Ulster Rugby vs Ospreys

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RUGBY VS OSPREYS Friday 21st November 2014 - Kingspan Stadium - Kick Off 19.35

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Good evening and welcome to another exciting Friday evening at Kingspan Stadium.

Ulster take on Ospreys tonight which is sure to be an exciting match. We extend a warm welcome to all the Ospreys fans that have travelled here to support their team and look forward to some top class rugby between the two sides. Ulster had a convincing 23-6 win against Newport Gwent Dragons at their last home game and we hope to see another great performance this evening. Kingspan Stadium is once again a fortress and it is where Ulster plays best thanks to the energy and support of the home fans. This season marks the 18th year of our proud association with Ulster Rugby and we remain committed to the team. At Bank of Ireland we stand together with the fans, sharing their passion and together we are all the driving force behind our Ulster Rugby team. Good Luck for the season ahead Ulster!

Ian Sheppard // Head of Corporate Banking Northern Ireland Bank of Ireland

Official sponsor of Ulster Rugby

ULSTER BRANCH

PRESIDENT’S WELCOME

John Kinnear / / President Bobby Stewart / / Senior Vice President John McKibbin / / Junior Vice President John McKibbin / / Honorary Secretary Michael Boyd / / Honorary Treasurer Denis Gardiner / / Competitions Secretary Shane Logan / / Chief Executive Chris Webster / / Domestic Rugby Manager Audrey Robinson / / Financial Controller Fiona Hampton / / H ead of Sales & Marketing

It gives me great pleasure to welcome you all here to Kingspan Stadium for this Guinness PRO12 match against Ospreys.

his international debut. It was also great to see Tommy Bowe make a try scoring return to the Ireland team. Against Georgia we saw solid performances from Darren Cave, Craig Gilroy and Robbie Diack, while substitute Stuart Olding showed what he can do with that brilliant score. It is great to have three of those players back in the Ulster team this evening. While there was much to celebrate in recent weeks; in recent days we have become aware that Chris Henry suffered a blocked blood vessel in his brain on the morning of the South Africa game. There are few people more passionate about playing for their province than Chris. Everyone at Ulster Rugby wishes Chris a full and speedy recovery. Finally, I would like to thank our main sponsors and partners, in particular Bank of Ireland for their continued support of Ulster Rugby. I hope that you enjoy the game. Good Luck to Ulster and Stand up for the Ulstermen! Yours in Rugby John Kinnear // President IRFU (Ulster Branch)

I would like to welcome in particular our friends from Ospreys: directors, players, coaches and supporters alike - I hope that you all enjoy your stay in Belfast. Tonight’s match will see Ulster take on the form team in the Guinness PRO12. Ospreys are top of the division and unbeaten so far this season. The Ospreys management and players must be congratulated for their excellent start to the campaign and Ulster will have to be at their very best if they are to take anything from this evening’s match. It has been three weeks since Ulster have played due to the Autumn International Series in which Ireland recorded a fantastic win over South Africa. The amount of injured players in the international squad at this present time made that win all the more remarkable. Ireland backed that win up with a comfortable victory over Georgia. We will all be hoping that it is a clean sweep of victories when Ireland take on Australia tomorrow. High praise must go to Joe Schmidt and Les Kiss for their success and it was particularly pleasing to see Ulster’s Jared Payne make

Kingspan Stadium, 85 Ravenhill Park, Belfast, BT6 0DG T // +44 (0)28 9049 3222 ulsterrugby .com

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ULSTER RUGBY

Chief Executive’s

Ladies and Gentlemen,

We are back for Round 8 of the Guinness PRO12 after an exciting two weekends of International rugby which saw 119 of our players take to the international stage representing their countries. We are proud of the fact that so many players from the Guinness PRO12 play in their national squads; this is the biggest representation from any club competition in world rugby. All of our four countries have experienced at least one victory in their encounters with their Southern Hemisphere rivals and it is a credit to our clubs who provide quality players to the national squads. This weekend, it is back to Guinness PRO12 business for our clubs and they will be looking at moving up the ladder to be in the top four, for a chance to compete in the Play-Offs and Final of our competition in May. I would like to pay tribute to the work of the match officials this season and wish them all the very best for these Round 8 fixtures. Finally and most importantly, I would like to applaud you the supporters who ensure all 12 clubs have fantastic support throughout the season.

Enjoy the game

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ULSTER RUGBY

FRANCO VAN DER MERWE SETTLING IN

South African international, Franco van der Merwe arrived at Kingspan Stadium with no preconceptions as to what life in Belfast would be like, but with his name consistently etched on the team sheet and two tries under his belt already, it certainly looks like he is settling in well…

forwards are really powerful especially in the first phases; they bring a lot of go-forward ball for their backs. So for us to counteract that, it will be a team effort, everyone performing well and doing their job, getting the basics right but showing that we can also execute the details.” With his calm nature and leadership qualities, it is safe to say that Franco is settling well into life on the pitch at Ulster, but how is he getting on off the pitch? “We are really enjoying Belfast, the weather has been kind to us and the people are really friendly. The facilities here are world class which makes it so much easier to come to work every day, I enjoy every single day, and the players make it so much easier for my wife and I. The family circle of other wives and girlfriends make it easy for us to fit in, we are a few months in now and I would say we have settled well, we are really enjoying our time here. “The highlight so far for me has been the crowd, the Ulster fans are really passionate about this team. Against Dragons there was so much rain but still all of these people came out to support us. It is amazing to see them all every week and the way that they sing when you run out onto the field, for me that is something new, I did not expect that – It’s amazing! Also the way the crowd goes so quiet when we kick to post, this is totally new to me. So Ulster definitely have some traditions in terms of the fans and the history of this ground, and I really like that, it is something to be proud of and when you run out and you think that you are tired - you are driven to give that bit extra for the fans.”

