Ulster Rugby vs Zebre

LEADING THE FIELD

Welcome to Kingspan Stadium, the home of Ulster Rugby, as we wait with great anticipation for this evening’s Guinness PRO12 clash against Zebre. On behalf of Kingspan, I am delighted to welcome you to Kingspan Stadium as Ulster Rugby take to the field for the first time in three weeks. Zebre are a side famed for their passion and I hope you will join me in providing the team and travelling fans with a very warm welcome and an experience to remember. Finally, on behalf of Kingspan, I would like to wish the squad and management of Ulster Rugby every success this evening. To you, the fans, enjoy the game, lead the way and help ensure this is another Kingspan Stadium evening to remember.

Pat Freeman Divisional Managing Director

CONTENTS

PRESIDENT’S WELCOME GUINNESS PRO12 WELCOME

3 4 7 9 11

TONIGHT’S MASCOTS

FRANCO VAN DER MERWE

LES KISS

ROGER WILSON Q&A CHARITY RECIPE BOOK ULSTER U19 SQUAD

15 17 21

CHARITY PARTNER

22 24 28 29 33 34 38 42 45 46 49 53 55 57 58 59 60 41 51

ULSTER SQUAD PROFILES

ULSTER TEAM

DOUBLE SIDED POSTER

ZEBRE TEAM

ZEBRE SQUAD PROFILES RORY BEST - CENTURION

SCHOOLS CUP ROB LYTTLE

ULSTER U18 GIRLS

ROD NAWN GUEST ARTICLE CENTRA HALF TIME RUGBY

URSC CLUB NEWS OUR CLUB NEWS

ULSTER RUGBY VALUES STADIUM INFORMATION

MATCH PREVIEW

FIXTURES

THANK YOU

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The Ireland team and management are to be congratulated on a tremendous performance in beating New Zealand in Chicago three weeks ago. In particular, my congratulations go to Rory Best, Jared Payne and Andrew Trimble who played that day. Ireland followed this up with another good performance, beating Canada with a team that included Paddy Jackson, Luke Marshall and Craig Gilroy. Unfortunately, last weekend, Ireland came off second best against New Zealand in what was an extremely physical match, but again a good performance from Ireland. I am sure everyone in Ulster will wish the Ireland team well in their final Guinness Series game against Australia tomorrow. As for Ulster, it has not been the best of months with the team slipping from 1st to 5th place in the Guinness PRO12 Championship following defeats by Munster and Edinburgh. Whilst injuries and Ireland call- ups have been significant factors, the recent defeat in Edinburgh was particularly disappointing. Hopefully the Autumn break will have allowed the team to regroup and get back to form tonight. On the domestic rugby front, Ballynahinch and Dungannon are to be congratulated on getting through to the First Trust Senior Cup final on 15th December at Kingspan Stadium. Clogher Valley are also to be congratulated on getting through to the All Ireland Junior Cup Semi- finals following a hard fought win over fellow Ulster team Portadown. I would also encourage all Ulster Rugby fans to get involved with our Christmas Present Appeal, which is a joint initiative with our charity partner, Include Youth. This charity supports 500 young people from disadvantaged communities throughout Northern Ireland and looks to help them move into training or employment. Fans are encouraged to donate a present to make sure the young people that Include Youth work with, who often live in children's homes or residential care, receive a special gift this Christmas. Donations of Christmas presents can be made at reception in the main administration building during the upcoming week. Further details of the scheme are included later in this match day programme. Ulster Rugby, in conjunction with Slim’s Kitchen and Include Youth, have also launched the first ever Ulster Rugby Charity Recipe Book. This book will make a great Christmas present and fans are encouraged to buy a copy for just £5, with all proceeds going to our charity partner. Finally, I hope everyone enjoys the game tonight as well as the facilities in Kingspan Stadium and remember - Stand Up For The Ulstermen! John McKibbin President IRFU (Ulster Branch) It gives me great pleasure as President of the IRFU Ulster Branch to welcome everyone to Kingspan Stadium for this evening’s Round 9 match in the Guinness PRO12 League. In particular I am pleased to welcome the Zebre team along with their coaches, Directors and supporters. PRESIDENT’S WELCOME

PRESIDENT’S WELCOME

IRFU ULSTER BRANCH 2016/17 OFFICERS John McKibbin President Graf n Parke Senior Vice President Stephen Elliott Junior Vice President Denis Gardiner Honorary Secretary Michael Boyd Honorary Treasurer Greg Irwin Competitions Secretary EXECUTIVE TEAM Shane Logan Chief Executive Chris Webster Domestic Rugby Manager Audrey Robinson Financial Controller Fiona Hampton Head of Sales & Marketing Les Kiss Director of Rugby

Kingspan Stadium, 134 Mount Merrion Avenue Belfast, BT6 0FT T +44 (0)28 9049 3222 ulsterrugby.com

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Managing Director, PRO12 Rugby Welcome

With two rounds of Guinness PRO12 action and a host of autumn internationals already played, it’s fair to say November has delivered a feast of rugby. But it’s not over yet and this weekend promises even more drama. Firstly, I must congratulate the Irish and Italian teams for creating history with their first-ever victories over New Zealand and South Africa, respectively, and it was a great advert for our Championship to see that 43 of the 46 players involved in those Tests ply their trade in the Guinness PRO12. Scotland’s win over World Cup semi-finalists, Argentina, cannot go unnoticed either, with 19 of their match-day squad all based in the Guinness PRO12. As always, international windows present new opportunities for the countless rising talents that emerge every season in the Guinness PRO12 and the past few weeks have been no diŠerent. Magnus Bradbury (Edinburgh Rugby/Scotland), Joey Carberry (Leinster Rugby/Ireland), Sam Davies (Ospreys Rugby/Wales) and Giorgio Bronzini (Benetton Rugby Treviso/Italy) have all won their first caps for their countries and great credit goes to their coaches, their clubs and to the players themselves. I’m also delighted to welcome Eurosport on board as broadcast partner in Italy. Eurosport are one of the leading sports broadcasters in Europe and Asia and the Eurosport Player is evidence of how they have embraced new technology to oŠer fans new ways to watch the games that they love. As for the Championship, the entertainment continues to flow with our clubs scoring more tries at this point in the season than ever before. Across the first eight rounds we’ve seen 247 tries scored which averages out at least five tries per game. In addition, fans like you are responding to action on the pitch by attending more games and watching our broadcasts as all those numbers are on the rise. Your support is invaluable and behind the scenes at all of our clubs and within our own team at PRO12 Rugby we are all working hard to make sure you enjoy a great day out every time you come to a game. The intense competition hasn’t let up either with nine points separating the top six teams – all of whom are previous winners of the Championship – and whoever reaches the Guinness PRO12 Final on May 27 will have beaten some very tough teams to get there. Enjoy the game, Martin Anayi

