Ulster Rugby vs Cardiff Blues

LEADING THE FIELD

Welcome to Kingspan Stadium, the home of Ulster Rugby, as we look forward to a crucial Guinness PRO12 fixture against Cardiff Blues this evening.

I am delighted to welcome you as we get to the business end of the season where our support of the team is more important than ever. Every point matters in the fight for a Play-off place and Cardiff Blues will pose a considerable challenge as Ulster look to stay in the Championship’s top four. Ulster fans are known for the warm welcome they provide visiting teams and tonight is no different. Please show your appreciation and respect for the travelling Welsh supporters. Finally, on behalf of Kingspan, I would like to wish the Ulster Rugby squad and management team every success this evening. To you the fans, enjoy the game, lead the way and help ensure this is another evening to remember at Kingspan Stadium.

Pat Freeman Divisional Managing Director

CONTENTS

PRESIDENT’S WELCOME GUINNESS PRO12 WELCOME

3 4 7 8

TONIGHT'S MASCOTS

CRAIG GILROY

JACOB STOCKDALE Q&A

13 17

NICK WILLIAMS

WHEELCHAIR RUGBY UPDATE ULSTER SQUAD PROFILES

23 24 28 29 33 34 39 43 46 49 50 53 55 57 58 59 60

ULSTER TEAM

DOUBLE SIDED POSTER CARDIFF BLUES TEAM CARDIFF SQUAD PROFILES HIGH SCHOOLS' TROPHY

GIRLS SCHOOLS' CUP

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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PRESIDENT’S WELCOME

In the Guinness PRO12, Ulster has now won their last six games. The latest victories were a bonus point win over Zebre here at Kingspan Stadium and a hard fought win away to the Dragons in Newport. The team is now fourth in the Championship but with a difficult set of final games, a win tonight will be important if the team is to secure a Play-off place. Cardiff Blues have shown themselves to be difficult opponents and whilst the Ulster team won the away fixture in December, nothing can be taken for granted this evening. On the domestic front, Armagh RFC are to be congratulated for winning the SONI Ulster Rugby Premiership. This is the first time that Armagh has won the Senior League and it is a great achievement by the club. Malone RFC are also to be congratulated on winning Division 2 of the SONI Ulster Rugby Premiership. Ballynahinch and Enniskillen have successfully made it through to the final of the RiverRock Towns Cup, which will be played here at Kingspan Stadium on Easter Monday. My congratulations must also go to the Ballynahinch Women’s team, who made history when they defeated City of Derry 9-5 in the inaugural Ulster Women's Junior Cup. In the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup Final, RBAI defeated Methodist College by 12-8 in a closely contested game which was a credit to both sides. This victory gave RBAI the cup for the third year in a row, another great achievement. In the Danske Bank Medallion Shield Final, The Royal School Armagh are to be congratulated on winning the competition for the first time in their long history by defeating Friend's School, Lisburn by 10-6. Congratulations also go to Royal School Dungannon who defeated Grosvenor High School in the Danske Bank Girls Schools’ Cup Final. Our supporters have given the Ulster team tremendous support this season, particularly in the recent run of victories – let’s raise the volume up another level tonight and help the team make it seven wins in a row! I hope everyone enjoys the game tonight as well as the great facilities we have here at 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 19 match in the Guinness PRO12 Championship. In particular, I am very pleased to welcome the Cardiff Blues team along with their officials and supporters. 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

It’s the season that keeps on giving and after a thrilling weekend of European rugby the focus turns back to the Guinness PRO12 where only a few precious rounds remain in the chase for glory. Firstly, I must pass on my congratulations to Leinster Rugby and Munster Rugby for reaching the semi-finals of the Champions Cup after their ferocious and free- flowing performances against Wasps and Toulouse, respectively. As a supporter of a team in the Guinness PRO12 it should not surprise you that we have two teams in the final four of the Champions Cup. The latest game play statistics from World Rugby prove that teams from our Championship produce more positive rugby than anywhere else in the Northern Hemisphere, where we have the quickest rucks, the highest ball-in-play time and the most tries. That is a huge credit to our clubs, their coaches, our players and our referees who all play a huge part in fostering an environment where positive play can thrive. Speaking of which, you should expect to see the 600th try of the season in Round 19. We are currently at 584 tries scored as we close in on breaking the all-time record of 651 which was set in 2003/04. In terms of entertainment it means that in every Guinness PRO12 match you’re likely to see at least five tries and 43 points scored, which is as good a reason as any to watch the action in person. That attacking intent has been backed up by a positive approach by our teams. Out of the 4,687 points scored so far only 18% have come from penalties which indicates that our clubs are more interested in kicking to the corner than pointing to the posts. I also cannot let it go unmentioned about the e—orts of Cardi— Blues, Edinburgh Rugby, Ospreys Rugby and Glasgow Warriors who performed admirably in their respective Challenge Cup and Champions Cup knock-out games. In particular, it was wonderful to see the colour that the travelling Warriors support brought to London for the game against Saracens. That type of atmosphere and sense of pageantry is what makes our competitions so vibrant and I trust that fans of all our clubs will be even more visible with their colours now that the sun is shining more often. You also have a lot to be excited about as the Championship gets set to write the closing chapters of the 2016/17 season. Not only do we have two Big Weekends left on the calendar but we will discover who will reach the Final Series, who makes the cut when it comes to the Champions Cup and which of our teams will make it into the European play-o—s. The first of those Big Weekends in Round 20 will play host to Judgement Day, with over 45,000 tickets sold already. Then in Round 22 we will witness our first- ever 'Super Saturday' where the tribal intensity of our derby games will make it even tougher for those trying to reach the Guinness PRO12 Final Series and secure European qualification. Of course, the pinnacle for all of our clubs is to reach the Guinness PRO12 Final which will be held in Dublin on May 27th and if that game lives up to the action we’ve seen so far this season, then it’s going to be a classic. It promises to be an unmissable event and ticket sales have been incredibly strong so far, but you can avoid missing out by logging onto www.ticketmaster.ie to get yours. Enjoy the game, Martin Anayi

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27 MAY 2017 I AVIVA STADIUM

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TONIGHT’S MASCOTS

MASCOTS

SAM MACAULEY (10) Sam is from Rathfriland and attends

ELLIOT BERRY (11) Elliot is from Belfast and attends Leadhill Primary School. He plays rugby at CIYMS RFC and also enjoys cricket, gaming and watching YouTube. Elliot’s favourite player is Paddy Jackson and when he grows up he would like to be a professional rugby player or cricketer.

