Ulster Rugby vs Leicester Tigers

Official Digital Matchday Programme for Ulster Rugby v Leicester Tigers, Saturday 24th January 2015.

OFFICIAL MATCH DAY PROGRAMME | PRICE £4.00

LEICESTER TIGERS Saturday 24th January 2015 - Kingspan Stadium - Kick Off 17:30 RUGBY VS

TwickenhamStadium 2ndMay K.O. 17:00

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

Ulster take on Leicester Tigers tonight and we extend a warm welcome to all the Leicester fans that have travelled here to support their team and look forward to some top class rugby between the two sides. 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 Ulster!

Sean Sheehan // Regional Director, NI Consumer and Small Business Bank of Ireland

Official sponsor of Ulster Rugby

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ULSTER RUGBY

GET EVEN CLOSER TO THE ACTION THIS SEASON

IRFU ULSTER BRANCH

PRESIDENT’S WELCOME

OFFICERS 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 EXECUTIVE TEAM Shane Logan // Chief Executive Chris Webster // Domestic Rugby Manager Audrey Robinson // Financial Controller Fiona Hampton // Head of Sales & Marketing

It gives me great pleasure to welcome you here to Kingspan Stadium for this European Rugby Champions Cup match against Leicester Tigers.

I would particularly like to welcome the President Paul Dodge, wife Julie, Chief Executive Simon Cohen, board members, players and supporters from Leicester. We are delighted to be hosting you this evening and you are very welcome in Belfast. The Tigers have a rich history of success and this most famous of clubs has produced some of the greatest players to have ever taken to the rugby field. That tradition exists to this day and with squad members like Ben Youngs, Geoff Parling, Matthew Tait and Tom Croft, Ulster will have to be at their very best if they are to get the result. It has been a hugely unfortunate season so far for Ulster with injuries. With players like Andrew Trimble, Ruan Pienaar, Chris Henry, Luke Marshall, Dan Tuohy and Nick Williams all either out or having been out, the team has struggled in this season’s European Champions Cup. The news got even worse this week when we learned that Paddy Jackson and Stuart Olding will be on the sidelines for up to 12 weeks with elbow injuries and that Louis Ludik won’t play until late February with a broken rib. However, one thing that can’t be taken away is pride. Last weekend we saw a side depleted by injury and by

squad rotation, go to the home of the two-time European Champions and put in a heroic effort. Yes, they may have conceded 60 points but to have a backline with three scrumhalves competing against Bastareaud, Mitchell and Habana and still score four tries, was nothing short of remarkable. Such qualities will have to be on display again this evening and I want to wish Ulster good luck – especially Iain Henderson who we welcome back into the team after a long lay off. Since we have last played the 2015 Danske Bank Schools’ Cup has begun in earnest. Best wishes to every schoolboy taking part in this season’s competition. Finally, if you are free on Saturday 31st January, why not head to Portadown RFC where Bangor will take on Dundalk in the All Ireland Junior Cup Final? It should be a fantastic match – good luck to Bangor and hopefully they will be celebrating this time next week. As always thank you for your support and Stand up for the Ulstermen.

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

Yours in Rugby,

John Kinnear // President IRFU (Ulster Branch)

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ULSTER RUGBY

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EPCR WELCOME

Off the pitch, EPCR’s headquarters in Neuchatel, Switzerland is now operational while on the commercial front, EPCR’s tournaments have already established a solid foundation on which to build. The TV platform is providing even more exposure for the tournaments as well as increased revenues for the professional club game. All 10 Champions Cup games are now broadcast each weekend in the UK, France and Ireland by our partners, BT Sport, Sky Sports, beIN Sports and France Televisions, while Sky Italia are covering games in Italy. Our thanks to Heineken, a long-standing supporter of European club rugby, who are a founding partner of the new tournaments, and also to GILBERT, our official ball supplier, and to Canterbury who provide apparel for match officials. This season, as we celebrate 20 years of European club rugby, we hope fans from across Europe will engage with www.epcrugby.com digital platforms which include Google+ and YouTube as new tournament digital partners. Finally, I would like to wish this evening’s teams every success for these vital concluding pool fixtures and for the remainder of the season which will culminate in the London 2015 finals weekend at the beginning of May.

