Ulster Rugby vs Edinburgh

PRESIDENT’S WELCOME

In the Guinness PRO12, the Ulster team are currently in 6th place but with a game in hand. Recent performances in the league have been mixed and it will be important that the team get back to form in order to ensure that we make the play-offs. A good performance in tonight’s game against Edinburgh will be crucial in order to kick start the second half of the season for the Ulster team. Tonight also sees the long awaited Ulster debut of Springbok Marcell Coetzee. Marcell has been getting over a serious knee injury and I am sure the Ulster supporters will make him feel very welcome when he takes to the pitch. Ulster did not have the best of runs in this season’s European Champions Cup and regrettably failed to make the quarter-final stages. Whilst injuries have had a major bearing on Ulster's performance in Europe, it is essential that the Ulster team start performing well in Europe again, particularly in the away games. The Ulster A team, sponsored by CD Group are to be congratulated on their recent performances which have seen them qualify for the B&I Cup quarter-finals for the first time in five seasons. In the quarter-final, they will face the Munster A team in Cork on 12th March and we wish them well for this game. On the domestic front, the Danske Bank Schools’ Cup has now reached the quarter-final stage which will see Campbell College play Royal Belfast Academical Institution; Friends' School play Belfast Royal Academy; Royal School Armagh play Methodist College Belfast and Wallace High School play Ballymena Academy. Good luck to all these teams. Finally, I hope everyone enjoys the game tonight as well as the facilities at Kingspan Stadium and remember - “Stand Up For The Ulster Men”. 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 tonight’s round 14 match in the Guinness PRO12 Championship. In particular, I am very pleased to welcome the Edinburgh 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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