Drumadonnell Primary School. As well as playing rugby at school and at Banbridge RFC, Sam also enjoys farming. His favourite players are Tommy Bowe and Rory Best and when he grows up he would like to be a professional rugby player and a dairy farmer.

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A CATCH UP WITH CRAIG…

running up against him! We know how dangerous Nick can be and we don’t want to let him play too much. When he was on our side we all wanted him to get his hands on the ball and play a lot but now he’s in a blue jersey we don’t want him to disrupt our game plan. How’s the mood in camp this week? It’s really good, we got some good work done in training last week. The workload was high intensity but we were able to relax a bit more mentally knowing we had another week to prepare for this game. It’s a boost to the team having all you guys back from Six Nations duty? Everyone is back in, which is good to have. It will up the standard of play, up the competition and have a positive knock-on effect to the younger guys putting their hand up for a place in the squad. They say take your chances and you certainly did with a hat trick against Italy, that must have been special? Yeah, I was delighted. It was great to be involved. It was my first Six Nations game in two or three years so it was great to get that buzz back and play in the competition again, which is such a tough but fun championship. I was delighted to be involved from the get-go, despite recovering from an ankle injury which kept me out for two months. Joe Schmidt filled me with confidence selecting me in the first place and certainly it would have been nice to play a bit more but competition is tough and you need to be at the top of your game. I think I showed Joe what I can do in an Irish jersey. It’s a tough run in to the end of the season with a summer tour at the end, which I will be looking to put my hand up for.

This is another must win game for Ulster? Absolutely, we are at that point in the season now where every game is a must-win for us. We want to strive to perform the best we can to finish in the top four and get a qualifying spot and hopefully even a home Play-off. That would be fantastic! Cardiff are in good form; it’s going to be a tough game? They had a good game against Gloucester and nearly won at the RDS the week before so we know how good they can be. Hopefully we will benefit from not having a game last week. No injuries, no fatigue and we had a really useful training week, whereas they had the Challenge Cup so may have some sore bodies. Nevertheless, we know they will be a tough side to beat. We played well against them over there and we have been away from Kingspan for a while so no doubt the crowd will be buzzing. The weather is picking up and the pitch is in good condition, so hopefully we can throw the ball about and with the crowd behind us, push on to win. What will you do to combat their strengths? They are going to be tough at the breakdown, they have got a lot of players who can get on ball well, get turnovers and slow the ruck down so we need to be on the money at the breakdown. We need to not give them a sniff and if anyone has the ball we need to act fast and get them out of the way. They have a threatening backline, the likes of Matthew Morgan and Gareth Anscombe are both good footballers. They will want to dictate the game but we need to make it about us. We want to be effective on both sides of the ball. Big Nick will be in the opposing pack. It will be good to see him but bad to have him back? It will be good to see Nick again but not good to be

CRAIG GILROY

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"WE WANT TO STRIVE TO PERFORM THE BEST WE CAN TO FINISH IN THE TOP FOUR AND GET A QUALIFYING SPOT AND HOPEFULLY EVEN A HOME PLAY- OFF. THAT WOULD BE FANTASTIC!"

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JACOB STOCKDALE Q&A

FAVOURITE SUBJECT AT SCHOOL? Technology

IF YOU COULD BE A PROFESSIONAL IN ANOTHER SPORT, WHAT WOULD IT BE? Golfer, you wouldn’t have to do much fitness FAVOURITE HOLIDAY DESTINATION? La Rochelle in France, I used to go there with family every year and the food is great! MOST EXPENSIVE ITEM YOU HAVE BOUGHT? My TV HOW DO YOU RELAX ON YOUR DOWN TIME? Play golf and go to my house in Donegal whenever I get a chance FAVOURITE MOVIE OF ALL TIME? Shawshank Redemption IF A FILM WAS MADE ABOUT YOUR LIFE, WHO WOULD YOU LIKE TO PLAY YOU? Ryan Reynolds, favourite actor and nearly as good looking as me! IF YOU WERE STRANDED ON A DESERT ISLAND, WHICH PLAYER WOULD YOU LEAST LIKE TO BE STRANDED WITH? Lorcan Dow, hair everywhere DO YOU HAVE ANY PETS? Two dogs – Lizzie and Odie a Cairn Terrier and Jack Russell WHAT ARE YOUR LEAST AND MOST FAVOURITE TRAINING ELEMENTS? Least – rucking and tackle tech Most – foot work drills WHAT DO YOU LOVE MOST ABOUT PLAYING FOR ULSTER? The day-to-day banter with all the other guys IF YOU COULD INVITE ANY FAMOUS PERSON ROUND FOR TEA WHO WOULD IT BE AND WHAT WOULD YOU MAKE THEM? Johnny Cash, I’d make him pesto pasta IF YOU WEREN’T A PROFESSIONAL RUGBY PLAYER, WHAT WOULD YOU BE DOING AS A PROFESSION? A career in Criminology, after finishing my degree

TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT JACOB FOLLOW HIM ON TWITTER @JACOBSTOCKDALE

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WHAT'S ON

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THEN CHECK OUT OUR FOOD VILLAGE WITH 7 STREET FOOD VENDORS AT THE HEART OF THE FAN ZONE BAR FACILITIES THE SCRUM BAR & LINE OUT BAR

MEMORIAL STAND THE CLUBHOUSE & HEINEKEN QUARTER BAR GRANDSTAND

BT SPEED TEST IN THE FAN ZONE Q RADIO STREET TEAM MUSIC AND SCORE PREDICTOR IN THE FAN ZONE

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WILLIAMS READY FOR TONIGHT’S 'EMOTIONAL' RETURN TO BELFAST

Former Ulster fan favourite Nick Williams says his old teammates will be 'enemies on the pitch, brothers off it' when he returns to Kingspan Stadium for the first time with Cardiff Blues.