The pool stages of the European Rugby Champions Cup and the European Rugby Challenge Cup are set to reach a tension- packed conclusion with prized quarter-final places in both tournaments on the line. On behalf of tournament organisers, EPCR, I am delighted to welcome you to this evening’s match and I would like to thank all clubs, coaches, players and supporters across Europe - for their support. The enhanced and streamlined formats of both tournaments look set to produce a battle for qualification which will be even more compelling and dramatic than what we have come to expect. Under the new 20 club format, the five pool winners and the three best runners-up will qualify for the knockout stages with the four highest-ranked pool toppers earning home quarter-finals. The revised Challenge Cup sees all eight quarter-finalists coming from within that tournament, giving the competing clubs an even greater incentive going into the final Pool rounds. In parallel to this weekend’s top-tier action an expanded Qualifying Competition for next season’s Challenge Cup is also under way providing opportunities for emerging clubs from Russia, Spain and Portugal, and a pathway for more established clubs from the Italian Eccellenza.

Jacques Pineau // EPCR Director General

Get closer to rugby No one sees the game like The Sunday Times. Our insightful commentary, expert analysis and unrivalled team of writers — Stuart Barnes,Peter O’Reilly, Stephen Jones and DenisWalsh will bring you closer to the action. Get more from the season with The Sunday Times.

O cial Partner of the European Rugby Champions Cup

TONIGHT’S MASCOTS

MASCOTS

THOMAS KELLY (9) Thomas is from Ballymoney and attends Knockahollet Primary School. He plays mini rugby at Ballymoney RFC and also enjoys reading, playing football and listening to music. Thomas cannot wait to meet the players and be out on the pitch. His favourite player is Ruan Pienaar.

ELIA BOUTROS (12) Elia is from Crawfordsburn and attends Rockport School. He plays rugby at school and also football and tennis. Elia loves the atmosphere in the stadium on match nights and cannot wait to be a part of it. His favourite past player is his coach, Paddy Wallace and current favourite player is Ruan Pienaar.

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ULSTER RUGBY

IAIN HENDERSON: IT’S GREAT TO BE BACK

Amid all the bad news regarding injuries, there is at least one positive story from the rehab room this week. Ireland international, Iain Henderson, plays his first game of the season tonight. It is a timely return for the versatile forward and he says that after seven months on the sidelines, he can’t wait to get back to the action:

IAIN HENDERSON

Henderson is quick to back Head Coach, Neil Doak and says that as players, they must shoulder the blame for performances: “We are always 100% behind Doaky,” Iain says without any hesitation. “You can put blame on injuries but going forward we know the mistakes that we have made and we can only learn from our past games and better where we have gone wrong against Scarlets and Leicester.” With European qualification over, there is only pride on the line for Ulster tonight. Iain says that the side are now fully focused on the Guinness PRO12 and he believes that it could yet be a successful league season for Ulster: “Firstly, we are aiming to get a win this weekend, Iain says. “We are 5th in the league and with a couple of bonus point wins we could be top with all to play for. Someone threw out a stat earlier that we have scored four more tries this season that we had at the same stage last year. We have all to play for in the Guinness PRO12 and there is no reason why we can’t do a job there.” With Iain Henderson back in the side, anything is possible.

He says: “It has been frustrating watching the highs and lows this season, but injuries are unfortunately now part and parcel of the game. I feel absolutely fantastic. I have been training over the past few weeks and I have been itching to get back. I have been trying to persuade the physiotherapists and the strength and conditioning staff to let me play - but this week is the right week.” In terms of opposition, taking on Leicester Tigers, the most famous name in English rugby, is a formidable reintroduction back into the game. However, Iain says that he can’t wait to get involved: “Europe is gone now but we don’t want to lose at home,” Iain says. “Leicester are a big physical team and we want to take it to them up front. They are a big set piece orientated team and they will be looking to out-scrum us and beat us at the lineout. We just need to be ready for it and we are ready for it. Despite the result against Toulon our scrum and our set piece was actually very good. We just need to build on that and get some good quality ball for our backs who will hopefully score a few tries.” There has been criticism of the team in recent weeks from sections of the media, but

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ULSTER RUGBY

www. ulster rugby.com

“I FEEL ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC. I HAVE BEEN TRAINING OVER THE PAST FEWWEEKS AND I HAVE BEEN ITCHING TO GET BACK” IAIN HENDERSON

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ULSTERRUGBY

Wear itWith Pride Visit the Ulster Shop or buy online

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ROUND SIX PREVIEW

ULSTER RUGBY LEICESTER TIGERS

HEAD TO HEAD

SATURDAY 24TH JANUARY KICK-OFF AT 17:30 KINGSPAN STADIUM, BELFAST

MATCH FACTS:

• Ulster have won all three of their home meetings with Leicester; all but one of the seven games between the two clubs have been won by the homes side. • Ulster are aiming to avoid losing a fifth loss this season - the last time this occurred was in 2007/08 • Leicester have won 16 lineouts per game on average in the tournament, more than any other club.