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TONIGHT’S MASCOTS

MASCOTS

SAM JOHNSTON (11) Sam is from Larne and attends Larne High School. He plays rugby at school and also enjoys rowing at Cairndhu Rowing Club. Sam’s favourite player is Charles Piutau and when he grows up he would like to be a professional rugby commentator.

JACK ROUNDTREE (12) Jack is from Armagh and attends Markethill High School. He plays rugby at school and also enjoys playing Playstation and football. Jack’s favourite player is Rory Best and when he grows up he would like to play rugby for Ulster.

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FRANCO VAN DER MERWE FEELING FRESH AND READY TO PROVE A POINT With it being three weeks since Ulster's last outing, we caught up with lock Franco van der Merwe to see how he spent the time...

Last week, we had a really good break, I stayed at home, we just welcomed a little baby girl, Isabella, into the world, so it was nice to spend a lot of time with her and to help my wife. We've had a couple of sleepless nights but she is really good, she is starting to show some reactions which is great so it’s an exciting time for us. She was born in the Ulster Hospital on 2nd October, it was a life changing experience and great that we will always have a connection to Belfast! There has been a lot of preparation for Zebre this week, an important fixture following a disappointing few performances before the break. Everyone was disappointed with our performance against Edinburgh, so it is vital that we bounce back from it. Zebre managed to get a win in Edinburgh, which didn’t do us any favours, because the Scottish side came back fighting and played really well against us. The Zebre game was a bit of a wake up call for them, so they came out all guns blazing against us and scored two tries within

minutes. The Italians are really looking good this season, and we know we have to be well prepared for them. We have had some disappointments recently, but it is by no means the end of the season. We have got to get as many points as we can in the run up to Christmas and after the holidays we go back into Europe so there is no time to hang heads. We have got to get our chins up and work hard through this period, we have got to stick together as a unit and work hard for each other. We have got to do our job really well and start fresh against Zebre. A few days’ rest has been really beneficial. The boys were back in this week feeling refreshed, willing to work hard and excited to get back to playing again. I think for us this week; Edinburgh will be in the back of our minds acting as ammunition. We need to prove a point and there has been a real focus, energy and buzz around the paddock this week.

FRANCO VAN DER MERWE

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LES KISS DIRECTOR OF RUGBY UPDATE

Rory, Hendy, Trimby, Paddy and Jared will be strapping up for Ireland on Saturday against the Wallabies. Most of them will be on a rest week for the Cardiff match but will be available to play against Clermont the following weekend. I am sure you felt a huge amount of pride for your players out in Chicago? I spoke to the guys that were involved with Ireland when they got back. I thought they put in an incredible performance against the All Blacks, we are so proud of the Ulster boys that were involved in that historic occasion. It was great to see Ireland achieve a win in front of huge support in America. A game I’m sure they will never forget.

What was the focus this week? The boys are extremely disappointed with the way things went last time out. So the focus for this week’s game is on making sure that we deliver to the level of expectation that is placed on this jersey and to what the Ulster Rugby badge is worthy of. Zebre defeated Edinburgh on home soil, a boost for them this season? Yes, they had a good win over Edinburgh a number of weeks ago, which I’m sure will give them a lot of confidence. They have been a hard team to beat a number of times this season and we have to be wary of them and aware of their skills set. If we don’t perform up to par our expectation this evening it will be a very tough challenge. The Italians have a good set piece, they are very dangerous from broken field play and they have a lot of very aggressive and quick players, so our one-on-one tackling needs to be spot on tonight. How is your squad looking? The squad is slowly being able to add to its depth with the return of some players. It’s great to have Chris Henry and Louis Ludik back fit this week, but unfortunately not so for Rodney, Roger, Cavey, Ricky and Al O’Connor. Luke and Gilly return from Ireland camp whilst Stuart McCloskey is very close to a return and will cover 24th man for us tonight. Lorcan Dow, John Donnan and Aaron Cairns are also injured for this weekend. Ross Kane joins Marcell

LES KISS

Coetzee, Pete Nelson and Matty Rea on the long term injury list. Stu Olding was called into Irish camp this week and has injured his hamstring which will put him on the sidelines this weekend.

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P R O U D T O S P O N S O R

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*Terms & Conditions apply: One entry per person, per programme. You must be 16 years or over to enter. You must enter a valid email address to receive your prize and by entering your information you are agreeing to receiving promotions from Ulster Rugby and our sponsors. Ulster Rugby reserve the right to remove this competition at any point without prior notice.