The 31-year old lock and his wife have been making the most of their time in the northern hemisphere by taking a trip to New York during the autumn international break… “We went to New York for a week and tried to get a bit of sun,” says Franco. “A few players had made the trip also so we met up with them, we did a lot of sightseeing, not too much shopping, just all the touristy things and taking in the sights of the city.” Following a week off, Ulster are straight back into PRO12 action against league leaders Ospreys this evening… “It has been a good week,” explains Franco. “All the guys are fresh after the break, all the niggles are gone and everyone is back training well. Preparation and the intensity of training has lifted, so despite not having the internationals we have a good strong side who are ready to get out there. We have been focusing on getting the basics right but also running through the details, we have been working on building the tempo, the attitude and the physicality of our game this week heading into Ospreys. They are a tough side who are sitting top of the league so we need to put in a good performance this weekend. “Having guys away on international duty is a double edged sword for us – it’s great that it creates the opportunity for the younger or new guys in the squad to play and get experience in the PRO12 or even in Europe in a few weeks’ time. But on the other hand we are missing a core group of players with a lot of experience so it’s even more important that we are focused and training hard after having a week off.” “Ospreys are a physical side up front, they try to keep play simple but they really work hard for each other. You can see that they are a team who are well coached and the

FRANCO VAN DER MERWE

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ULSTER RUGBY

www.ulsterrugby.com

“THE HIGHLIGHT SO FAR FOR ME HAS BEEN THE CROWD, THE ULSTER FANS ARE REALLY PASSIONATE ABOUT THIS TEAM” FRANCO VAN DER MERWE

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ULSTERRUGBY

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TONIGHT’S MASCOTS

MASCOTS

HARRY THOMPSON (8) Harry attends Templepatrick Primary School. He plays rugby for Academy RFC Minis and his favourite Ulster player is Andrew Trimble. Harry cannot wait to run out at Kingspan Stadium with Sparky and the Ulster Rugby team!

EVIN COLLINS (8) Evin is from Belfast and attends Gilnahirk Primary School. He plays mini rugby at CIYMS and also enjoys cycling. Evin’s favourite player is Rory Best and he cannot wait to run out with the team this evening!

IN FOCUS

2 MINUTES ROGER WILSON

WITH NICKNAME: Pigeon FAVOURITE ARTIST: Guns N’ Roses CAN YOU COOK: Yes WHAT’S YOUR SIGNATURE DISH: Cowboy Supper LAST BOOK YOU READ: Does a phone manual count? FAVOURITE TV SHOW: East Bound & Down IF YOUWEREN’T PLAYING RUGBY, WHAT WOULD YOU BE DOING: No idea, but living somewhere warmer DO YOU HAVE A PET: Yes, a Bernese Mountain dog PET’S NAME: Nacho

BEST IN TRAINING: Mike McComish (Jellyfish) BEST MATE ON TEAM: Rory SOFTEST: Humph HARDEST: Jacko QUICKEST: Tommy FUTURE MANAGER/ COACH: Miami Boca Juniors RFC – Dan Tuohy BEST NICKNAME: Michael Allen BEST DANCER: Bronson Ross BEST DRESSER: Callum Black BEST TEAMMATE TO FOLLOWON TWITTER: None of us are much craic

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ULSTER RUGBY

IT’S ALL COMING TO A HEAD

OSPREYS PREVIEW

ULSTER 10 OSPREYS 7

HEAD TO HEAD

FRIDAY 14TH FEBRUARY 2014 KINGSPAN STADIUM

MATCH STATS:

ULSTER TRY

OSPREYS TRY

Darren Cave Ruan Pienaar Ruan Pienaar

Sam Lewis Sam Davies

CONVERSION

CONVERSION

PENALTY

FORM GUIDE All four Guinness PRO12 Unions have enjoyed autumn international wins over the past few weeks, and will be seeking consistency and victories in their remaining games. Ireland are the only side so far to have won both of their fixtures, against Georgia on Sunday, and more significantly against South Africa the weekend before, moving them up to third in the IRB world rankings. Ulster players Rory Best, Tommy Bowe and Robbie Diack are currently at Ireland camp ahead of their last Autumn International fixture against Australia tomorrow, kick off 4.30pm. Initially 119 PRO12 players were selected in the original squads for autumn internationals, the best representation of any world league, but the next couple of weeks will give players a chance to stake their claim for forthcoming Guinness PRO12 and European matches. Ulster’s only defeat in the Guinness PRO12 this season came against Zebre in Parma in Round 4. This is Ulster’s fourth successive home game in the tournament, a venue where they have been defeated only once in the PRO12 since September 2013. Ulster’s single defeat in their last seven fixtures against Welsh regions was by Cardiff Blues at the Arms Park in March. Ospreys have made the perfect start to the Guinness PRO12 season with seven successive victories equalling their best ever start in the tournament set a decade ago. Ospreys have won their last four games against Irish provinces since Munster were victorious at Liberty Stadium in February. Ulster have won four of their last five encounters with Ospreys, although in all five instances the losing side achieved a bonus point with the highest match tally being only 30 points. Ospreys have won in Belfast just once in their last four visits: 16-12 on 8th February 2013.

ULSTER SCORERS

OSPREYS SCORERS

U O

DATE

VENUE

Fri 4 Oct 13 Liberty Stadium 18 12

Paddy Jackson (6P)

Dan Biggar (4P)

Stuart Olding (P) Ruan Pienaar (3P)

Matthew Morgan (C/3P) Ryan Bevington (T)

Fri 8 Feb 13

Kingspan Stadium

12 16

Sat 8 Sep 12 Liberty Stadium

16 13

Paddy Jackson (C/2P) Paul Marshall (T) Niall O’Connor (P) Paddy Wallace (T) Penalty Try (T) Ruan Pienaar (C/P) Paddy Jackson (T/C) James McKinney (C) Penalty Try (T)

Matthew Morgan (C/2P) Hanno Dirksen (T)

Dan Biggar (2C) Eli Walker (T) Joe Bearman (T)

Fri 24 Feb 12 Kingspan Stadium 15 14

Sun 25 Sep 11 Liberty Stadium

14 32

Dan Biggar (C/6P) Matthew Morgan (C) Richard Fussell (T) Penalty Try (T)

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ULSTER RUGBY

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HEAD DOWN AND CHARGE!