After four years at Ulster, the big number 8 joined the Welsh outfit last summer and has continued his impressive form with them, scoring 3 tries in his 15 appearances this season. While Ulster are currently pursuing the PRO12 play-offs, the focus for Cardiff is on securing their place in next season's Champions Cup. The first part of that challenge comes tonight when Williams and his colleagues pitch up in Belfast… "It will always be a special place for me and my family," said Williams, reflecting on his time here. "We have some fond memories and made some good mates, so it's going to be a bit emotional." Williams admits that he continues to follow the results of Les Kiss' side and keeps in touch with a large section of the squad, but insists he will be entirely focused on his task at hand come 7.35pm. "I think it's natural to keep an eye on the boys' results, having been there for a long time. I look to see how they're going and I keep in contact. I caught up with a few of the boys when they played Dragons a couple of weeks ago so the bond is very much there.

the atmosphere again. That's what makes the game - the supporters. I was enjoying myself (at Ulster) and I think that showed. I've had to move across the water - my professional life lies very much here in Cardiff - but I'm really excited to come back and get out in front of the crowd once again." While Williams clearly misses Belfast and its people, he has unsurprisingly settled well into his new surroundings. "It has gone really well. We've a lot of friends in the mainland which makes a difference. It's been a really smooth transition off the field which, to me, matters the most." On the field of play it has been a mixed season for the Blues, and a 46-26 defeat versus Gloucester on Saturday ended their Challenge Cup hopes for this season, a result that left Williams feeling hugely frustrated. "We played well at times but we are our own worst enemies - the last 25/30 minutes we went into our shell and didn't play to plan A or plan B. They obviously capitalised on that with some good performances by a few ex-Ulster boys, John Afoa and Paddy McAllister. Now we have to pick ourselves up for Friday night."

WELCOME BACK NICK!

"We will be enemies on the pitch, but brothers off it. As soon as we cross that white line we'll be gunning for each other but as soon as the ref blows the whistle on 80 minutes I'm sure it will be hugs all round." Williams also got to know the Ulster fans well during his time here, and he was quick to offer praise for the Kingspan Stadium faithful when asked about his return… "It will be great to be back and experience

Having won at Thomond Park earlier this season, Williams says Cardiff will have belief that they can produce a similar result at Kingspan Stadium. "When you go away, if you don't think you're going to win you are half way there to losing already. The expectation that the Ulster boys have, and the crowd has, will put the pressure on them. "We can come over and just enjoy it, and hopefully I can get one over on my old mates."

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President: Willie John McBride

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ULSTER BARBARIANS WHEELCHAIR RUGBY CLUB UPDATE

Ulster Barbarians Wheelchair Rugby Club will host a contest against the Gaelic Warriors from Leinster at St. Joseph’s College on the Ravenhill Road, preceding the Ulster v Leinster Guinness PRO12 fixture at Kingspan Stadium on Saturday 6th May.

After this exhibition of wheelchair rugby smash and score, the Ulster Barbarians will then face another encounter with a team assembled by ex- Ulster Rugby flanker Trevor Ringland, in the same venue. The event is open to anyone who wishes to watch or learn more about wheelchair rugby - the team are always on the lookout for new players and volunteers. Your Province needs you! The club are also sending a team to the annual Bernd Best Tournament in Cologne, Germany this weekend. Participation has been positive this season with the team competing in tournaments in Liverpool, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, and the Irish League which takes place over a number of weekends every year. This year’s Round 1 was played in Clonaslee, Co. Laois in March; Round 2 will be played in Antrim in August, Round 3 in Cork in September, Round 4 will be held in Sligo in October, and the Finals will be held in Dublin in December. If you are interested in getting involved or would like to know more, please email us at info@ulsterbarbarians.com or contact Bernard Rooney on 07770 777265. You can also find us on Facebook.com/ UlsterBarbariansWRC and Twitter @ulsterbarbarian.

JOURNEY TO GERMANY A number of the Ulster Barbarians are also pushing for a place on the Irish Wheelchair Rugby Team, who are travelling to Koblenz, Germany from 24th June to 2nd July 2017, to compete in the European Championships. A top four finish will give them automatic qualification for the World Championships in Australia in 2018. The Irish team are currently ranked 6th in Europe and 11th in the world, having jumped from 13th and 23rd respectively. The Irish Wheelchair Rugby Team do not receive any Government funding, they have achieved all this through dedicated players and volunteer staff. Your support would be greatly appreciated to help the Irish National team compete in Germany - a vital step in their ultimate goal of being the first Irish Wheelchair Rugby team to reach the Paralympic Games in Tokyo 2020. For more info visit www.irishwheelchairrugby.com or search for IrishWheelchairRugby on Facebook or @WheelsInGreen on Twitter.