ROGER WILSON Q&A

NICK NAME? Pigeon FAVOURITE SUBJECT AT SCHOOL? Geography IF YOU COULD BE A PROFESSIONAL IN ANOTHER SPORT, WHAT WOULD IT BE? Golf – because of the money, lifestyle and it’s easy on the body! MOST EXCITING THING YOU HAVE DONE? Shark diving FAVOURITE HOLIDAY DESTINATION? Capri – beautiful, good food, plenty to do and not too busy MOST EXPENSIVE ITEM YOU HAVE BOUGHT? Engagement ring! HOW DO YOU RELAX ON YOUR DOWN TIME? Walk the dog FAVOURITE MOVIE OF ALL TIME? Forrest Gump IF A FILM WAS MADE ABOUT YOUR LIFE, WHO WOULD YOU LIKE TO PLAY YOU? Liam Neeson – seems like a cool bloke IF YOU WERE STRANDED ON A DESSERT ISLAND, WHICH PLAYER WOULD YOU LEAST LIKE TO BE STRANDED WITH? Dave Shanahan – not much meat on him! DO YOU HAVE ANY PETS? Bernese Mountain Dog called Nacho Favourite – Gym Least – Scrums WHAT DO YOU LOVE MOST ABOUT PLAYING FOR ULSTER? Celebrating in the changing rooms after a big win IF YOU WEREN’T A PROFESSIONAL RUGBY PLAYER, WHAT WOULD YOU BE DOING AS A PROFESSION? Pilot – travelling the world WHAT ARE YOUR LEAST AND MOST FAVOURITE TRAINING ELEMENTS?

TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT ROGER FOLLOW HIM ON TWITTER @ROGERWILSON8

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EAT LIKE ULSTER RUGBY PLAYERS WITH A NEW CHARITY RECIPE BOOK

Ulster Rugby, in conjunction with Slim’s Healthy Kitchen, has launched a new recipe book, which is now on sale with all proceeds going to its Charity Partner, Include Youth.

Paddy Mooney, Director at Include Youth, commented: “We are delighted that Ulster Rugby has chosen to donate the proceeds of this recipe book to Include Youth. Many of the young people we work with have experienced social exclusion, poverty, homelessness or have other complex needs and therefore need additional support to overcome their barriers and positively move into education or work. “Ulster Rugby is helping us promote positive mental health and wellbeing among young people who are unemployed and ultimately helping us make sure each young person rediscovers what they are good at.” Kate Magill, Marketing Manager at Slim's Healthy Kitchen, added: “We are really excited to be joining forces with Ulster Rugby to support their charity partner Include Youth. We've been working closely with the team and coaching staff on their day-to-day nutrition for the past two years and it's fantastic to now be able help create recipes that are simple, healthy and nutritious for Ulster Rugby fans. “From the most advanced cook to a novice, there's a recipe for everyone to get into the kitchen and have a go!”

The recipe books cost just £5 and are available from the Ulster Rugby Ticket Office, all eight Slim’s Kitchen outlets, at www.slimskitchen.com/shop and in the Kukri Sports stores at Kingspan Stadium and Victoria Square. The books feature cooking guidelines for some of the Ulster players’ favourite dishes, such as Wiehahn Herbst’s ‘Slow Cooked Thai Beef’, Tommy Bowe’s ‘Turkey Chilli’ and Charles Piutau’s ‘Perfect Porridge’. It also includes ‘The Kissy Veggie Burger’, which is the preferred dish of Director of Rugby, Les Kiss. The recipe book has six chapters; Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Shakes & Smoothies, Snacks and Treats, which give supporters the chance to eat like their heroes. Ulster Rugby’s partnership with Include Youth started in the summer and the recipe book is one of a number of joint initiatives taking place over the course of the season. As well as helping to raise vital funds for the charity, the partnership will promote its excellent work in the community and offer development opportunities to young people in need. Ulster Rugby will host its annual charity fixture this Friday night when Italian team Zebre visits Kingspan Stadium.

CHARITY RECIPE BOOK

Share your cooking photos @UlsterRugby with #URrecipes

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ULSTER U19 SQUAD CELEBRATING INTER-PROVINCIAL SUCCESS...

try to secure the deserved 23-15 win for the Ulster U19 team. The following week, the Ulster team set of for Cork to take on the Munster U19 team at Cork Institute of Technology. Three of the team had been in the U20/Academy squad the previous evening but arrived safely in Cork the night before the match none the worse for their experiences in Limerick. The game against Munster saw the U19 team 6-5 down at half time. However, there was enough belief in the squad that they had the ability to turn that deficit around. So it proved to be with the Ulster U19 team emerging as 15-13 winners after a somewhat nervous 14 minutes of added time in the second half! The third and final Inter-Provincial game the following week saw the team return to the RBAI grounds, where they would face a very spirited and dogged Connacht U19 team. The simple fact was that victory in this game would secure the U19 Inter-Provincial Championship for the Ulster team. 70 minutes later, and with a 66-7 victory secured, the U19 Inter-Provincial Championship deservedly returned to Ulster for the first time in three seasons. The team management would like to congratulate all the players involved with the U19 squad throughout the season. Their hard work, on and off the pitch, was rewarded with a fully deserved Inter- Provincial Championship. We welcome the team on to the pitch at half time to present their trophy to the President of IRFU (Ulster Branch) John McKibbin.

In preparation for the Inter-Provincial series of games the Ulster U19 squad had two games. The first saw a squad of 26 players travel to the Oratory School, Reading, for a game against an experienced Irish Exiles U20 squad. This game was well contested with all available players getting a run out in the course of the match which the U19 team won by 33-10. This trip proved to be useful in terms of the players and management bonding both on and off the pitch. Next up was a visit to Banbridge RFC, where the Ulster U19 squad took on an U18 team from the Italian Academy. The standard of opposition was something of an unknown quality and the Ulster U19 management team used the game, once again, as an opportunity to play an extended squad of players which helped them make objective decisions regarding their final selections for the Inter-Provincial games. The Ulster U19 team won this game against the Italian Academy team by 34-0. The first Inter-Provincial game was played against Leinster at RBAI playing fields at Osborne Park in early September. The game was played on great pitch conditions and was very evenly contested with a very good Leinster team well in contention throughout. That was until the final play of the game, with the score at 15-15, when a moment of magic from James Hume saw him take on the Leinster defence from the half way line and finish with a fine try in the corner. James converted the

ULSTER U19 SQUAD 2016/17

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CHARITY PARTNERSHIP HELPING TACKLE YOUTH UNEMPLOYMENT Ulster Rugby’s two-year charity partnership with children and young people’s charity Include Youth has got off to a kicking start.