A POWERFUL PARTNERSHIP

KEEPS ULSTER RUGBY FANS TOPPED UP

Northern Ireland’s leading energy supplier, Power NI, has teamed up with Ulster Rugby to bring fans a unique, new service at Kingspan Stadium. Two solar powered phone-charging points have been erected at the Memorial Archway, which fans can use to give their phone batteries a quick boost – absolutely free! Power NI Commercial Sales and Marketing Manager, Alan Egner, explains: “These StreetCharge points are popular across the United States but are ideally suited to our climate. They store up solar power during the day, allowing fans to top up the charge on their phones on busy match nights. They are located beside the food village so you can give your phone a quick boost while ‘helicopter’ style solar PV panels on top, they are very distinctive in appearance and we are hoping they will quickly become a natural meeting point for friends and family in the ground. They suit most types of you’re enjoying a snack or drink. “At around seven-foot tall, with their

mobile phones and will charge as quickly as the mains supply, but being solar powered they are kinder to the environment. “Power NI has been a long time supporter of Ulster Rugby and we are delighted to bring this great new service to the fans at Kingspan Stadium, which is a first for any sports stadium in Ireland.” The StreetCharge points will be officially launched on Friday 21st November at the Ulster vs Ospreys match at Kingspan Stadium. For more information, visit powerni.co.uk/ulsterrugby. Powerful Partnership: Power NI’s Alan Egner joins Tommy Bowe, Rory Best and Andrew Trimble at the new Power NI StreetCharge points at Kingspan Stadium. The two solar powered phone-charging stations allow fans to give their phone batteries a free boost on match nights – absolutely free!

To launch the new solar chargers, Power NI is offering fans the chance to win two tickets to Ulster vs Scarlets on Saturday 6th December All you need to do is visit www.powerni.co.uk/ulsterrugby and fill in the prize draw entry form (Ts&Cs apply). Good luck!

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ULSTERRUGBY

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Ulster v Scarlets Saturday 6 th December, kick-off 7.45pm

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OFFICIAL CLOTHING PARTNER OF ULSTER RUGBY

MINISTER OPENS NEW SHARED SPORTS FACILITY

The DCAL Minister, Carál Ní Chuilín, has officially opened a new sports facility at Aquinas Diocesan Grammar School that will provide state-of-the-art training facilities for Ulster Rugby, as well as health and fitness benefits to pupils and the wider community. real difference to communities. This is a great example.

NEW SHARED SPORTS FACILITY

The joint project between Aquinas and Ulster Rugby was funded by the Department of Culture Arts and Leisure (DCAL) and Belfast City Council and features a synthetic 3G pitch that can be used for rugby, football or GAA training. It also has a second, smaller 3G training area, a basketball/netball court and an outdoor gym. The facility at Aquinas can be accessed directly from Ulster Rugby’s training base in the Hughes Insurance Family Stand and will form a participatory element of the new Kingspan Stadium education tours that will begin next year when the new Nevin Spence Centre opens. The pitches were completed in late September and are used daily by pupils at Aquinas Diocesan Grammar School, by the Ulster Rugby squad and by the local community. Speaking at the opening, the Minister said: “The transformation has been incredible and we now have fantastic facilities available not only to pupils of Aquinas Grammar School and Ulster Rugby but also the wider community. “I am pleased that my Department’s contribution of £560,000, together with Belfast City’s Council’s contribution, has produced such a worthwhile outcome. I am delighted to see the school estate being maximised for the benefits of the wider community.” Lord Mayor, Nichola Mallon, said: “A key goal of Belfast City Council’s Investment Programme is to prioritise projects that make a

“Our £15 million investment in pitches throughout all parts of the city will ensure greater use of facilities as well as boosting excellence across a range of sports.” Principal of Aquinas Diocesan Grammar School, Mr Barry Kelly said: “We are delighted that the Diocesan trustees have supported our continuing partnership with Ulster Rugby. The new facilities enhance the learning experiences and opportunities for Aquinas students; support Ulster Rugby in providing first class training facilities with access for the local clubs, schools and communities”. Mr Kelly wished to acknowledge funding from DCAL and BCC and the attendance of Minister, Carál Ní Chuilín, Lord Mayor, Councillor Nichola Mallon, and Bishop Anthony Farquahar representing the Diocese of Down and Connor, the school trustees. Ulster Rugby Chief Executive, Shane Logan added: “This is a fantastic shared facility that has enormous benefits to Ulster Rugby, Aquinas Grammar School and to the local community. “It means that our team has access to world class training facilities right on its doorstep and will be a great resource to our players as they prepare for matches. “I would like to thank the DCAL Minister, Carál Ní Chuilín as well as Belfast City Council for funding this project and to our neighbours, Aquinas Grammar School, for partnering with us so successfully with us on this top-class sports facility.”

UlsterBranch

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ULSTER RUGBY

BRYN CUNNINGHAM

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ULSTERRUGBY

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BRYN CUNNINGHAM: A FAMILIAR FACE IN A NEW ROLE

It might be a new position but Ulster Rugby’s team manager is a familar face. Bryn Cunningham played 150 times for the province, spanning the era from Harry Williams and the European win in 1999, through to 2010 and Brian McLaughlin as Head Coach.

the right people for Ulster Rugby and who we want to retain going forward and based on that I will be dealing with the individual agents of those players. “Having been an agent for the past four and a half years I have a great insight into roles like team manager and how they should operate. It is having that industry and market knowledge – not just of players but how clubs operate and how we can get the best from Ulster Rugby.” Aside from the retention and recruitment of players and planning the succession of players, Bryn feels that his new role can contribute positively to the squad in a number of other ways. He says: “I suppose it can be summed up as creating a good environment. Creating good communications channels with players, coaches and administration staff. We want to create a coherent structure, something that the players can buy into and that they are happy and committed to Ulster Rugby going forward and to ensure it is an environment that encourages competitiveness and success.” Competitive and successful – two good adjectives to sum up Bryn’s time with Ulster as a player. No doubt they will now be hallmarks of his time as team manager.