WHEELCHAIR RUGBY

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MARK BEST

JOHN ANDREW

RODNEY AH YOU

Centre 01.04.94 182cm 94kg

Hooker 26.05.93 181cm 101kg 26 — Prop 25.02.86 180cm 116kg 125 — Centre 05.04.87 184cm 95kg 193 11 No. 8 12.11.85 195cm 110kg 189 2

Prop 27.10.88

187cm 129kg 14 3

— —

TOMMY BOWE

CALLUM BLACK

RORY BEST

Wing 22.02.84 190cm 100kg 150 69

Hooker 15.08.82

178cm 106kg

195 104

DARREN CAVE

PETER BROWNE 2nd Row 25.10.87 201cm 116kg

AARON CARINS

Scrum half 07.10.92 183cm 85kg 1 —

31 —

MARCELL COETZEE

JOHN DONNAN 2nd Row 16.02.93 197cm 115kg

ROBBIE DIACK

Flanker 08.05.91 191cm 112kg 4 SA 28

— —

ULSTER SQUAD 2016/17 24 LORCAN DOW Back Row 27.01.95 190cm 108kg 1 — Wing 11.03.91 183cm 90kg 145 10 Prop 07.05.88 180cm 120kg 51 — CHRIS HENRY Back Row 17.10.84 191cm 105kg 163 24

IAIN HENDERSON 2nd Row 21.02.92 199cm 117kg

CRAIG GILROY

71 32

ROB HERRING

WIEHAHN HERBST

Hooker 27.04.90 185cm 102kg 116 1

www. ULSTERRUGBY .com

CONOR JOYCE

PADDY JACKSON

BRETT HERRON

Back Row 05.07.93

Out half 05.01.92 180cm 87kg 119 23

Fly half 13.11.95 184cm 92kg 7 —

192cm 106kg 6 —

RICKY LUTTON

LOUIS LUDIK Full back 10.08.86 182cm 92kg 54 —

ROSS KANE

Prop 26.02.86 182cm 114kg 57 —

Prop 14.10.94 180.5cm 116kg

ULSTER SQUAD 2016/17

11 —

LUKE MARSHALL

PAUL MARSHALL

ROB LYTTLE

Centre 03.03.91 181cm 97kg 100 9 Centre 06.08.92 193cm 113kg 55 1

Scrum half 26.07.85 172cm 80kg 192 3

Prop 01.02.92 177cm 111kg 35 — Centre 03.03.91 181cm 97kg 8 — Back Row 07.04.90 193cm 108kg 2 —

KYLE McCALL

STUART McCLOSKEY

JOHNNY McPHILLIPS

Out half 13.04.97 179cm 80kg

— —

PETER NELSON Full back 05.10.92 180cm 88kg 36 — JARED PAYNE Full back 13.10.85 186cm 97kg

JONNY MURPHY

STEPHEN MULHOLLAND

Hooker 02.06.92

178cm 106kg 2 —

STUART OLDING

ALAN O’CONNOR 2nd Row 10.09.92 197cm 114kg 35 —

Centre 11.03.93 178cm 93kg 59 4

77 20

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Should’ve gone to Specsavers

Official partner of the Guinness PRO12 referees

©2015 Specsavers. All rights reserved.

RUAN PIENAAR

CHARLES PIUTAU

MATTHEW REA 2nd Row 21.09.93 193cm 110kg

Back Row 05.10.89 182cm 105kg 54 1 Scrum half 10.03.84 187cm 90kg 137 SA 88 Prop 19.08.90 184cm 110kg 4 — Wing 20.10.84 185cm 97kg 213 70 Back Row 21.09.81 190cm 106kg 219 1

Utility back 31.10.91 183cm 102kg 19 NZ 16

— —

DAVE SHANAHAN

SEAN REIDY

CLIVE ROSS

Scrum half 20.06.93 174cm 90kg

Back Row 14.06.89 193cm 105kg

ULSTER SQUAD 2016/17

12 —

51 —

JOHNNY SIMPSON

JACOB STOCKDALE

KIERAN TREADWELL 2nd Row 11.06.95 198cm 121kg

Wing 04.03.96 195cm 96kg 20 —

17 —

ANDY WARWICK

ANDREW TRIMBLE

FRANCO VAN DER MERWE 2nd Row 15.03.83 198cm 117kg 72 SA 1

Prop 12.03.91 179cm 110kg 70 —

ROGER WILSON

Keep up to date with the latest player pro les, career stats and player news at www.ulsterrugby.com . PLAYER STATS

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15

1

JARED PAYNE

CALLUM BLACK

14

2

CRAIG GILROY

RORY BEST (C)

13

3

LUKE MARSHALL

WIEHAHN HERBST

12

4

KIERAN TREADWELL

STUART OLDING

ULSTER RUBGY

11

5

CHARLES PIUTAU

ALAN O'CONNOR

6

10

IAIN HENDERSON

PADDY JACKSON

7

9

SEAN REIDY

RUAN PIENAAR

REPLACEMENTS 16 17 18 19 R HERRING C BLACK R AH YOU R DIACK

20 21 22 23

N TIMONEY P MARSHALL J STOCKDALE A TRIMBLE

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ROGER WILSON

TODAY’S OFFICIALS

REFEREE IAN DAVIES WRU, 60TH COMPETITION GAME ASSISTANT REFEREES KEITH ALLAN SRU | SHANE KIERANS IRFU CITING COMMISSIONER JOHN COLE IRFU TMO STEFANO ROSCINI IRFU