So far we’ve marked #BookWeekNI, organised work place tours, made links with local clubs, taken part in a bucket collection with Ulster Rugby’s generous fans, organised a Christmas present appeal for young people in care and launched a mouth-watering recipe book with help from Slim’s Healthy Kitchen. Paddy Mooney, Director at Include Youth, said: “We are so proud that Ulster Rugby is supporting our work with vulnerable and disadvantaged young people, in particular they are helping us deliver physical activity programmes and connect young people to potential employers and positive role models in their community. “The partnership has created a real buzz among staff and young people and throughout the next two seasons we want to see more young people from disadvantaged situations take part in rugby, move positively into employment and thrive in their community.” Include Youth supports children and young people who are in care, from disadvantaged communities or whose rights are not being met, improve their employability, increase their self-esteem and reach their full potential across Northern Ireland. Ashleigh (24) is a young mother with limited family support, who got involved in Include Youth when she was 17. “When I was younger I was on Include Youth’s Give & Take: Core, an employability programme

for young people in care. It helps young people gain qualifications and work experience. I stayed in touch with the workers and got involved in some of their community-based projects after I had my son. “When I joined their Meant to Work project in April 2016 I really wanted to gain full-time work in the social care sector, as I had lots of voluntary experience working with vulnerable young people and adults,” said Ashleigh. Include Youth staff gave her practical support with job applications and interview techniques, and her peer mentor accompanied her and provided transport to and from her job interview. She was successful and gained casual shifts at a homeless drop-in and outreach centre. Still engaged with the Meant to Work team, and after three months in the post, a full-time opportunity arose within the organisation and Ashleigh was successful in securing it. Ashleigh adds:“I have calmed down a lot and my confidence has grown. I had lots of volunteering experience but didn’t feel like I was ready or able to get a job. The Meant to Work team supported me, built up my confidence and helped me with the practical things like filling in applications that I’d always struggled with before. I’m so happy right now and feel like this is a career for life.” For all the latest news, updates and photos, follow Include Youth on twitter @IncludeYouth or on Facebook ‘Include Youth organisation’.

CHARITY PARTNER

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CHARITY PARTNER

Donate Xmas presents at Reception

Recipe Book on sale now at slimskitchen.com/shop

Bucket Collection

THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT ULSTER FANS!

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MARK BEST

JOHN ANDREW

RODNEY AH YOU

Centre 01.04.94 182cm 94kg

Hooker 26.05.93 181cm 101kg

Prop 27.10.88

187cm 129kg

— —

18 —

7 3

TOMMY BOWE

CALLUM BLACK

RORY BEST

Wing 22.02.84 190cm 100kg 139 67 Flanker 08.05.91 191cm 112kg — SA 28 Back Row 27.01.95 190cm 108kg 1 —

Prop 25.02.86 180cm 116kg 114 — Centre 05.04.87 184cm 95kg 184 11

Hooker 15.08.82

178cm 106kg 189 99

MARCELL COETZEE

DARREN CAVE

PETER BROWNE 2nd Row 25.10.87 201cm 116kg

21 —

LORCAN DOW

JOHN DONNAN 2nd Row 16.02.93 197cm 115kg

ROBBIE DIACK

No. 8 12.11.85 195cm 110kg 182 2

— —

ULSTER SQUAD 2016/17 24 CRAIG GILROY Wing 11.03.91 183cm 90kg 139 9 WIEHAHN HERBST Prop 07.05.88 180cm 120kg 41 — IAIN HENDERSON 2nd Row 21.02.92 199cm 117kg 64 27 ROB HERRING Hooker 27.04.90 185cm 102kg 106 1

CHRIS HENRY

Back Row 17.10.84

191cm 105kg 150 24

BRETT HERRON

Fly half 13.11.95 184cm 92kg 4 —

www. ULSTERRUGBY .com

CONOR JOYCE

PADDY JACKSON

ROSS KANE

Back Row 05.07.93

Out half 05.01.92 180cm 87kg 112 18

Prop 26.02.86 182cm 114kg 52 — Prop 14.10.94 180.5cm 116kg 9 —

192cm 106kg 6 —

ANGUS LLOYD

RICKY LUTTON

LOUIS LUDIK Full back 10.08.86 182cm 92kg 45 —

Scrum half 02.10.92 175cm 80kg 1 — Prop 01.02.92 177cm 111kg 32 — Centre 03.03.91 181cm 97kg 8 — Back Row 07.04.90 193cm 108kg 2 —

ULSTER SQUAD 2016/17

PAUL MARSHALL

LUKE MARSHALL

ROB LYTTLE

Centre 03.03.91 181cm 97kg 90 9 Centre 06.08.92 193cm 113kg 46 1

Scrum half 26.07.85 172cm 80kg 180 3

KYLE McCALL

STUART McCLOSKEY

JOHNNY McPHILLIPS

Out half 13.04.97 179cm 80kg

— —

STEPHEN MULHOLLAND

JONNY MURPHY

PETER NELSON Full back 05.10.92 180cm 88kg

Hooker 02.06.92

178cm 106kg 1 —

31 —

STUART OLDING

ALAN O’CONNOR 2nd Row 10.09.92 197cm 114kg

JARED PAYNE Full back 13.10.85 186cm 97kg

Centre 11.03.93 178cm 93kg 54 4

31 —

73 16

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Should’ve gone to Specsavers

Official partner of the Guinness PRO12 referees

©2015 Specsavers. All rights reserved.