With such a long-standing association with Ulster and 13 years of being a part of the squad you would be forgiven for thinking that becoming team manager would be a relatively easy transition for Bryn. However, with the huge changes both on and off the pitch in recent years, he says it is almost like walking into a new set-up: “Things have moved on and changed dramatically in the four or five years that I have been away,” he says. “It is a much more professional environment. It is a very different experience, but it is one that I am really enjoying. There was certainly a lot to get my teeth into in my first week, but it has been great. I have been left to fulfill as many roles as possible that fall under my remit and I have started to make progress in a number of those.” One of those roles is the recruitment and retention of players. A role that requires a combination of hard nosed negotiation, guile and diplomacy. It is also a role that comes with considerable scrutiny from both fans and the media. However, Bryn is relishing the challenge of that aspect of the job: “Obviously there are a number of guys out of contract this season as there are every year. It is my responsibility along with the Director of Rugby and Head Coach to ensure that we know, with our succession planning who are

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ULSTER RUGBY

RHINO ARE PROUD TO BE THE OFFICIAL MATCH BALL OF THE GUINNESS PRO12 2014/15 www.rhinorugby.com

THE LEADERS ON THE PITCH AND OFF

by ROD NAWN

It is not often that a rugby club can claim to have created a hinterland of support from three great names with spectacular traditions.

But the leaders of the Guinness PRO12 who come to Kingspan Stadium tonight have a history of breaking the mould, building a sporting and commercial model the envy of many. Ospreys was born out of Welsh rugby’s troubled acceptance of the professional era, and the decision in 2003 to establish strong regional sides to counteract the declining influence of the nation’s ten clubs. Swansea-Neath Ospreys began life as a merger of those two fine clubs, initially alternating home fixtures in those towns. In time Bridgend would also be incorporated as the club created a genuine community-based rugby focus with a very professional commercial arm. The result was an area of Wales which is now proudly known as Ospreylia. It may sound like the fantasy imaginings of C.S. Lewis or Lewis Carroll, but it is a ‘land’ which provides a huge base of support for what has become Wales’s most successful club. Its ‘citizens’ are the supporters who have seen four Celtic League titles secured, have cheered an Anglo-Welsh Cup victory at Twickenham, and watched some of the greatest players in the world on a weekly basis. Now the Ospreys’ home is the state-of-the-art Liberty Stadium in Swansea, and once more the PRO12 pace has been set by a group of players carefully managed by Head Coach Steve Tandy. He’s still a stripling at 34, but as a former flanker with the club, and someone who had immersed himself in age-group coaching very early in his career, he may have been stunned to be asked to take charge at the Liberty Stadium in early 2012, but he had a pedigree the management trusted. He combined the latter part of his playing career with coaching Bridgend to domestic domination, and as the Ospreys looked to adapt to harsher financial realities Tandy was ideally suited to take over from Sean Holley. His squad is still littered with names regularly in Warren Gatland’s national side, but while the memories left by Leigh Halfpenny, Mike Phillips, Lee Byrne, Tommy Bowe and the twinkling Shane Williams are now firmly entrenched in the Ospreys’ history, the coaches now work with a squad which puts great emphasis on developing young talent. The structure of the club is such that its recruitment and scouting systems are second- to-none, so players like Dan Evans, Eli Walker, Rhys Webb and Daffydd Howells line up with

those such as Alun Wyn Jones, a Lion legend now, and Justin Tipuric and the indefatigable and instantly recognisable Duncan Jones. It’s hardly surprising that other clubs – not least Ulster – have looked at the Ospreys as something of a model in terms of its playing and commercial approach. The Welsh club now can claim to be a global sporting ‘brand’, and its careful choice of business partners and its constant reinventions on and off the pitch have inspired others throughout Europe. Kingspan Stadium and its fantastic facilities, Ulster’s increasingly obvious development of young talent from across Ireland, and the thirst for success resembles what Ospreys have enjoyed - both are fuelled by a belief that only totally professional systems on the pitch and training ground, and in off-the-field management and commercial partnerships, will secure quality rugby and a solid future. Ulster and the visitors will both field sides this evening after Joe Schmidt and Gatland have made their decisions about who they require for big international matches on Saturday, against Australia and South Africa respectively. But it’s a measure of the depth and quality of player resources in both camps that neither side would claim to be weakened by national calls. Neil Doak is negotiating his way through his first few weeks in sole charge at Ulster, and he will have been relishing the prospect of the leaders arriving in Belfast. Both sides are superbly coached, but Tandy and Doak are attack- minded instinctively and though – as ever – two formidable sets of forwards will dictate the early pattern it will be a real surprise if this top-of-the- table clash does not produce a healthy try return. It’s a fascinating contest on a host of levels, and not least because fans will see high-quality performers from two of Europe’s most forward- looking and exciting clubs. They have very different roots in the professional game, but they have found similar direction and certainty in recognising that all that is best in sport can best be secured by sound business management skills. But it’s the rugby which has created two wonderful sides, meeting on a showpiece Kingspan stage, so enjoy the spectacle, another big Friday night game in Belfast. And, now and again, just remember how it came to be…

MATCH PREVIEW

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ULSTER RUGBY

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Article by Rod Nawn

Freelance Journalist and Sports Enthusiast @RODNAWN1

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ULSTER RUGBY

MICHAEL ALLEN

RICKY ANDREW

Centre/Wing 28.11.90 183cm 97kg 37 -

Fullback 02.12.89 185cm 87kg 20 -

POSITION BORN

POSITION BORN

HEIGHT WEIGHT ULSTER CAPS INT. CAPS

HEIGHT WEIGHT ULSTER CAPS INT. CAPS

RORY BEST (C)