TEAM COMPARISON (TOURNAMENT RECORD*)

ULSTER RUGBY

TIGERS

Played

122

129

Wins

59

84

Draws Losses

3

5

60

40

Total Points For Total Points Against

2563 2569

3439 2300

Total Tries For

233 274

375 184

Total Tries Against

*includes Champions Cup and Heineken Cup

POINTS SCORERS 2014/15

TIGERS: PLAYER

ULSTER RUGBY: PLAYER

POINTS

POINTS

Owen Williams Freddie Burns Tom Youngs

41 15 10

Paddy Jackson Ruan Pienaar Mike McComish Darren Cave Tommy Bowe

21 13 10 10 10

POOL THREE TABLE

pos team

pl

w d l

pf pa diff tf ta tb lb pts

1 RC Toulon Q 2 Leicester Tigers

5 4 0 1 155 86 86 17 9 1 1 18

5

3 0

2 101 100 1 11 11 0 0 13

3 Scarlets

5 2 0 3 87 108 -21 8 14 0 0 8 5 1 0 4 90 139 -49 12 14 1 1 7

4 Ulster Rugby

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ULSTER RUGBY

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THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT

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ULSTER RUGBY

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Official Hydration Partner of Ulster Rugby

Deep RiverRock is a registered trademark ofCoca-ColaHBCNorthern Ireland Ltd.

NICKNAME: Pistol FAVOURITE SONG/ARTIST? Snow Patrol CAN YOU COOK? Yes WHAT’S YOUR SIGNATURE DISH? Spaghetti Bolognese LAST BOOK YOU READ? Alex Ferguson, My Autobiography FAVOURITE TV SHOW? Breaking Bad WHOWOULD YOU MOST LIKE TO BE STUCK IN A LIFT WITH? Kevin Bridges WHO’S THE LAST PERSON YOUWOULD LIKE TO BE STUCK IN A LIFT WITH? Dave Shanahan IF YOUWEREN’T PLAYING RUGBY, WHAT WOULD YOU BE DOING? PE Teacher 2 MINUTES PETER NELSON WITH

IN FOCUS

YOU TEAM

BEST IN TRAINING? Kyle McCall BEST MATE ON TEAM? Stuart McCloskey SOFTEST? Sparky HARDEST? Lewis Stevenson QUICKEST? Craig Gilroy BEST NICKNAME? Pickles (Bronson Ross)

BEST DANCER? Paddy Jackson BEST DRESSER? Robbie Diack BEST TEAMMATE TO FOLLOW ON TWITTER? @paddyjackson10

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ULSTER RUGBY

FOUR ULSTER PLAYERS IN IRELAND CLUB INTERNATIONAL SQUAD

The Ulster Bank Club International coaching team of Paul Cunningham and Killian Keane have named an extended training squad of 32 players from 15 different clubs in advance of the two Club international fixtures this season.

CLUB UPDATE

Four Ulster based players; Stephen Ferguson (City of Derry), Paul Pritchard (Ballynahinch), Stephen Mulholland and Connor Smyth (both Ballymena) are named on the panel. The Ireland Club XV will play their Scottish counterparts at Old Anniesland in Glasgow on Friday 6th February before lining out at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday 14th February as part of a unique double header against the French alongside the RBS 6 Nations senior international. Ticketing and stadium access information for the Aviva Stadium fixture will be announced shortly. Last season the Ireland Club XV recorded two victories defeating the Scottish Clubs 28-3 and England Counties 23-22.