MATTHEW REA 2nd Row 21.09.93 193cm 110kg

RUAN PIENAAR

CHARLES PIUTAU

Back Row 05.10.89 182cm 105kg 41 1 Scrum half 10.03.84 187cm 90kg 127 SA 88

Back Row 14.06.89 193cm 105kg 39 — Utility back 31.10.91 183cm 102kg 7 NZ 16

— —

SEAN REIDY

CLIVE ROSS

DAVE SHANAHAN

Scrum half 20.06.93 174cm 90kg 8 —

ULSTER SQUAD 2016/17

JOHNNY SIMPSON

JACOB STOCKDALE

KIERAN TREADWELL 2nd Row 11.06.95 198cm 121kg 3 —

Wing 04.03.96 195cm 96kg 9 —

Prop 19.08.90 184cm 110kg

— —

ANDREW TRIMBLE

DAN TUOHY 2nd Row 18.06.85 197cm 115kg 136 11

FRANCO VAN DER MERWE 2nd Row 15.03.83 198cm 117kg 62 SA 1

Wing 20.10.84 185cm 97kg 208 68 Prop 12.03.91 179cm 110kg 56 —

ANDY WARWICK

ROGER WILSON

SAM WINDSOR

Back Row 21.09.81 190cm 106kg 215 1

Fly half 07.12.87 185cm 94kg 3 —

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1

KYLE McCALL

CHARLES PIUTAU

14

2

TOMMY BOWE

ROB HERRING (C)

13

3

WIEHAHN HERBST

LOUIS LUDIK

12

4

PETER BROWNE

LUKE MARSHALL

ULSTER RUBGY

11

5

FRANCO VAN DER MERWE

JACOB STOCKDALE

6

10

CLIVE ROSS

BRETT HERRON

7

9

CHRIS HENRY

RUAN PIENAAR

REPLACEMENTS 16 17 18 19 J ANDREW C BLACK A WARWICK D TUOHY

20 21 22 23

R DIACK P MARSHALL

8

C GILROY R LYTTLE

SEAN REIDY

TODAY’S OFFICIALS

REFEREE CRAIG EVANS WRU, COMPETITION DEBUT ASSISTANT REFEREE’S WAYNE DAVIES WRU | HELEN O’REILLY IRFU CITING COMMISSIONER EUGENE RYAN IRFU TMO PAUL ADAMS WRU

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15

1

BRUNO POSTIGLIONI

DION BERRYMAN

14

2

MATTIA BELLINI

CARLO FESTUCCIA

ZEBRE RUGBY

13

3

TOMASSO CASTELLO

DARIO CHISTOLINI

12

4

GIDEON KOEGELENBERG

MATTEO PRATICHETTI

11

5

FEDERICO RUZZA

SIMONE BALOCCHI

6

10

GIOVANNI PETTINELLI

ALBERTO CHIESA

7

9

GUGLIELMO PALAZZANI

JOHAN MEYER

REPLACEMENTS 16 17 18 19 L LUUS A DE MARCHI G ROAN V BERNABO

20 21 22 23

G LICATA C ENGELBRECHT M AZZOLINI L GREEF

8

DERICK MINNIE

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SIMONE BALOCCHI

KURT BAKER

FAIALAGA AFAMASAGA

Prop / Lock 26.07.94 191cm 91kg

Fullback 07.10.1988 185cm 92 k

Flyhalf 03.05.89 165cm 78kg

DION BERRYMAN

MATTIA BELLINI

VALERIO BERNABO

Fullback 20.04.86 179cm 87kg

Back 08.02.94 193cm 93kg

Lock 03.03.84 198cm 110kg

GIULIO BISEGNI

THOMAS BONI

GEORGE BIAGI

Centre 04.04.92 180cm 83kg

Centre 15.01.93

Lock 04.10.1985 199cm 115kg

187cm 100kg

CARLO CANNA

SERAFIN BORDOLI

TOMMASO CASTELLO

Flyhalf 25.08.92 191cm 93kg

Flyhalf 15.03.95 190cm 93kg

Centre 14.08.91 184cm 100kg

ZEBRE RUGBY 2016/17

ALBERTO CHIESA

DARIO CHISTOLINI

PIETRO CECCARELLI

Prop 14.09.88 180cm 112kg

Prop 16.02.92 184cm 118kg

25.02.88 178cm 90kg

TOMMASO D’APICE

GIOVANNI D'ONOFRIO

ANDREA DE MARCHI

Hooker 30.06.88 180cm 106kg

Wing 25.08.98 183cm 85kg

Prop 19.11.88 187cm 112kg

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GABRIELE DI GIULIO

CARLO ENGELBRECHT

OLIVIERO FABIANI

Scrum Half 13.04.93 180cm 83kg

Hooker 13.07.90 180cm 98kg

Wing 30.04.94 185cm 86kg

CARLO FESTUCCIA

JOSHUA FURNO

QUINTIN GELDENHUYS

Hooker 20.06.80 179cm 104kg

Lock 19.06.81 203cm 124kg

Lock 21.10.89 199cm 108kg

ZEBRE RUGBY 2016/17

LLOYD GREEFF

GIDEON KOELEGENBERG

BART LE ROUX

Prop 28.01.94

Wing 03.01.94 195cm 107kg

Lock 25.11.94 202cm 117kg

191cm 120kg

ANDREA MANICI

MAXIME MBANDÀ

ANDREA LOVOTTI

Hooker 28.04.90 182cm 102kg

Prop 28.07.89 183cm 111kg

Back Row 10.04.93 189cm 102kg

JOHAN MEYER

DERICK MINNIE

EDOARDO PADOVANI

Flanker 26.02.93 193cm 104kg

Back Row 29.10.86 186cm 108kg

Flyhalf 15.05.93 189cm 90kg

GIOVANNI PETTINELLI

BRUNO POSTIGLIONI

GUGLIELMO PALAZZANI

Back Row 13.03.96 193cm 90kg

Prop 08.04.87 185cm 110kg

Scrum half 11.04.91 173cm 85kg

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MATTEO PRATICHETTI

FEDERICO RUZZA

GUILLERMO ROAN

Lock 04.08.94 198cm 108kg

Prop 18.06.88 190cm 120kg

Centre 27.07.85 190cm 100kg

JACOPO SARTO

FABIO SEMENZATO

ANDRIES VAN SCHALKWYK

Flanker 15.07.90

No. 8 21.12.84 194cm 108kg

Scrum Half 06.05.86 178cm 86kg

ZEBRE RUGBY 2016/17

191cm 108kg

G VENDITTI

MARCELLO VIOLI

KAYLE VAN ZYL

Scrum half 11.10.93 176cm 80kg

Wing 27.03.90 187cm 110kg

Fullback 10.12.91 185cm 91kg

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IRELAND’S BEST IS THE NEW CENTURION

Tomorrow evening one of rugby’s most understated but highly-rated players will lead Ireland out on to the Aviva sward and even for this most modest of men it will be a very special moment.