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15

1

GETHIN JENKINS

RHUN WILLIAMS

14

2

ALEX CUTHBERT

MATTHEW REES

CARDIFF BLUES

13

3

REY LEE-LO

TAUFA'AO FILISE

12

4

WILLIS HALAHOLO

GEORGE EARLE

11

5

BLAINE SCULLY

JARRAD HOEATA

6

10

GARETH ANSCOMBE

ELLIS JENKINS

7

9

SAM WARBURTON

LLOYD WILLIAMS

REPLACEMENTS 16 17 18 19

20 21 22 23

K MYHILL C DOMACHOWSKI K ASSIRATTI J DOWN

N WILLIAMS T WILLIAMS S SHINGLER M MORGAN

8

JOSH NAVIDI

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CORY ALLEN

SCOTT ANDREWS

GARETH ANSCOMBE

Centre 11.02.1993

Prop 01.08.89 188cm 120kg

Fly Half 10/05.91 183cm 87kg

191cm 100kg

MACAULEY COOK

SION BENNETT

PELE COWLEY

Lock 31.12.91 193cm 112kg

Back Row 27/11.93

Scrum Half 16.04.93 175cm 85kg

191cm 102kg

RHODRI DAVIES

ALEX CUTHBERT

KRISTIAN DACEY

Scrum Half 14.10.91

Wing 05/04.90 198cm 103kg

Hooker 25.07.89 188cm 119kg

— —

SEB DAVIES

CAM DOLAN

COREY DOMACHOWSKI

Lock 17.05.96 198cm 116kg

Lock 07.03.90 198cm 110kg

Prop 19.09.96 183cm 118kg

CARDIFF BLUES 2016/17

GEORGE EARLE

JAMES DOWN

BJ EDWARDS

Lock 09.01.87 198cm 117kg

Lock 29.08.87 201cm 122kg

Lock 16.12.93 196cm 106kg

TAUFA'AO FILISE

DAN FISH

JARROD EVANS

Prop 26.05.77 188cm 124kg

Full Back 19.12.90 185cm 86kg

Fly half 25.07.96 178cm 86kg

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RHYS GILL

WILLIS HALAHOLO

JARRAD HOEATA

Centre 06/07.90 180cm 105kg

Prop 30/10.86 180cm 115kg

Lock 12.12.82 198cm 115kg

TOM JAMES

ELLIS JENKINS

GETHIN JENKINS

Wing 17/04.87 183cm 98kg

Back Row 29.04.93 185cm 100kg

Prop 17.11.80 188cm 122kg

CARDIFF BLUES 2016/17

LEWIS JONES

DILLON LEWIS

REY LEE-LO

Scrum Half 24/11.92 175cm 75kg

Prop 04.01.96 183cm 118kg

Centre 20.02.86 180cm 90kg

SHANE LEWIS-HUGHES

ETHAN LEWIS

MATTHEW MORGAN

Hooker 28/03.94 180cm 105kg

Fly Half 23.04.92 173cm 78kg

Back Row 20.09.97 193cm 113kg

JOSH NAVIDI

ANTON PEIKRISHVILI

KIRBY MYHILL

Prop 18.09.87 183cm 121kg

Flanker 30.12.90 185cm 95kg

Hooker 05.02.92 183cm 108kg

NICKY ROBINSON

BLAINE SCULLY

MATTHEW REES

Fly Half 03.01.82 185cm 93kg

Hooker 09.12.80 188cm 109kg

Full Back 29.02.88 193cm 92kg

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Join the 1,000s who have already moved toHughes Home Insurance

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Hughes Insurance proudly supporting Ulster Rugby

Hughes Insurance Services Limited, a private company limited byshares, is registered in England andWales, No: 4451375. Registered Address: 20FenchurchStreet,London,EC3M3AW.HeadOffice:StrangfordHouse,4 JubileeRoad,Newtownards,CoDown,BT234WN.Hughes InsuranceServices Limited, trading as Hughes Insurance, is authorised and regulated bythe Financial Conduct Authority. Financial Services RegisterNo: 305651.

JAMES SHEEKEY

STEVE SHINGLER

GARYN SMITH

Back Row 10.09.94 196cm 112kg

Fly Half 20.06.91 191cm 93kg

Centre 12.07.95 180cm 91kg

MARC THOMAS

ALED SUMMERHILL

BRAD THYER

Prop 07.02.93 180cm 113kg

Prop 15.07.90 183cm 114kg

Full Back 22.11.94 188cm 91kg

CARDIFF BLUES 2016/17

JOSH TURNBULL

SAM WARBURTON

LLOYD WILLIAMS

Back Row 05.10.88 188cm 103kg

Scrum Half 30.11.89 183cm 87kg

Back Row 12.03.88 193cm 99kg

NICK WILLIAMS

RHUN WILLIAMS

TOMOS WILLIAMS

Back Row 02.12.83

Full Back 05.06.97 185cm 86kg

Scrum Half 01.01.95 178cm 76kg

191cm 130kg

For the latest player pro les, career stats and player news visit www.cardiffblues.com PLAYER STATS

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DROMORE HIGH COLLECT HIGH SCHOOLS’ TROPHY

Dromore High School have won the 2017 Danske Bank Ulster High Schools’ Trophy, having defeated Craigavon Senior High School 22-10 at Kingspan Stadium on Monday afternoon.

The final proved to be a keenly contested affair, and indeed it took 18 minutes for the opening score to be registered, when Craigavon hooker Nathan Stewart picked and dived over in the right corner. Dromore responded three minutes later with a try of their own as flanker Lewis Sproule drove over after several phases of pressure inside the 5m line. The windy conditions thwarted Cameron Beacom-Hurle’s conversion attempt, which rebounded off the right hand post, while Craigavon’s Brandon Gribben had also previously watched his own effort drift right. On 27 minutes Dromore looked as though they had engineered another try off a short lineout but Reuben Turner was forced into touch just before the try line. However, the County Down side did get over for their second try just before the interval. Number 8 Dean Dillon spotted a gap in the Craigavon defence and, despite being momentarily stalled, he regained his feet to stretch over the whitewash. Beacom-Hurle added the extra two points to make it 12-5 at half- time. Sam Fairley added a third try for Dromore in the 39th minute, making the most of a wide overlap to dash over in the left corner. Ten minutes later, Beacom- Hurle widened the gap with a superb individual try, displaying power and speed as he fended off two defenders on his way to the line. Craigavon continued to battle gamely and a fantastic break by replacement winger Alberto Almazar brought his side up to within five metres of the Dromore line. Following almost five minutes of incessant pressure, Craigavon were eventually

rewarded for their endeavour when winger Luke Boyd collected a cross-field kick before releasing centre Ben Davidson who barged over for a consolation try as the full-time whistle approached.