CALLUM BLACK

TOMMY BOWE Hooker 15.08.82 180cm 110kg 159 77 ULSTER RUBGY POSITION BORN HEIGHT WEIGHT ULSTER CAPS INT. CAPS

Prop 25.02.86 180cm 110kg 67 -

POSITION BORN

HEIGHT WEIGHT ULSTER CAPS INT. CAPS

CHARLIE BUTTERWORTH

Wing 22.02.84 191cm 102kg 124 54

POSITION BORN

Back Row - 195cm 115kg 0 -

POSITION BORN

HEIGHT WEIGHT ULSTER CAPS INT. CAPS

HEIGHT WEIGHT ULSTER CAPS INT. CAPS

DARREN CAVE

ROBBIE DIACK

Centre 05.04.87 184cm 97kg 141 8 // 11A

Back Row 12.11.85 196cm 109kg 136 2 // 1A

POSITION BORN

POSITION BORN

HEIGHT WEIGHT ULSTER CAPS INT. CAPS

HEIGHT WEIGHT ULSTER CAPS INT. CAPS

DECLAN FITZPATRICK

CRAIG GILROY

Wing 11.03.91 183cm 90kg 91 6 // 1A

Prop 12.07.83 182cm 118kg 91 7 // 9A

POSITION BORN

POSITION BORN

HEIGHT WEIGHT ULSTER CAPS INT. CAPS

HEIGHT WEIGHT ULSTER CAPS INT. CAPS

MICHAEL HEANEY

IAIN HENDERSON

Scrumhalf 05.11.90 176cm 78kg 27 -

POSITION BORN

Back Row 21.02.92 200cm 115kg 40 12 // 2A

POSITION BORN

HEIGHT WEIGHT ULSTER CAPS INT. CAPS

HEIGHT WEIGHT ULSTER CAPS INT. CAPS

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ULSTER RUGBY

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CHRIS HENRY

WIEHAHN HERBST

Back Row 17.10.84 191cm 105kg 126 16 // 10A

POSITION BORN

Prop 05.07.88 180cm 114kg 9 -

POSITION BORN

HEIGHT WEIGHT ULSTER CAPS INT. CAPS

HEIGHT WEIGHT ULSTER CAPS INT. CAPS

SQUAD 2014/15

ROB HERRING

IAN HUMPHREYS

Hooker 27.04.90 183cm 103kg 55 -

Outhalf 24.04.82 178cm 85kg 90 -

POSITION BORN

POSITION BORN

HEIGHT WEIGHT ULSTER CAPS INT. CAPS

HEIGHT WEIGHT ULSTER CAPS INT. CAPS

PADDY JACKSON

CONOR JOYCE

Outhalf 05.01.92 179cm 87kg 70 9 // 1A

POSITION BORN

Back Row 05.07.93 192cm 106kg 4 -

POSITION BORN

HEIGHT WEIGHT ULSTER CAPS INT. CAPS

HEIGHT WEIGHT ULSTER CAPS INT. CAPS

RICKY LUTTON

LOUIS LUDIK

Prop 26.02.86 183cm 115kg 23 -

POSITION BORN

Fullback 10.08.86 182cm 92kg 8 -

POSITION BORN

HEIGHT WEIGHT ULSTER CAPS INT. CAPS

HEIGHT WEIGHT ULSTER CAPS INT. CAPS

LUKE MARSHALL

PAUL MARSHALL

Centre 03.11.91 181cm 96kg 55 6

POSITION BORN

Scrumhalf 26.07.85 172cm 80kg 133 3 // 2 A

POSITION BORN

HEIGHT WEIGHT ULSTER CAPS INT. CAPS

HEIGHT WEIGHT ULSTER CAPS INT. CAPS

STUART McCLOSKEY

KYLE McCALL

Centre - 195cm 105kg 9 -

POSITION BORN

Hooker 02.01.92 176cm 108kg 3 -

POSITION BORN

HEIGHT WEIGHT ULSTER CAPS INT. CAPS

HEIGHT WEIGHT ULSTER CAPS INT. CAPS

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ULSTER RUGBY

NEIL McCOMB

MIKE McCOMISH

2nd Row 15.07.83 201cm 120kg 43 -

POSITION BORN

Back Row 07.12.83 190cm 106kg 41 -

POSITION BORN

HEIGHT WEIGHT ULSTER CAPS INT. CAPS

HEIGHT WEIGHT ULSTER CAPS INT. CAPS

SQUAD 2014/15

RUAIDHRI MURPHY

PETER NELSON

Fullback 05.10.92 180cm 84kg 15 -

Prop 05.07.87 187cm 115.5kg 3 -

POSITION BORN

POSITION BORN

HEIGHT WEIGHT ULSTER CAPS INT. CAPS

HEIGHT WEIGHT ULSTER CAPS INT. CAPS

STUART OLDING

JARED PAYNE

Outhalf 11.03.93 176cm 88kg 27 2

Fullback 13.10.85 186cm 97kg 54 1

POSITION BORN

POSITION BORN

HEIGHT WEIGHT ULSTER CAPS INT. CAPS

HEIGHT WEIGHT ULSTER CAPS INT. CAPS

RUAN PIENAAR

SEAN REIDY

Scrumhalf 10.03.84 187cm 90kg 80 79 (SA)

POSITION BORN

Back Row 10.05.89 180cm 100kg 1 -

POSITION BORN

HEIGHT WEIGHT ULSTER CAPS INT. CAPS

HEIGHT WEIGHT ULSTER CAPS INT. CAPS

BRONSON ROSS

CLIVE ROSS

Prop 16.09.85 183cm 118kg 5 -

Back Row 14.06.89 192cm 104kg 4 -

POSITION BORN

POSITION BORN

HEIGHT WEIGHT ULSTER CAPS INT. CAPS

HEIGHT WEIGHT ULSTER CAPS INT. CAPS

DAVE RYAN

RORY SCHOLES

Prop

POSITION BORN

Wing 24.04.93 186cm 95kg 5 -

POSITION BORN

183cm 116kg 0 -

HEIGHT WEIGHT ULSTER CAPS INT. CAPS

HEIGHT WEIGHT ULSTER CAPS INT. CAPS

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ULSTER RUGBY

“This kind of landscape is the reason I became a photographer.” Eunan, Photographer, Leitrim

Take a leaf out of Eunan’s book and discover the beauty of Northern Ireland’s coasts and lakes. Book a short break to our compact little part of theworld and hit thewater. FromFermanagh’s lakes and islands, to the spellbinding seascapes of theCauseway Coastal Route andeverything inbetween, there’s nowhere better to unwind. Fill your getaway with afternoons on the water, cosy hotels, seafood and roaring fires in homely pubs. And, don’t forget your camera...