Made all the more so because we all feel we are sharing it with him because he’s an Ulsterman who’s always aware of his roots, his family and his responsibility to fulfil his potential. As not only a rugby player but as a husband, father, son and sibling, farmer and all-round ‘top man’. Rory Best, captain of Ireland once again against the touring Australians, will win his 100th cap in Dublin, joining an unique group of centurions – Brian O’Driscoll, Ronan O’Gara, Paul O’Connell and John Hayes – and he will and should be allowed to bathe for a few seconds in what will be a totally unanimous and affectionate glow from a packed stadium in Dublin 4. In his typically humble way he’ll acknowledge the plaudits, his players will stand back to allow him the spotlight for a moment, but he’ll want them around him quickly, to redirect their focus on the matter in hand: for Rory Best, nice guy truly, is a warrior as he leads literally from the front row. At 34 he is arguably in the finest form of a long career, his commitment to improving and expanding his skill levels well-chronicled, illustrated so well by his adaptation of a cattle- feeding machine to act as a target for his pinpoint lineout throwing! But in the grunt and grind of the scrum he is regarded hugely, Paul O’Connell only last week emphasising his physical presence and application and lauding the man who took over the captaincy of Ireland when injury ended his own wonderful career. Rory Best is a class act on and off the field, liked and appreciated in equal measure, and he manages something of an unique trick in allying to a genuine affability and generous nature a steely single-mindedness and fierce determination. Joining Ulster in 2004 and having his brother Simon – another Ireland captain – alongside him in the front row Rory wore the green of Ireland a year later at Lansdowne Road against the All Blacks. With Frankie Sheahan and Jerry Flannery

he contested the hooker’s jersey, a competition which probably made finer all-round players of them all. Triple Crowns have been won, a Grand Slam in 2009 was a highlight, World Cups and a Lions tour four years ago, close to 200 appearances for his beloved Ulster, for the most part as skipper: mere statistics which don’t do justice to the character and force of will which has made Rory Ireland’s natural leader and its finest ambassador. Players attest to the influence he brings to the dressing room, even with his telling silences, and the talent he has for saying the very right thing to the right player at the most important times in a game. He’s a principled man, and he carries it into sporting battle, and only last week in Dublin he showed that he’ll defend his players and his position if he feels something is awry. His direct but courteous appeal to referee Jaco Peyper to check the legitimacy of an All Black try was born of a profound belief that the game – and life – should be fair and laws applied, advice sought. He did not seek to undermine Peyper, but few would argue that Best emerged the stronger personality from their exchange. Ulster and Ireland value their hooker and talisman as a player so much that he is contracted until 2018, and the way he manages himself, and as his wonderful impact in games increases – is there a better man to have at ‘turnover time’, or acting as that spiralling pivot off the ruck and maul? – there is no reason to doubt that unless he feels differently he can contribute even more to the causes in white and green. When he eventually takes his leave from rugby, the game he’s immersed himself in since a youngster, at school, university and at his Banbridge club, Rory will be able to reflect on some great achievements personally and collectively. This year alone he’s captained Ireland

RORY BEST

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to a Test win in South Africa for the first time, skippered his country to historic victory over New Zealand at the aptly-named Soldier Field in Chicago. His ambition for Ireland and Ulster is undimmed, and Australia vanquished, a resurgent Pro 12 and European campaign, then Six Nations success in the New Year will be quietly on his list of targets. That 100th appearance for Ireland tomorrow will be absorbed and also filed for deeper reflection later, the appreciation of the wide rugby public gently accepted, but under the Aviva Stadium lights he’ll concentrate on his job, giving his all, leading by example, providing compass when sometimes others lose direction. In the summer there is the Lions tour to New Zealand, and he’ll let events take their course but it’s not just in this country that good judges think Rory Best is not just the player needed to take the battle once more to the All Blacks but to lead the squad Warren Gatland selects. For one of Best’s great qualities is the way he brings different personalities and cultures within sides together, he’s not given to parochialism, his interests are broad, and the affection and, significantly, respect in which he’s held is just as wide. English, Welsh and Scots they may be, players and individuals with common cause they would be with Best at the helm. But that’s for another day. Let’s celebrate a remarkable personal achievement for one of our own, and show how much we know he has still to give to his country and to the Ulster club with which he’s won silverware and craves more. For his wife Jodie and his three young children there’ll be a very special pride as tomorrow evening unfolds, and it’s to his family he’ll return at the weekend, the same good, caring and committed man who – for a significant while – brought his values to the international top table. Rory Best will live his life, play his rugby, in his own particular, honest and engaging way. He’s his own man, but he’s ours too. A century in green, box ticked.