Royce Burke-Flynn // Clontarf Aaron Conneely // Lansdowne Neil Cronin // Garryowen Matt D’Arcy // Clontarf Stephen Ferguson // City of Derry Stephen Gardiner // Lansdowne Shane Grannell // UCD Ian Hirst // Clontarf David Joyce // Clontarf Declan Lavery // Old Belvedere Angus Lloyd // Trinity Daragh Lyons // Cork Con Kyle McCoy // Terenure Kevin McGrath // Skerries Stephen Mulholland // Ballymena Stephen Murphy // UCD Andrew O’Driscoll // Cork Con Kieran O’Gorman // Old Belvedere Eddie O’Keeffe // Young Munster Stephen O’Neill // Terenure Danny Riordan // Old Belvedere Paul Pritchard // Ballynahinch Ian Prendiville // Lansdowne Mark Roche // Lansdowne Eddie Rossiter // Garryowen Sean Coughlan // Blackrock Jonathan Slattery // Old Belvedere CLUB INTERNATIONAL EXTENDED TRAINING SQUAD

Connor Smyth // Ballymena

Connor Smyth // Ballymena Ger Sweeney // Cork Con Sean Walsh // Cashel Fergal Walsh // Terenure Peter O’Shea // Garryowen

Paul Pritchard // Ballynahinch

BACKROOM TEAM

FIXTURES:

Paul Cunningham // Coach Killian Keane // Assistant Coach Seamus McDermott // Team Manager Sinéad Bennett // Team Services Alan Hickey // Baggage Master Alan Rankin // Doctor Ailbe McCormack // Physio Martin McKiernan // S&C Coach

SCOTLAND CLUB XV V IRELAND CLUB XV Friday 6th February 2015, 7.30pm Old Anniesland, Glasgow IRELAND CLUB XV V FRANCE CLUB XV Saturday 14th February 2015, 8.00pm Aviva Stadium

UlsterBranch

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ULSTER RUGBY

NEIL DOAK

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ULSTERRUGBY

www. ulster rugby.com

NEIL DOAK: DISAPPOINTED BUT DETERMINED Having qualified for the knock out stages of the European Cup for the past four years, Ulster Head Coach Neil Doak cannot hide his disappointment when discussing this season’s group stage exit. But he is determined to finish the season with silverware and has identified what the Province needs in order to compete for trophies in the long-term.

talent such as Hughes Insurance Academy graduates Stuart McCloskey and Michael Allen, the resources are the envy of most other teams. But there is a desire to add even more depth across all areas and Doak is keen to stress that the door is always open to older club players, in addition to those involved in the Academy structure. “We work closely with Kieran Campbell (acting Academy Manager) and the Academy staff and I’ve asked them to keep tabs on a few players who have caught the eye. You’ve got to keep pushing boundaries in search of talent, especially local talent with the restrictions that we’ve got. We have looked at a few late bloomers within the club game and exposed them to the Ravens games to see how they adapt to the next level up, and we’ll continue to do that. There’s the potential for them to come and train with us and potentially earn a professional contract. Ultimately it’s about Ulster players playing for Ulster. That’s what we want and that’s what the supporters want to see.” While Doak has assumed the title of Head Coach this season, his coaching input with the squad isn’t too far removed from previous years, as he continues to orchestrate the attack and devise specific game plans match by match. “Nothing’s really changed from that aspect. As a head coach there’s more of a focus on the off-field stuff. Obviously it’s about managing the players and coordinating the other coaches and management to ensure the programmes are running as smoothly as possible. There’s a lot that goes into trying to put a team together for a particular week and also forecasting down the line when players might need rested or will be on international duty.” He continued: “We’ve had to overplay a lot of players and that’s maybe had an effect on some of their performances because they’re not as fresh as we would like. Other players have had to take up the slack because of injuries and they’re being stretched. Maybe that’s another reason why boys have picked up injuries.” But Doak is maintaining a positive outlook for the remainder of the season, with his side placed just one bonus point win from the top of the PRO12 table. “We can give ourselves a really good chance of cementing a top four place during the Six Nations and then we’ll take stock post-Six Nations and hopefully have a strong run- in. We’ve got Connacht, Glasgow, Leinster and Munster at the tail end so we need a run of wins before those games.”