DANSKE BANK ULSTER HIGH SCHOOLS' TROPHY

DROMORE HIGH SCHOOL TEAM

15-9 Cameron Owens, Jakob Huppe, Jared Rush (C), Josh Patterson, Sam Fairley, Cameron Beacom-Hurle, Connor Woods; 1-8 Jake McDonald, Josh Sloan, Adam Whitten, Jack Owens, Stephane Hodgen, Reuben Turner, Lewis Sproule, Dean Dillon. REPLACEMENTS 16-23 Peter Jordan, Gareth Holland, Richard Walsh, Ben Malcomson, Connor Smyth, Phillip Jackson, Matthew Ney, Michael Heaney. CRAIGAVON SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL TEAM 15-9 Luc Anderson, Daryl McCarten, Josh Richardson, Ben Davidson, Luke Boyd, Brandon Gribben (C), Brent Magwood; 1-8 Mario Cruz, Nathan Stewart, Joel Heak, Crawford Campbell, Harry Russell, Michael Graham, Linas Bemotas, Elvinas Kilimonis. REPLACEMENTS 16-23 Sam Farquhar, Josh Rodgers, Lewis Kemp, Aaron Conn, Alberto Almazar, Adam McAlpine, Jack McMullan.

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ROYAL SCHOOL DUNGANNON WIN ULSTER GIRLS SCHOOLS’ CUP

The Royal School Dungannon have won the 2017 Danske Bank Ulster Girls Schools’ Cup, thanks to a thrilling 10 tries to 8 victory over Grosvenor Grammar School at Kingspan Stadium on Monday afternoon.

The game got off to a flying start with Dungannon’s Zoe Henderson crossing for the opening try after just three minutes. Grosvenor responded in impressive fashion with a try from Sophie Larmour a minute later, followed by further tries from Annie McKirgan and Holly Brannigan. However, tries from Emily Carson and Zoe Henderson pegged back Grosvenor’s lead, leaving the score-line reading 3 tries each at half-time. The side’s wasted little time in the second-half, with Sophie Larmour touching down for her second try just two minutes after the restart, before the impressive Zoe Henderson completed her hat-trick thirty seconds later. Annie McKirgan’s try on twenty-four minutes nudged Grosvenor back in front again, but it would be the last time the Belfast side would lead in the game, as Dungannon went on a scoring blitz, touching down for five successive tries in a seven minute period; the scores coming from Lucy Turkington, Laura Saunders, Sarah Shrestha, Katie Burns and Holly Henderson. Fern Wilson temporarily halted proceedings with Grosvenor’s sixth try on thirty-four minutes but Sarah Shrestha notched her second try to open a 10-6 lead for Dungannon as the game approached the final few minutes.

Grosvenor’s Anna Stanfield managed two late tries, but they were only to prove as consolation scores, as The Royal School Dungannon ran out deserved winners. While the Royal School Dungannon will take home the spoils, tribute must also be paid to Grosvenor Grammar School who played their part in what was a fantastic advertisement for girls schools’ rugby. Bethany McDowell (C), Annie McKirgan, Niamh Bell, Hannah Blair, Emma Kee, Fern Wilson, Jessica Patterson, Anna Stanfield, Holy Brannigan, Sophie Larmour, Emma McDowell, Grace McCluney, Hannah Murphy, Claire McKane, Jessica Sayer, Louise McAnea, Laura Todd. ROYAL SCHOOL DUNGANNON TEAM Hannah Scott-Burows, Grace Shrestha (C), Holly Henderson, Sarah Shrestha, Lucy Turkington, Zoe Henderson, Katie Burns, Aoife Hagan, Laura Saunders, Emily Carson, Sophie Khan, Lucy Stewart, Morgan Jenkins, Tiffany McDonald, Becky Boyd, Katie Brown. GROSVENOR GRAMMAR SCHOOL TEAM

DANSKE BANK ULSTER GIRLS SCHOOLS' CUP

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

BUYAMATCHPROGRAMMEATANY HOMEGAMEANDCHECKYOUR EXCLUSIVE CODE TOSEE IF YOU’REAWINNER! Simply enter your code at our o cial programme stand or online at winit.ulsterrugbydigital.com #URinittowinit

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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.

SPRING SALE 50% o Ulster Rugby clothing (Does not include European jersey, reversible fleece or accessories)

Tonight star-laden Cardiff Blues take to the Kingspan sward for what is truly the start of the ‘business end’ of Ulster’s long, roller-coasting season. MOMENTUM CAN DULL THE BLUES