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2016/17 DANSKE BANK SCHOOLS' CUP LAUNCHED

2016/17 DANSKE BANK SCHOOLS' CUP

The competition was first won by Royal School Armagh back in 1876, and last season, Conor Field led Royal Belfast Academical Institution to its 31st outright Schools' Cup success, following a 13-3 win over Campbell College. The launch also saw Ian Russell, District Manager at Danske Bank and John McKibbin, President of IRFU (Ulster Branch), confirm the draw for Round 1 and conduct the draw for Round 2 of this season's competition. Speaking at the launch, Ian Russell commented: "This season marks the twelfth year of our partnership with the Schools' Cup and it is a relationship we are immensely proud of. Supporting sport at youth level is a central part of our role in the community and the Schools' Cup is great competition to align our brand with. "History has shown that the Danske Bank Ulster Schools' Cup is a great platform for young talent to be discovered and shine - you only have to look at today's Ulster and Irish rugby squads for proof of this. I am confident this year's competition will produce more captivating matches for the teams, supporters and spectators." at Kingspan Stadium in the company of the 33 captains from each of the participating schools. This season's Danske Bank Ulster Schools' Cup, the world's second-oldest rugby competition, was recently launched

ROUND 1 SATURDAY 03 DECEMBER 2016 Strabane Academy v Carrickfergus Grammar Sch Cambridge House v Larne Grammar School ROUND 2 SATURDAY 07 JANUARY 2017 Belfast High School v Limavady Grammar School Banbridge Academy v Dromore High School Foyle College v Regent House Friends School Lisburn v Antrim Grammar School Portadown College v Wellington College Lurgan College v Winner of Strabane Academy / Carrickfergus Grammar School Winner of Cambridge House / Larne Grammar School v Dalriada School ROUND 3 SATURDAY 21 JANUARY 2017 The seven Round 2 winners are joined by nine further teams for the Round 3 draw: Ballyclare High School, Bangor Grammar School, Belfast Royal Academy, Coleraine Grammar School, Enniskillen Royal Grammar School, Grosvenor Grammar School, Rainey Endowed School, Royal School Armagh, Royal School Dungannon. ROUND 4 SATURDAY 04 FEBRUARY 2017 The eight winners from Round 3 will be joined by the remaining eight sides: Ballymena Academy, Campbell College, Down High School, Methodist College Belfast, Omagh Academy, Royal Belfast Academical Institution, Sullivan Upper School, Wallace High School. QUARTER FINALS SATURDAY 18 FEBRUARY 2017 SEMI FINAL 1 MONDAY 27 FEBRUARY 2017 Kingspan Stadium, 2.30pm SEMI FINAL 2 TUESDAY 28 FEBRUARY 2017 Kingspan Stadium, 2.30pm FINAL

SCHOOLS' CUP 2016/17

FRIDAY 17 MARCH 2017 Kingspan Stadium, 3.00pm

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ROB LYTTLE IN FLYING FORM Rob Lyttle burst onto the scene when he scored two tries in his full debut against Dragons back in September, and the winger has been in flying form since. Get to know the 19-year-old from Donaghcloney a bit better…

schools rugby and it is the be-all-and-end-all and once we lost that match, I thought my rugby career was over. We were all devastated. After that, I got picked for the Irish U18 Schools team and then I thought I might have a chance of making something of this opportunity. So I put my head down and decided to work hard at succeeding in rugby. Kieran Campbell at the Ulster Rugby Academy was a great influence, and also Jacob Stockdale and Jack Owens, who were the year above me in the Academy. I witnessed how well they were doing with Ireland U20s and the opportunities they were getting with the Ulster seniors, so that made me more hungry to get to that level. On his future goals: For the rest of the season I will be aiming to get a few more caps under my belt, whether it be as a result of more senior players being on international duty or out injured, or whether I just get selected for playing well enough!

On his recent run of form: Personally, I am delighted with the start to the season; I have got more chances than I expected so I am feeling really positive. With being a young guy surrounded by the talent here at Ulster, especially in the back line, you have to make the most of every opportunity or you’re just not going to be selected again. That drives me on and I’m delighted with how things have gone for me since the start of the season. We aren’t too far into the season but I've already had a few highlights that will live long in the memory such as my debut appearance and also the try against Munster. Scoring under the posts in front of a packed Kingspan Stadium is always something I have wanted to do, so it was a proud moment. On stepping up from Academy to seniors: The Academy programme is built around university and your academic career as well as rugby, so being brought up to the

ROB LYTTLE

senior panel - everything has ramped up for me. Rugby is more like a full time job

now so my studies have taken a back seat for the

meantime as playing rugby is much more intense, but it’s a really enjoyable time.

There is quality all around me in this panel and I have learned an awful lot from them at training and during matches. I remember watching Charles Piutau a few years ago against Samoa and I never imagined I’d be playing with him, so it’s a dream come true and an honour to be a part of this squad. On a whirlwind couple of years: I tweeted a picture recently of the Schools’ Cup semi-final in 2015, and it’s crazy how things have progressed from then. At the time you are playing

Then towards the end of the season, my ambition is to get picked for the Ireland U20s World Championship side. I'm a

young boy who grew up on a dairy farm so it was either milk cows or play rugby, so thankfully rugby is working out for me at the minute!

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NEW STORE - NOW OPEN Victoria Square, Belfast (Upper Ground beside Costa Coffee)

ULSTER U18 GIRLS CELEBRATE INTER-PROVINCIAL VICTORY

This season’s decision by the IRFU to progress from a round-robin blitz format to a full Interprovincial Series at U18 Girls level was a much-anticipated and very welcome one.

The Ulster U18 Girls proved they were ready for the challenge by winning the inaugural series in Grand Slam style, securing 3 wins out of 3 over their Provincial opponents. On Saturday 17th September, Ulster defeated Leinster 10-5 at Armagh RFC. The Ulster Girls made it two wins from two as they accrued 34 points to Connacht’s 5 at Buccaneers RFC on Sunday 25th September. The final day of the series was played at Westmanstown RFC in Dublin on Saturday 1st October where Ulster faced Munster. Ulster made it 3 wins from 3 with a hard fought 20-8 victory to ensure Ulster was the first name to be etched into the new silverware. This season’s success is the culmination of three years' hard work by the players and dedicated coaches input. Ulster Rugby would like to thank Jonathan Gillespie, Neill Alcorn, Darren McGuigan and Neal Johnston for their work in previous years and the 2016 coaching team of Zoe Templeton, David Chambers, Charlie Farrell and Manager Jemma Jackson. Thanks also to Portadown RFC and Armagh RFC who made their facilities available for squad training sessions and matches. A special word of thanks must also go to the parents of the players who travel far and wide to enable their daughters to train and play. Please welcome the squad onto the pitch at half time, when they will present their trophy to the President of IRFU (Ulster Branch) John McKibbin.