CromEstate, Co. Fermanagh

JAMES SIMPSON

LEWIS STEVENSON

2nd Row 03.11.90 197cm 115kg 1 -

2nd Row 01.06.84 200cm 116kg

POSITION BORN

POSITION BORN

HEIGHT WEIGHT ULSTER CAPS INT. CAPS

HEIGHT WEIGHT ULSTER CAPS INT. CAPS

69 1A

SQUAD 2014/15

ANDREW TRIMBLE

DAN TUOHY

Wing 20.10.84 187cm 99kg 188 57 // 3A

POSITION BORN

2nd Row 18.06.85 197cm 115kg 113 9 // 4A

POSITION BORN

HEIGHT WEIGHT ULSTER CAPS INT. CAPS

HEIGHT WEIGHT ULSTER CAPS INT. CAPS

FRANCO VAN DER MERWE

ANDREW WARWICK

2nd Row 15.03.83 198cm 115kg 9 -

Prop 12.03.91 180cm 111kg 13 -

POSITION BORN

POSITION BORN

HEIGHT WEIGHT ULSTER CAPS INT. CAPS

HEIGHT WEIGHT ULSTER CAPS INT. CAPS

NICK WILLIAMS

ROGER WILSON

Back Row 21.09.81 191cm 106kg 163 1 // 11 A

POSITION BORN

Back Row 02.12.83 189cm 122kg 49 -

POSITION BORN

HEIGHT WEIGHT ULSTER CAPS INT. CAPS

HEIGHT WEIGHT ULSTER CAPS INT. CAPS

ULSTER RUGBY SQUAD SEASON 2014/15

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ULSTER RUGBY

ULSTER RUG FRIDAY 21ST NOVEMBER KICK O

15 14 13 12 11

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

STUART OLDING

CALLUM BLACK

ROB HERRING

LOUIS LUDIK

ULSTER RUGBY

WIEHAHN HERBST

DARREN CAVE

STUART McCLOSKEY

LEWIS STEVENSON

FRANCO VD MERWE

CRAIG GILROY

10

PADDY JACKSON

CLIVE ROSS

9 PAUL MARSHALL

SEAN REIDY

REPLACEMENTS FROM 16 17 18 19 J ANDREW A WARWICK D FITZPATRICK A O’CONNOR 20 21 22 23

8

N WILLIAMS M HEANEY I HUMPHREYS P NELSON

ROGER WILSON (C)

REFEREE ASSISTANT REFEREE’S CITING COMMISSIONER TMO TODAYS OFFICIALS

NEIL HENNESSY (WRU, 21ST COMPETITION GAME) NIGEL CORRELL (IRFU) // BRIAN MACNEICE (IRFU) JOHN COLE (IRFU) KEVIN BEGGS (IRFU)

30

ULSTER RUGBY

www. ulster rugby.com

Y v OSPREYS 014 - KINGSPAN STADIUM F 19.35 1

15 14 13 12 11 10

OSPREYS

DAN EVANS

DUNCAN JONES

2 3 4 5 6 7

TOM GRABHAM

SAM PARRY

ANDREW BISHOP

DMITRI ARHIP

ASHLEY BECK

LLOYD PEERS (C)