“We haven’t performed at the level we expect to and that’s the difficult part to take,” he said. “We should have won a couple of the earlier pool games but we struggled with poor discipline and inconsistent set pieces among other things. We’ve qualified for the knockout stages in the past few years but the new structure has made the competition ultra-competitive. We had a tough group but we should have made a better fist of it and we will have to improve be able to compete year on year. It’s a high profile competition that Ulster Rugby wants to be at the forefront of.” A high turnover of players in the off-season, coupled with the well-documented injury list, has made it difficult for the coaching staff to find any continuity from game to game. “A big part of the team’s success over the past few years have moved on and it takes time to grow players into those positions and gel everybody together. If they do their job and everyone blends well then more often than not we’ll win games. The most frustrating thing is that we’re doing things really well in training and at times during games, but it’s just not consistent enough,” reflects Doak. Squad depth is absolutely key to remaining consistently competitive across both competitions and with the provinces restricted to five non-Irish qualified players, Doak knows all too well that the emphasis is on the development of homegrown talent. He hopes that the significant investment in the Hughes Insurance Academy in recent years will deliver tangible rewards for the senior squad over the next few seasons. “If we can grow some local talent and combine that with some quality overseas players I don’t think we’ll be too far away from things,” says Doak. “Developing players is an ongoing process and I think we’ve done pretty well in terms of the numbers who’ve come through and been part of the Ireland set up, especially in the backs. There are certain areas where we’d like a bit more depth but it’s the same for every sports team in the world. We would hope there will be a few more forwards pushing through over the next couple of seasons and we’ve identified that as an area that we need to keep strengthening,” explained Doak. That process is already apparent with the inclusion of four Ulster forwards in the Ireland U20 squad for the upcoming Six Nations Championship. There is little doubt that an injury free Ulster side has an embarrassment of riches in the backline, many of whom Doak has developed over the past few years as Backs Coach. With nine Ireland internationals, South Africans Ruan Pienaar and Louis Ludik, as well as emerging

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ULSTER RUGBY

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ULSTER RUGBY’S DCAL - FUNDED COMMUNITY PROGRAMME IN NUMBERS

DCAL UPDATE

The ‘Promoting Equality, Tackling Poverty and Social Exclusion through Sport’ programme, funded by the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure, started in March 2013 and has been an overwhelming success. Here’s an infographic highlighting some of the key acheievements

19,500 TOTAL PARTICIPANTS ENGAGED

64 VOLUNTEERS RECRUITED

2600 HOURS

VOLUNTEERED

4 NEW DISABILITY RUGBY TEAMS ESTABLISHED

29 ACCREDITED COACHES WORKING WITH DISABILITY TEAMS

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NEW FEMALE TEAMS

32 NEW GIRLS SCHOOLS’ CUP TEAMS

3 NEW COMMUNITY

95

NEWLY QUALIFIED RUGBY COACHES

RUGBY CLUBS ESTABLISHED

13 COMMUNITY GYMS OPENED

15

32 EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES CREATED

NEWLY QUALIFIED FITNESS COACHES

UlsterBranch

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ULSTER RUGBY

DARREN CAVE: BEYOND MY DREAMS...

“Growing up it was a dream of mine to play for Ulster, so to be winning my 150th cap for Ulster is absolutely beyond my dreams.

I’m honoured to be joining a short list of players in the 150 club, many of whom I respect as much as anyone in the game. The most exciting thing for me is that I’m contracted here for another three and a half

years. I believe that we have a management and coaching set-up in place that can make the rest of my time here even more enjoyable and successful than my first 150 games.”

1

v MUNSTER ERC QUARTER FINAL 08/04/14 (THOMOND PARK) WON 16-22

DARREN CAVE

My best memory in an Ulster jersey to date was the full time whistle in this game. Winning at such a fantastic ground against one of our biggest rivals in such a massive game in front of two of the best sets of rugby supporters going.

2

v DRAGONS PRO12 18/03/11 (KINGSPAN STADIUM) WON 25-23 I was on the bench for this game after returning from a long-term hamstring injury and got in for a try with one of my first touches of the ball. I’ll never forget the reaction I got from the fans and in particular from my teammates who rushed to celebrate with me. Also Nevin Spence scored a cracking try in that game which I’ll always remember him for (as well as his headstand try vs. Bath of course!).

3 v NORTHAMPTON ERC R3 07/12/12

(FRANKLIN’S GARDENS) WON 6-25 I’ll never forget the feeling when Dan Tuohy crashed over in the corner in injury time to secure a four-try bonus point. Maybe the best team performance I’ve been involved in at Ulster.

4 v LEINSTER

ERC FINAL 19/05/12 (TWICKENHAM) LOST 42-14 One of the highlights of my Ulster career is ironically one of the lowest points as well. To play on an occasion like that is something I will never forget, I have good closure as I feel that Leinster were the best team in Europe by far that season so we can have no complaints, but to get so close to winning a European Cup and then losing out is not nice.