The visitors present a rugby conundrum in that though blessed with a strikingly impressive squad over the years the club has stubbornly under- achieved in the Guinness PRO12. Indeed, since its re-invention as the Blues in 2003, the Cardiff Arms Park outfit has consistently resisted the expectations of its own fan base and the wider sporting community in the competition which excites such fervour in the other less distinguished teams in the Championship. Second-placed finishes in 2007 and 2008 flattered only to deceive, and mid-table mediocrity – and worse – has too often marked its domestic campaigns. And the Welsh arrive at Kingspan this evening sitting eighth in the current table, 23 points behind Ulster which occupies the last of those critical Top Four positions with just four rounds of the regular season remaining. But, and what a significant caveat this is, Cardiff may have no play-off ambitions of its own but it can heavily influence Ulster’s hard-earned but still tentative grip on being part of those mid-May Play-offs. With a squad packed with international pedigree the Blues demonstrated in recent weeks that, when engaged, it can compete with the best: and the best in the PRO12 at the moment is Leinster which clung on for a 22-21 win at the RDS two weeks ago, young scrum-half Tomos Williams crossing twice in a fiercely-contested match. Last weekend, Cardiff had a European Challenge Cup quarter-final to negotiate, and after leading at Kingsholm by 26-20 with a free-running display, they were again second-best as Gloucester – with Jonny Bell in charge as Interim Coach – turned on the power to progress to the semi-finals with a 46-26 win. So Ulster will be well aware that tonight in Belfast it faces opponents with a proven try-scoring armoury and a forward unit which can often rouse itself to top-level performance. Coach Danny Wilson is in his second season in charge at Arms Park and is fashioning a player pool which he will not for long tolerate failing to mirror its collective talents and enjoy the PRO12 and European success the club craves and believes its resources merit.

The Cardiff club, in an earlier form, boasted such as Bleddyn Williams, Cliff Morgan, Gerald Davies and the peerless Gareth Edwards as celebrated alumni who have decorated rugby, and today there are tyros of the professional era in the Blues’ dressing room. Flanker Sam Warburton is just 28, and his Six Nations’ form has seen him jump into contention to captain, for a second time, a Lions party this summer. The skipper, prop Gethin Jenkins, is a legendary figure already, ‘capped’ by Wales 126 times and at 36 now concentrating his formidable frame on pushing his club closer to its ambitions in the PRO12 and in Europe. On the other side of the front row is the intimidating Tongan Taufa’ao Filise, while lock George Earle was one four key figures lured away from the Scarlets last summer, though the gifted playmaker Rhys Patchell made the journey the other way, from Arms Park to Parc y Scarlets. Of course ‘one of our own’ joined the Blues last summer and after early injury blight Nick Williams is a charismatic and fearsome force, and he’s added further grit and lustre to the breakaway unit which performed so well against Leinster and in the first half exchanges at Gloucester. Ulster will have studied the opposition this evening in minute detail, and it is up front where – as the truism has it – all games are essentially won, so Roger Wilson, Sean Reidy and Iain Henderson will need to be at their best and most alert to stifle the anticipated early Cardiff onslaught and build the platform from which the home backline will be anxious to launch attacks at pace and with accuracy. Paddy Jackson’s return to the No. 10 shirt renews the proven pairing with the wondrous pivot Ruan Pienaar who, on what will almost certainly be one of his final three appearances for Ulster at Kingspan Stadium, is guaranteed an embracing ovation from supporters who have long realised they have witnessed the best, and the most excitingly inventive, of one of modern rugby’s greatest scrum-halves. Charles Piutau will relish the chance to get the fans off their seats once again with his powerful

ROD NAWN

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ARTICLE BY ROD NAWN FREELANCE JOURNALIST AND SPORTS ENTHUSIAST @RODNAWN1

and deft running and handling, while Luke Marshall, Stuart Olding, Craig Gilroy, Andrew Trimble and Jacob Stockdale will be hoping to get an opportunity to maintain the momentum Ulster has gathered with six successive wins. And Jared Payne’s return to fitness and to action has been unsurprisingly effective, and his intervention and the reassurance his skills provide was critical in the win two weeks ago at the Dragons. That victory was hard won, and Rodney Parade has too long been a graveyard for the visitors. So given Gilroy’s bewildering ‘sinbinning’, and the red card rightly issued to Rodney Ah You for an illegal collision, the team showed a character and intelligence in leaving Wales with four points to stay fourth in the table. Cardiff, of course, poses its own considerable threats behind the scrum, and Matthew Morgan, Alex Cuthbert and Rey Lee-Lo there is an instinct to attack at pace and from deep, while Steve Shingler and Gareth Anscombe have enviable kicking records, the latter particularly dangerous when he employs his drop goal skills. Another Welsh international, Lloyd Williams, will hope to start at scrum-half, though Tomas Williams is also a gifted option to partner understandable that the focus for most of the packed Kingspan area will be on the home side and its determination to continue a winning run which needs to be stretched to stay in that elite group of four at the top of the table. That the concluding three matches of this Guinness PRO12 campaign are against the three teams currently leading the way only emphasises the importance of taking each game on its merits. Next week’s trip to the Ospreys, the game with Munster at the end of this month, then the potentially season-defining clash at Kingspan against a high-flying Leinster in early May guarantee a thrilling finale. Les Kiss and Head Coach Neil Doak, so often the fount of attacking invention in Ulster sides, will be acutely aware of just what Cardiff is capable of Anscombe and is prolific try-scorer. But at this key stage of the season it’s

producing on the pitch and the entire coaching staff will have concentrated its collective talents on giving the team every opportunity to be in a position to compete for the title and coveted silverware late next month by out-thinking this evening’s visitors. There is always emotional turmoil when this stage of the year arrives and the prospect of success dangled like a bewitching lure. Unlike Cardiff consistent Top Four finishes have been the ‘norm’ for the men in white, though the route to the semi-finals has often been bumpy. But through all the doubts at times the fans have been typically superb, at home and away, and at Kingspan especially there is always a full house willing to clear its throat and roar the players on. ‘The 16th Man’ is indeed what that support is, and it needs to be at the top of its own form for the coming month. At the start of a crucial month it would be truly uplifting to hear those fans singing the Blues all the way back to Cardiff!

ROD NAWN

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HALF TIME RUGBY

Welcome and good luck to the Centra Half Time girls rugby teams from...