AISEA NATOGA

RYNIER BERNARDO

SAM DAVIES

JAMES KING

9 8

MARTIN ROBERTS

SAM LEWIS

REPLACEMENTS FROM M DWYER

I BOLADAU I JONES T HABBERFIELD H DIRKSEN

16 17 18 19

20 21 22 23

M THOMAS C GRIFFITHS R THORNTON

DAN BAKER

Official sponsor of Ulster Rugby

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ULSTER RUGBY

TYLER ARDRON

DMITRI ARHIP

Front Row 12.11.88 182cm 120kg

POSITION BORN HEIGHT WEIGHT

Back Row 16.07.91 196cm 111kg

POSITION BORN HEIGHT WEIGHT

SCOTT BALDWIN

DAN BAKER

Hooker 12.07.88 191cm 115kg

POSITION BORN HEIGHT WEIGHT

Number 8 05.07.92 188cm 114kg

POSITION BORN HEIGHT WEIGHT

OSPREYS

ASHLEY BECK

JOE BEARMAN

Centre 15.04.90 191cm 103kg

POSITION BORN HEIGHT WEIGHT

Back Row 28.02.79 193cm 104kg

POSITION BORN HEIGHT WEIGHT

RYAN BEVINGTON

RYNIER BERNARDO

Prop 09.12.88 183cm 116kg

POSITION BORN HEIGHT WEIGHT

Lock 27.08.91 199cm 112kg

POSITION BORN HEIGHT WEIGHT

ANDREW BISHOP

OLLY CRACKNELL

Centre 07.08.85 183cm 84kg

Flanker 26.04.94 191cm 110kg

POSITION BORN HEIGHT WEIGHT

POSITION BORN HEIGHT WEIGHT

SAM DAVIES

HANNO DIRKSEN

Wing 31.03.91 183cm 97kg

POSITION BORN HEIGHT WEIGHT

Outside Half 06.10.93 180cm 87kg

POSITION BORN HEIGHT WEIGHT

32

ULSTER RUGBY

www. ulster rugby.com

MATTHEW DWYER

DAN EVANS

Hooker 18.01.85 182cm 118kg

Full Back 15.11.88 183cm 93kg

POSITION BORN HEIGHT WEIGHT

POSITION BORN HEIGHT WEIGHT

SQUAD 2014/15

TOM GRABHAM

CAI GRIFFITHS

Wing 20.06.91 178cm 86kg

Prop 05.01.84 191cm 124kg

POSITION BORN HEIGHT WEIGHT

POSITION BORN HEIGHT WEIGHT

TOM HABBERFIELD

JEFF HASSLER

Wing 21.09.91 178cm 92kg

Scrum Half 19.04.92 178cm 83kg

POSITION BORN HEIGHT WEIGHT

POSITION BORN HEIGHT WEIGHT

AARON JARVIS

BEN JOHN

Centre 28.02.91 196cm 99kg

Prop 20.04.86 183cm 116kg

POSITION BORN HEIGHT WEIGHT

POSITION BORN HEIGHT WEIGHT

ALUN WYN JONES

DUNCAN JONES

Prop 18.09.78 183cm 110kg

Lock 19.09.85 198cm 118kg

POSITION BORN HEIGHT WEIGHT

POSITION BORN HEIGHT WEIGHT

JAMES KING

SAM LEWIS

Back Row 05.10.90 193cm 107kg

Flanker 07.09.90 180cm 97kg

POSITION BORN HEIGHT WEIGHT

POSITION BORN HEIGHT WEIGHT

33

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ULSTER RUGBY

STAY from £83 pps

Experience the history and heritage of Belfast that is only ten minutes away, explore the charming North Down coast or pamper yourself in our Spa. The Culloden H I STORY. LUXURY. TR ANQU I L I T Y. Call 028 9042 1066 Complimentary onsite car parking • # ./$)".#*/ '.@ *( ESCAPE to a little LUXURY

AISEA NATOGA

JOSH MATAVESI

Wing 05.09.90 118cm 91kg

POSITION BORN HEIGHT WEIGHT

Centre 05.10.90 188cm 112kg

POSITION BORN HEIGHT WEIGHT

SQUAD 2014/15

SAM PARRY

SCOT OTTEN

Hooker 19.07.94 182cm 103kg

Hooker 17.12.91 185cm 114kg

POSITION BORN HEIGHT WEIGHT

POSITION BORN HEIGHT WEIGHT

MARTIN ROBERTS

LLOYD PEERS

Scrum Half 06.06.86 175cm 77kg

POSITION BORN HEIGHT WEIGHT

Lock 02.02.91 195cm 114kg

POSITION BORN HEIGHT WEIGHT

DAN SUTTER

JONATHAN SPRATT

Prop 29.06.93 180cm 114kg

POSITION BORN HEIGHT WEIGHT

Centre 28.04.86 188cm 100kg

POSITION BORN HEIGHT WEIGHT

MARC THOMAS

TITO TEBALDI

Prop 15.07.90 183cm 114kg

POSITION BORN HEIGHT WEIGHT

Scrum Half 23.09.87 183cm 114kg

POSITION BORN HEIGHT WEIGHT

JUSTIN TIPURIC

RHYS WEBB

Flanker 06.08.89 188cm 102kg

POSITION BORN HEIGHT WEIGHT

Scrum Half 09.12.88 183cm 92kg

POSITION BORN HEIGHT WEIGHT

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ULSTER RUGBY

Suppliers of fresh produce to the Ulster Rugby team.

Official suppliers of fresh produce to the Ulster Rugby team.

36

ULSTER RUGBY

www. ulster rugby.com

TONIGHT’S OPPOSITION

After seeing their hopes for this season written off by the Welsh media following a summer of change at the Liberty Stadium, the Ospreys go into tonight’s game sitting at the top of the Guinness PRO12 table, boasting the only 100% record in any of the professional European leagues.

Their unbeaten start to the season has seen the Welsh region win seven from seven, equaling their best ever opening to a league campaign, and when the win over Connacht on the final day of 2013/14 is tagged on, it equals the longest winning run in the history of the Ospreys, eight on the bounce. On the opening weekend, Nicky Smith, Rhys Webb, Jeff Hassler, Scott Baldwin and Hanno Dirksen all helped themselves to tries against Benetton Treviso at the Liberty Stadium, while the ever reliable Dan Biggar enjoyed a perfect evening with the boot, kicking four conversions and three penalties before handing over to Sam Davies to round off the scoring in a 44-13 win. The following week, a much tighter affair saw the Ospreys edge the first Welsh derby of the season, a 17-15 win at the Dragons with Webb again scoring along with Eli Walker, Biggar adding seven with his boot. Edinburgh then arrived at the Liberty off the back of a win at Thomond Park on the opening weekend and a one-point home defeat to another early season pace-setter, Connacht, but were blown away by the Ospreys. The on-fire Webb set the tone for the afternoon with a brace of tries in

the opening 10 minutes, and by the time the final whistle was blown the Ospreys had added another seven touchdowns on their way to a 62-13 victory. A first trip of the season to Ireland followed, and the Ospreys returned home with the points in the bag after a 19-14 win in Munster, before the narrowest of wins in Italy, 15-14 versus Zebre. Cardiff Blues were sent packing from the Liberty Stadium, defeated 26-15, Webb and Dan Evans scoring the tries, before Connacht were defeated 26-11 in south Wales last time out in the PRO12 to cement the region’s place at the top of the table. However, results to date will have little baring on what happens in Belfast this evening as the Ospreys will feature a much changed line-up, missing 10 players on international duty plus a further dozen currently on the treatment table. The onus at this time of the season is very much on the next generation, with youngsters looking to emulate the likes of Justin Tipuric, Nicky Smith and Scott Baldwin, players who came to attention during international periods before going on to become first team regulars and fully fledged internationals themselves.