ULSTER U18 GIRLS SQUAD 2016/17 SEASON

ULSTER U18 GIRLS

Neve Jones Malone (C); Victoria Irwin Armagh (VC); Bethany McDowell Malone; Brittany Hogan Ballynahinch; Caoilinn McCormack Virginia; Carla Rafferty Armagh; Ciara Brown Virginia; Claire Boles Enniskillen; Dolores Hughes Monaghan; Ellie Ingram Enniskillen; Ellie Rix Enniskillen; Emma Kearney Armagh; Grace Shrestha Dungannon; Hannah Beattie Ballynahinch; Kate Aughey Monaghan; Katie Hetherington Clogher Valley; Keelin Brady Virginia; Kelly McCormill Monaghan; Leah McGoldrick Armagh; Lisa Mullen Virginia; Lucinda Kinghan Monaghan; Megan Brodie Virginia; Natalie Kinghan Monaghan; Sara Whitey Virginia; Storm Cobain Armagh; Tammy Millar Enniskillen. MANAGEMENT TEAM COACHES David Chambers; Zoe Templeton; Charlie Farrell MANAGER Jemma Jackson

Photo Credit: www.thefrontrowunion.com

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For Ulster it’s the Italian job this evening, Zebre the visitors, many assuming a comfortable win in prospect – and a timely boost to home morale. THE ONLY WAY MUST BE UP!

But this is a club which has just recently thumped Edinburgh, one of those to which Ulster all-too-easily succumbed, and the Cardiff Blues heaved a huge sigh of relief when escaping with a two-point victory. No longer can the visitors be considered potential lambs for inevitable slaughter. as with Treviso, Zebre is now a hugely competitive if not fully-furnished PRO12 outfit. For Ulster, though, there is the opportunity to enter a possibly season-defining window with the boost of a win, preferably achieved with real conviction, and that might just herald a much-needed change in fortunes for the players, their management and the persistently large support at Kingspan Stadium each matchday. It would be naïve to deny that through the home crowd of late, and in the wider Ulster rugby community, there isn’t a concern about recent results and performances. A season which started with such great expectations, shared by supporters, players and staff, has over the last two months stuttered and disappointed. The early signs were good: five Guinness PRO12 wins in a row put the side top of the table, and if some of the quality on show in those victories was uneven there was a belief that as the selections became more settled the undoubted calibre of the players would be more consistently on view. The recruitment of marquee signings Charles Piutau and Marcell Coetzee added to the sense of anticipation that, after being in contention and stalling at the final hurdles in the last few years, the 2016/17 campaigns in the league and in Europe could produce the silverware which is so craved. The All Black has proved his astonishing range of footballing skills in a variety of positions, but he hasn’t always had the opportunity to influence matches further given the team’s uneven, and sometimes not entirely convincing outings. Coetzee is fast returning to fitness after a serious injury picked up in South Africa before arriving in Belfast and his ball-carrying and fierce power at the breakdown will hopefully soon effect a real electricity in the forward unit. But to focus on two undoubtedly superb recruits would be facile, because the squad assembled so carefully and shrewdly is brimming with talent, proven internationals and youngsters with skills and enthusiasm to justify long-term aspirations. Rob Lyttle, Jacob Stockdale and Brett Herron have taken their chances when injuries and unavailability afforded Les Kiss and Head Coach Neil Doak the chance to drill into the deep Kingspan player pool.

Chris Henry, the most intelligent of flankers, has been much-missed in key areas and he too is returning to full health, while the in-form Louis Ludik is also available, and Tommy Bowe is showing real signs that he’s rediscovering the match winning instinct which had seen him restored to the Ireland side after two seasons disrupted by serious injury. Dan Tuohy too is back in action, the experienced international lock’s determination to reinforce Kiss’ options in that department marked by his recent outings with the Barbarians, that most exclusive of invitational sides which honoured him with the captaincy in the Czech Republic two weeks ago. Iain Henderson’s shoulder problems appear to have been resolved with patient, expert medical attention with Ulster, and what a purposeful impact his regular appearance in the white shirt could make to the team as it approaches the New Year. And with Jared Payne so clearly back to his best after a lay-off, there are more genuine reasons to be optimistic about the few critical months which lie ahead. There are other casualties longing to join the squad again, and injuries have undoubtedly affected the consistency in selection which Kiss and his coaching team would have probably preferred. The multiple changes – rather than the planned, thoughtful rotation they would have hoped for – has seemed to undermine strategies and ‘plays’, errors born of unfamiliarity perhaps have been all-too-prevalent. There have been glimpses, and more, of the unquestioned class in the club’s various divisions at times, but that has added to the fans’ frustration and though the support around the Kingspan has been resolute throughout each game there is a palpable sense that potential is not being realised fully, either collectively or individually. Four defeats in the last five games, the only success a knuckle-whitening success thanks to Paddy Jackson’s drop goal in the Champions Cup against Exeter Chiefs, does excite concern, and Les Kiss will be aware of that. And despite his refusal ever to make excuses of injury lists and international demands he’ll have been seeking answers on the training pitch and in analysis sessions to why combinations of fine players all over the side have not always gelled. In the PRO12, where most supporters’ hopes were invested, successive defeats in Connacht, at home to a resurgent Munster, and then rather shockingly at Murrayfield to an Edinburgh in something like disarray on and off the pitch. Two losing bonus points secured in the Inter-Pro clashes may well prove important in May, but just now they seem poor consolation, a meagre return from games which

ROD NAWN

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