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ULSTER RUGBY

www. ulster rugby.com

5

v SARACENS ERC QUARTER FINAL 05/04/14 (KINGSPAN STADIUM) LOST 15-17

Obviously this game ended up being a massive disappointment, but to play in front of 18,000 Ulster fans for the first ERC Quarter Final in 14 years was just a fantastic occasion. It was also my 27th birthday.

DARREN CAVE

6

v LEICESTER ERC R5 14/01/12 (KINGSPAN STADIUM) WON 41-7 I went off injured after an hour in this game but having sang “swing low” at Martin Johnson and co. from the stands ten or so years previously, and then to be involved in a repeat performance and result on the field, and also experience the repeat singing performance from the crowd was special.

7

v LEICESTER ERC R6 18/01/14 (WELFORD ROAD) WON 19-22 Winning all 6 pool matches and confirming a home Quarter Final after a win at a special place like Welford Road.

8

v LEINSTER PRO12 FINAL 25/05/13 (RDS) LOST 24-18 Despite losing there a few times, the RDS is probably my favourite away ground to play at. There is a great rivalry between the teams and they have a great crowd combined with our ever-reliable travelling support. As it was a final the ticket allocation was 50/50 and the atmosphere was electric.

9

v EDINBURGH ERC SEMI FINAL 28/04/12 (AVIVA STADIUM) WON 22-19

Not our greatest performance but it was my first game at the Aviva Stadium and the crowd of 40,000 Ulster fans was brilliant.

10 v BATH

ERC R6 23/01/10 (THE REC) WON 10-28

We were very unlucky not to qualify from our pool after this game. It will be remembered by most for Trimble’s try (and dodgy haircut) but I will remember getting a try myself after some fantastic work from Simon Danielli and being part of the first Ulster team to win on English soil.

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ULSTER RUGBY

MICHAEL ALLEN

RICKY ANDREW

Centre/Wing 28.11.90 183cm 97kg 40 -

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 165 78 ULSTER RUBGY POSITION BORN HEIGHT WEIGHT ULSTER CAPS INT. CAPS

Prop 25.02.86 180cm 110kg 75 -

POSITION BORN

HEIGHT WEIGHT ULSTER CAPS INT. CAPS

CHARLIE BUTTERWORTH

Wing 22.02.84 191cm 102kg 129 56

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 150 8 // 11A

Back Row 12.11.85 196cm 109kg 144 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 98 6 // 1A

Prop 12.07.83 182cm 118kg 98 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 29 -

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

www. ulster rugby.com

CHRIS HENRY

WIEHAHN HERBST

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

POSITION BORN

Prop 05.07.88 180cm 114kg 15 -

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 62 1 // 1A

Outhalf 24.04.82 178cm 85kg

POSITION BORN

POSITION BORN

HEIGHT WEIGHT ULSTER CAPS INT. CAPS

HEIGHT WEIGHT ULSTER CAPS INT. CAPS

96 7A

PADDY JACKSON

CONOR JOYCE

Outhalf 05.01.92 179cm 87kg 74 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 16 -

POSITION BORN

HEIGHT WEIGHT ULSTER CAPS INT. CAPS

HEIGHT WEIGHT ULSTER CAPS INT. CAPS

LUKE MARSHALL

PAUL MARSHALL

Centre 03.11.91 181cm 96kg 59 6

POSITION BORN

Scrumhalf 26.07.85 172cm 80kg 140 3 // 2A

POSITION BORN

HEIGHT WEIGHT ULSTER CAPS INT. CAPS

HEIGHT WEIGHT ULSTER CAPS INT. CAPS

STUART McCLOSKEY

KYLE McCALL

Centre - 195cm 105kg 12 -

POSITION BORN

Hooker 02.01.92 176cm 108kg 3 -

POSITION BORN

HEIGHT WEIGHT ULSTER CAPS INT. CAPS

HEIGHT WEIGHT ULSTER CAPS INT. CAPS

25

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ULSTER RUGBY

OFFICIAL CLOTHING PARTNER OF ULSTER RUGBY

NEIL McCOMB

MIKE McCOMISH

2nd Row 15.07.83 201cm 120kg 43 -

POSITION BORN

Back Row 07.12.83 190cm 106kg 42 -

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 19 -

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 34 2

Fullback 13.10.85 186cm 97kg 56 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 86 79 (SA)

