THE ACTION Premier Sports was founded in 2009 and operates three sports TV channels in the UK. Premier Sports 1 is on Sky channel 412 and Virgin channel 551. Premier Sports 2 is on Sky channel 435 and Virgin Channel 552. FreeSports is available free on Sky Channel 422, Virgin Media Channel 553, on Channel 95 on Freeview and Channel 95 on BT and on Freesat Channel 252. Both Premier Sports channels are available on a subscription basis for just £9.99 per month on Sky and Virgin, and on the Premier Player. The channels are also available to pubs, clubs and other commercial premises throughout the UK. Premier Sports and FreeSports also hold ice hockey rights for the NHL, CHL, SHL, KHL weekly highlights and the IIHF World Championships. It is also the home of NASCAR Monster Energy Cup and GAA along with football from Europe. Supporters can sign up now to access all 152 Guinness PRO14 games this season!
VIRGIN CUSTOMERS:
SKY CUSTOMERS: • FIRST MONTH FREE (new customers only) • £9.99 per month thereafter • You can also buy an annual subscription for £99.00 • Subscribe www.subscribe. premiersports.tv/ • Or call 0871 663 9000 stating your 9-digit Sky viewing card number • Have payment details ready
PREMIER PLAYER CUSTOMERS: • First month free offer will be live this week • £9.99 per month (standard package) • Access to Premier Player Live streaming and 7 days of ‘on demand’ catch up • Subscribe at www. premierplayer.tv/subscribe/ new-customer
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HENRY PYRGOS OPPOSITION THREE TO WATCH
Edinburgh won’t be short of leaders this season, with the signing of former Scotland captain Henry Pyrgos from Scottish rivals, Glasgow Warriors. After the loss of Sam Hidalgo-Clyne to Scarlets, scrum- half Pyrgos brings valuable talent as a accurate kicker and a shrewd master of the game. The Dorchester-born Scotland international brings strength in depth to a No.9 jersey also shared between the likes of Nathan Fowles and Sean Kennedy. Scoring 114 points in eight years at Glasgow – Pyrgos arrives with a point to prove and a determination to lift a second career Guinness PRO14 title. After a successful two-year spell south of the border at Gloucester Rugby, Scotland international Matt Scott has returned to his first club, Edinburgh. The 27-year-old, who has 39 Scotland appearances to his name, brings a game-breaking ability to Edinburgh’s attacking game after scoring 17 tries in 34 games for Gloucester. Scott, who has recently returned from a three-month spell on the sidelines, should link up well with Mark Bennett or Juan Pablo Socino in midfield. Having played just three international games since moving to England – he will be hoping to make an immediate impact this season and earn a return to Gregor Townsend’s international set-up. After breaking into Edinburgh's first XV at the beginning of the 2017/18 season, 27-year-old Johnstone signed a two-year deal to remain at the club on a full-time basis. A former Scotland Sevens star, Johntone burst onto the World Series Sevens circuit in 2013. The abrasive centre represented Scotland at the Rugby World Cup 7s in Moscow that same year, before competing in the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games. He finished as Scotland’s second highest try-scorer for the season in 2015/16, crossing the whitewash on 22 occasions and he played a pivotal role in Scotland’s historic cup win in the final leg of the 2015/16 Series in London. He has amassed a staggering 40 caps for the Sevens side.
MATT SCOTT
JAMES JOHNSTONE
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S T U A R T M c C L O S K E Y
Stuart McCloskey has started this season in similar fashion to how he finished the last one, as he produced a barnstorming performance in last weekend’s win over Scarlets. HOPING TO CONTINUE FINE FORM
young. Al (O’Connor) is the same age as me, you have Hendy (Iain Henderson) and Marcell (Coetzee) who are both pretty young but have played at the highest level. They all add real value and that’s what I’m trying to do. “I try to make the young backs, in particular, feel at home. I know what I felt like at 20/21 when I came into the system and they are even younger now; guys like Aaron Sexton and Stewart Moore are 17/18 so I don’t know how they feel! “I went down to Bangor Grammar to do a bit of coaching and saw Aaron Sexton at school, which was strange. I’m just trying to be a good lad and I think that is what most of the squad is like.” While Edinburgh lost their opener against Ospreys last weekend, they won 21 of their 27 regular season games last season in the PRO14 and Challenge Cup, so McCloskey knows that they will provide a stern challenge at Kingspan Stadium “Richard Cockerill has made a real impact since he took over as their Director of Rugby and they are extremely difficult to beat. They have an excellent set piece and they are very good defensively, so it will be an interesting clash. “We have prepared really well over the past couple of weeks and the challenge for us is to carry that into this game. There is definitely stuff to work on from last week and hopefully we can show improvements in those areas.”
Five penalties from the boot of John Cooney helped Ulster to a 15-13 win against last season’s beaten finalists, but it was McCloskey who caught the eye with a hugely effective performance that saw him gain over 50 metres from 12 carries, and the twice-capped Ireland centre was awarded the man of the Match award for his endeavours. “I just tried to give the guys something to go to. Billy (Burns), if there is nothing else on, will give me the ball and I’ll try to do something and get the guys going forward again. That’s what I’ve been trying to do,” said McCloskey. Under new Head Coach Dan McFarland, Ulster delivered an impressive attacking display, but failed to cross the whitewash in a tight game. They registered stats of 60% territory and possession, and also made an impressive 23 offloads, something which McCloskey relished: “Personally I want to be playing that offloading game. I want to try and get through contact and get guys running off me. I think the tries will come - there were definitely chances out there.” With 83 provincial appearances to his name, McCloskey is now regarded as senior player within the Ulster ranks. Despite being just 26 years of age, he says he’s happy to use his experience to mentor the many young players coming through the Academy system. “I think there are a lot of experienced guys to set an example, but the age profile is quite
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