Ulster Rugby Annual Report 2016-17

Announcing the award, the organising committee commented on what had been a fantastic event organised by Ulster Rugby, who had ensured that there was something for all the family to enjoy with plenty of pre-match entertainment, adding that the large contingent of travelling French supporters had added to the occasion, enjoying the best of our local hospitality. Our congratulations go to Events Co-ordinator Anita Bayne who accepted the award on behalf of Ulster Rugby. Governance While we await the outcome of the IRFU Governance Review, progress has been made towards the establishment of an Ulster Rugby Charitable Foundation to include the appropriate parts of the current organisation. THE PROFESSIONAL GAME In terms of results, the 2016/17 Season has been the proverbial rollercoaster ride. Off the pitch, our defence coach, Joe Barakat, left us mid-season to join up with the Western Force. He was a larger than life character and we wish him well, albeit in an uncertain future in Super Rugby as it continues to struggle with its own structures. On the pitch, we started very strongly, winning our first five league matches and sitting top of the table, but the away defeat to Connacht in Round Six contributed to the loss of momentum going into Europe, in which we had been drawn in a very tough Pool. While we achieved a memorable Kingspan win over Clermont and another against Exeter, the home and away losses to Bordeaux-Begles were damaging and culminated in a disappointing European Campaign. The excitement of Marcell Coetzee togging out for Ulster was severely tempered by a long-term injury he sustained before arriving, resulting in him missing our entire European Cup campaign. Once we saw the impact he made with his debut against Edinburgh, (unfortunately for only four matches before another injury would side-line him for 3-4 months), the impact he would have made on our European campaign could have been substantial. Such are the fine lines between success and failure. Indeed, like last year, injuries to key players have played a significant role this season. In the Pro 12 some key losses around the Christmas period left us with a lot of ground to make up in our quest for top four qualification. Six league wins on the bounce saw momentum shift back in our favour. A draw against Cardiff and narrow loss away to Munster meant the penultimate game of the regular season away to the Ospreys was crucial in deciding our Semi-final fate. Although we were well on top in the second half, we failed to get the points on the board and thus, despite an excellent victory over Leinster in our final match, finished a disappointing fifth in the league. The continued improvement and added resources to our ‘A’ team paid off. For the first time, they contested a quarter-final. Unfortunately, away to Munster they didn’t produce on the day, but at least progress had been made with our second team, suggesting that slowly but surely, we are acquiring better depth to our squad.

A major change to the Academy came in the form of Willie Anderson, a great stalwart of Ulster and Irish rugby joining the ranks as forwards coach. A big part of this recruitment was based, not just on his experience and knowledge of the game, but to engrain the traditional ethos into our younger players about what it is about playing for Ulster, looking to create a harder edge to the next generation of forwards coming through our pathway. After a relatively barren period over the last six years, it looks as though we have some quality indigenous forwards coming through. They should all benefit greatly from his counsel, hopefully contributing to many Ulster and Ireland successes in the future. Unfortunately, as with the Senior team, injuries to some of our key starters saw our Ireland U20 representation reduced during the Six Nations. However, it was heartening to see that nine of the twenty three man starting squad for the Ireland U19 matches against France in April were from Ulster, auguring well for the future. At the end of the season we say good-bye to stalwarts of Ulster rugby, head coach, Neil Doak, and forwards coach, Allen Clarke. ‘Doaky’ has been involved in Ulster Rugby, either as a player or coach for over twenty years. He has contributed hugely to the game in Ulster and Ireland, both on and off the field. Held in very high regard across the island of Ireland, his technical expertise as a backs attack coach and knowledge of the game cannot be underestimated. Renowned for his work-rate and attention to detail, ‘Clarky’ has been a long servant of both Ulster and Irish rugby. Spending significant time developing the underage structures throughout Ireland in National and Provincial roles, Allen moved to the assistant coach role with Ulster in 2014, having had a stint in this position some ten years ago. That forensic ability has resulted in him being offered the forwards coach role at the Ospreys for next season. We wish both every success for the future. Their successors come in the form of the hugely experienced and successful Jono Gibbes, arriving from Clermont, and the younger, more inexperienced but highly exciting Dwayne Peel, coming from Bristol. Ulster Rugby is optimistic about what these two new coaches will bring to the playing group for the next two seasons. Finally, a special mention must be given to Rory Best, who not only captained the Irish team admirably but also became only its fifth Centurion, a remarkable feat. We also congratulate him, along with Iain Henderson and Jared Payne, on their inclusion on the British and Irish Lions Squad to New Zealand. It is quite an achievement to have three players from Ulster selected for such a prestigious team who will shortly embark on their exciting tour against the best team on the planet! THE DOMESTIC GAME Domestic Rugby The 2016/17 season has yet again been a busy year for the Domestic Game. As reported in previous years certain areas such as age grade and female rugby are growing, whilst others, most notably the adult male game, continue to face challenges. It has been pleasing to see such willingness amongst clubs, schools, committees and staff to identify these challenges and

9