//Location Swansea, Wales //Founded 2003 //Ground Liberty Stadium //Capacity 20,570 //Last Game

Connacht (H) 26 - 11 (W) Fri 31st Oct 2014, 19:35 //Next Game Leinster Rugby (A) Sat 29th Nov 14 2014, 17:15 //Recent Form W W W W W

// Coach Steve Tandy // Captain Alun Wyn Jones

Liberty Stadium Landore Swansea Wales Tel

+44 1792 616 500

Tel +448700400004 www.ospreysrugby.com

ospreysrugby

ospreys

OspreysTV

37

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ULSTER RUGBY

Ulster v Scarlets Saturday 6 th Dec, 7.45pm Ulster v Connacht Boxing Day, 6.45pm

Give the Winning Gift this Christmas: Match Bundles ON SALE NOW from only £121

Visit ulsterrugby/tickets or call 028 9049 3222 option 2

Kingspan has been a partner of Ulster Rugby for 10 years and we are now proud to give our name to this Stadium. Our passion, as a global leader in sustainable building solutions, is to deliver the highest levels of performance - always. Our respect for Ulster Rugby and its dedicated fans is absolute. Welcome to the Kingspan Stadium.

kingspan.com

GETTING TO KNOW THE ACADEMY

ACADEMY PROFILE: SAM ARNOLD

ACADEMY PROFILE: CRAIG TRENIER

HUGHES INSURANCE ULSTER RUGBY ACADEMY 2014/15

DOB: 21.01.1994 AGE 20 BORN Dublin HEIGHT 188cm WEIGHT 117kg

DOB: 08.04.1996 AGE 18 BORN Surrey HEIGHT 182cm WEIGHT 97kg POSITION Centre CAPS U20 // U18 CLUB Ballynahinch

POSITION Tight Head CLUB Ballynahinch SCHOOL Terenure College ADMIRE John Afoa/Carl Hayman FAVOURITE FOOD Red Meat/Ravioli PAST TIME Shopping with Mikey Lagan ULSTER HIGHLIGHT Signing for the Academy INTERESTING FACT I play the guitar

SCHOOL Cranleigh ADMIRE Brian O’Driscoll FAVOURITE FOOD Nandos PAST TIME Relaxing at home ULSTER HIGHLIGHT First Ulster U20s game INTERESTING FACT I’m a 6/10 cook

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ULSTER RUGBY

OUTDOOR GYM INSTALLED AT BELFAST HARLEQUINS RFC

Belfast Harlequins RFC has benefitted from a new state-of-the-art outdoor gym courtesy of Garden Escapes in conjunction with The Great Outdoor Gym Company (TGO).

DOMESTIC UPDATE

Garden Escapes have been providing equipped outdoor fitness areas across the province since 2012 for councils, schools, sports clubs and community groups. Following some user group feedback, they set about developing a new range of products that are more suited to users with a higher level of fitness and that could be used as a group training facility within a club or school setting. The equipment is robust, well designed, cost effective and offers flexible training opportunities. Richard Stuart of Garden Escapes explains why they chose Belfast Harlequins as their first rugby club location: “Our experience has been that the public like to try before they buy so we launched a competition on social media looking for a suitable sports club for our first installation. Belfast Harlequins were selected due to the diverse range of sporting activities that take place at Deramore Park, as well as the number of community based initiatives that the club are involved with. Initial feedback from the club has been very positive as they are excited about having a squad training facility on-site.” DC Gillespie, Director of Rugby at Belfast Harlequins, said: “I would like to thank TGO and Ulster Rugby for this excellent new outdoor gym facility. As a club we are always looking for ways of improving facilities and we recognise the importance of strength and conditioning in developing

high performing rugby players. The outdoor gym will provide all year round access and will be ideal for individual, small group and team activities. Coaches can integrate S&C and skills sessions when appropriate and easily monitor engagement and progress as players work in close proximity – on pitch and at the nearby gym. The advice and assistance from Ulster Rugby Fitness Development staff is greatly appreciated and with their ongoing help I have no doubt that our players can gain maximum benefit from this facility.” Clubs are being encouraged to explore the use of outdoor training facilities such as this. You can arrange to call in to view the facility by contacting Belfast Harlequins on 028 9066 3277. If interested in finding out more about outdoor gym facilities, please contact Chris Shields (Ulster Rugby’s Fitness Education Manger) via chris.shields@ulsterrugby.com or Matthew Stuart (TGO) on 02897564477 or via matthew@tgoireland.com.

UlsterBranch

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ULSTERRUGBY

TACKLING BULLYING TOGETHER!

This is Anti-Bullying Week (17 - 21 November 2014) and right across Northern Ireland, more than 800 schools, youth groups and sports clubs have been marking the occasion with a range of activities to promote awareness of bullying.

homophobic language being used, reporting abuse you witness on a social network website, or even just making sure your friends know they can talk to you if they are worried about bullying.” There are lots more ideas on the NIABF website www.endbullying.org.uk. Just one small act could make a big difference to the life of a child that is being bullied. Paschal McKeown, Mencap’s acting Director in Northern

Coordinated by the Northern Ireland Anti-Bullying Forum (NIABF), this year’s campaign focuses on what we can all do to take a stand against all types of bullying, under the banner: Together We Will Make a Difference to END BULLYING NOW! NIABF is a partnership forum, made up of over 25 member organisations from across the statutory and voluntary sectors, including

Ulster Rugby’s Official Charity Partner of the Year, Mencap. Together these organisations work to end the bullying of children and young people in our schools and in our communities. Lee Kane, NIABF’s Regional Anti-Bullying Coordinator, says: “Bullying can happen anywhere and to anyone, in lots of different ways. It could be in a physical place, such as the

Ireland says: “Bullying has a long-term impact on children with a learning disability, making it harder for them to learn, make friends, socialise and play. Mencap wants to see an end to the bullying of all children, including children with a learning disability. “Everyone can help prevent and tackle disablist bullying by learning about disability, by listening to what children say and by valuing the contribution that children and

TACKLING BULLYING TOGETHER!

playground, on the pitch, in the locker rooms or in the park. Or, it might take place in the cyber world, on social networking websites, through online games or by text message. No matter where or how it happens, we all have a responsibility to make it stop.” NIABF is calling on everyone, of all ages and in all areas, to get involved in playing their part to END BULLYING NOW. That could be speaking up if you hear disablist, racist, sectarian or

young people with a learning disability can, and do make to life of their family, school and community. Help children enjoy a life free from fear by standing by them and by speaking out against bullying.” Remember, together we will make a difference. Together we will END BULLYING!

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ULSTER RUGBY

www. ulster rugby.com