FAMILY END

CENTRA HALF TIME RUGBY

VIRGINIA

MALONE

CLUB COLOURS Black and white

CLUB COLOURS

White

TEAM

COACHES

TEAM

COACHES

Erin McLaughlin Sarah Smith Jocelyn Snell Jessica Snell Elinor Van Lill Schalk Roisin O’Donohue Ella Sheridan

Adrian McLaughlin Peter Skelly Packie McQuade

Mia Ferguson Lyla Ferguson Ruby Devine Cara McManus Isabelle Johnston Rebecca Russell Rachel Dewar Katie McAllister Cara Gallen

Daryl Jackson Ross Ferguson

Grainne Warren Emma O’Reilly Caitlin O’Reilly

MEMORIAL END

TEAM CLUB COLOURS DONAGHADEE Green and pink hoops Ellen Hamilton Rebekah Boyd Charli Graham-ogg Leah McGrattan Lucie Ramm Niamh Lyons Molly McKibben Kathy Rodgers Ciaran McKenzie Lauren Taylor Abbie Frame Shona Russell Hannah Mahood (guesting for Malone RFC)

ARMAGH/DUNGANNON

CLUB COLOURS Red and black

COACHES

TEAM

COACHES Ken Lindsay (Armagh) Harry Doyle (Armagh) Charlie Farrell (Dungannon)

Nigel Hamilton C Van Der Schyff

Armagh Players: Elle Corkey Jessica Hughes Mary Loughran Ellielouise McCall Natasha McClatchey Sadie McMahon Clara Pickering Dungannon Players: Lily Gallagher

Katie Croft Sofia Bailey Eboney Reid

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BUS TRIP TO MUNSTER

URSC MEMBERSHIP 2016/17

1147 HAVE JOINED URSC THIS SEASON... THANK YOU!

URSC will be on the road again on Saturday 15th April, heading to Limerick for Munster v Ulster (K.O. 3pm), returning shortly after the conclusion of the match. PRICES: £25 MEMBERS, £30 NON-MEMBERS £10 FOR U18’S DEPARTING Montgomery Road (Opposite Podium for Sport) – 7.30am ALTERNATIVELY: Pick up at Sprucefield: Approximately 7.50am Banbridge: Approximately 8.15am Newry: (Approximate time to be arranged when requested) Alternative pick-ups must be pre-arranged. To do so, or for further information, email travel@ursc.co.uk

URSC Membership for the 2016/17 season is STILL OPEN through the URSC shop via PayPal. To renew or join up for the first time and thus maximise your benefits for the season, go to membership.ursc.co If you have any problems or questions, please contact membership@ursc.co.uk The winner of the URSC Player of the Month for January & February, sponsored by Crystal Clear Glass Engravers was… Jacob Stockdale, who topped the poll with 39% of the vote with Ruan Pienaar a close second and Sean Reidy was voted third. Good news for Jacob, but also for Craig Patton from Doagh, whose name was drawn from those who voted for Jacob and wins a signed Ulster cap. PLAYER OF THE SEASON

SUPPORTERS CLUB NEWS Tickets on sale online through www.ursc.co or bookings can be made at the URSC Info Point at tonight’s match.

PLAYERS AT THE URSC INFO POINT

The Info Point is directly opposite the Kukri Shop in the Fan Zone at Kingspan Stadium. Come along and meet a player – Brett Herron was there for the Edinburgh match. Vote for your player of the month, book your place on the bus to the Munster match, or simply come along for a chat... we’d love to see you!

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URSC: PLAYER OF THE SEASON AWARD 2016/17

JACK KYLE BURSARY

URSC is delighted to announce that the 2016/17 Jack Kyle Bursary recipient will be Robert Lyttle. The bursary is worth £2,500. Commenting on the award, URSC Chair Jonathan Bill said: “Rob has already shown he has an eye for the try line and, as a bonus, he is impressive from the tee too. Hopefully this award will help him to kick on!” In 2007, the URSC inaugurated the Jack Kyle Bursary. This is 100% sponsored by the URSC and is awarded on an annual basis to an up and coming member of the Ulster Rugby Hughes Insurance Academy. As with previous seasons, the Bursary, is part funded by the URSC’s Big Ballot, many prizes for which are generously donated by local businesses. The Bursary, which is now in its tenth year, includes past recipients: Craig Gilroy, Paddy McAlister, Mark McCrea, Ian Whitten, Iain Henderson, Stuart Olding, Angelo Marica, Alan O’Connor and Adam McBurney. Last year the bursary was awarded to Dave Shanahan.

The URSC Player of the Season is voted for by URSC members. The winning player receives a magnificent bronze trophy designed and created by local artist Bob Sloan, which features a bronze cast of a hand grasping a rugby ball, and was first awarded in 2005 to Matt McCullough. From this season, the Player of the Season Award will be sponsored by Gardiner Brothers Jewellers of Waring Street, Belfast. Additionally from this season, not only will the Player of the Season receive a superb Ernest Borel Swiss watch courtesy of Gardiners, but as a fantastic bonus for URSC members, all those voting for the winning player will be entered into a draw and one lucky member will also win an Ernest Borel watch courtesy of Gardiners! Vote Now! You can vote for any Ulster player of your choice. There is no shortlist – the choice is entirely yours! The 2016/17 Player of the Season Award will be presented at the Ulster Rugby Awards Dinner on Saturday 6th May. You can vote at the URSC Information Point at the Cardiff match or by return email to info@ursc.co.uk putting “player of the Season” in the subject heading. Voting closes on Sunday 30 April at noon. PAST PLAYERS OF THE SEASON

SUPPORTERS CLUB NEWS

2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

Matt McCullough Justin Harrison

Neil Best

Tommy Bowe Stephen Ferris Chris Henry Johann Muller

Pedrie Wannenberg

Andrew Trimble Andrew Trimble

Darren Cave

Paddy Jackson

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