POSITION BORN

Back Row 10.05.89 180cm 100kg 7 -

POSITION BORN

HEIGHT WEIGHT ULSTER CAPS INT. CAPS

HEIGHT WEIGHT ULSTER CAPS INT. CAPS

BRONSON ROSS

CLIVE ROSS

Prop 16.09.85 183cm 118kg 10 -

Back Row 14.06.89 192cm 104kg 12 -

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

“I’ve noticed that, even getting a taxi! Thewit, thewelcome & the gentle banter of every individual.” LiamO’Maonlai, Dublin

As Liam discovered in Derry~Londonderry, Northern Ireland is famous for its warm welcome. We think it has a lot to do with the culture, creativity and craic bubbling up on every city corner. Come and experience it. Book a short break to Derry for a historical walking tour of Ireland’smost completeWalled City, or tune into the music and atmosphere in one of the pubs. Then head to Belfast and explore the artistic Cathedral Quarter’s art venues, bars and award-winning restaurants. Fromunbelievablehistory to creativehotspots, Northern Ireland’s culture cities are out of the ordinary...

Peace Bridge, Derry~Londonderry

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

73 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 119 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 16 -

Prop 12.03.91 180cm 111kg 19 -

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 172 1 // 11 A

POSITION BORN

Back Row 02.12.83 189cm 122kg 52 -

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 RUGBY v SATURDAY 24TH JANUARY KICK O

Official sponsor of Ulster Rugby

15

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

JARED PAYNE

CALLUM BLACK

14 13 12 11 9 10

RORY BEST (C)

TOMMY BOWE

ULSTER RUGBY

WIEHAHN HERBST

DARREN CAVE

ALAN O’CONNOR

LUKE MARSHALL

FRANCO VD MERWE

CRAIG GILROY

IAIN HENDERSON

IAN HUMPHREYS

MIKE McCOMISH

RUAN PIENAAR

REPLACEMENTS FROM

8

R HERRING A WARWICK B ROSS L STEVENSON

C ROSS N WILLIAMS P MARSHALL M ALLEN

16 17 18 19

20 21 22 23

ROGER WILSON

EICESTER TIGERS 2015- KINGSPAN STADIUM F 17.30

15 14 13 12 11 10 9

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

LEICESTER TIGERS

MICHELE RIZZO

MATHEW TAIT

LEONARDO GHIRALDINI

ADAM THOMPSTONE

LOGOVI’I MULIPOLA

VERENIKI GONEVA

BRAD THORN

SEREMAIA BAI

GEOFF PARLING

MILES BENJAMIN

TOM CROFT

FREDDIE BURNS

JULIAN SALVI

BEN YOUNGS (C)

T YOUNGS M AYERZA F BALMAIN G KITCHENER 16 17 18 19 REPLACEMENTS FROM 20 21 22 23

8

R BARBIERI S HARRISON O WILLIAMS M SMITH

JORDAN CRANE

REFEREE ASSISTANT REFEREE’S CITING COMMISSIONER TMO TODAYS OFFICIALS

PASCAL GAUZERE (FRA) CYRIL LAFON (FRA) // STEPHANE BOYER (FRA) IAIN GOODALL (SCO) PHILLIPE BONHOURE (FRA)

ANTHONY ALLEN

MARCOS AYERZA

Prop 12.01.83 185cm 110kg Argentina

Centre 01.09.86 180cm 91kg England

POSITION BORN HEIGHT WEIGHT HONOURS

POSITION BORN HEIGHT WEIGHT HONOURS

SEREMAIA BAI

FRASER BALMAIN

Centre/Fly-half 04.01.79 187cm 100kg Fiji

Prop 16.11.91 185cm 116kg —

POSITION BORN HEIGHT WEIGHT HONOURS

POSITION BORN HEIGHT WEIGHT HONOURS

ROBERT BARBIERI

MILES BENJAMIN

Back row 05.06.84 185cm 108kg Italy

Wing 11.05.88 185cm 104kg —

LEICESTER TIGERS POSITION BORN

POSITION BORN HEIGHT WEIGHT HONOURS

HEIGHT WEIGHT HONOURS

TOM BRISTOW

FREDDIE BURNS

Prop 16.08.91 182cm 108kg —

Fly-half 13.05.90 183cm 88kg England

POSITION BORN HEIGHT WEIGHT HONOURS

POSITION BORN HEIGHT WEIGHT HONOURS

DAN COLE

JORDAN CRANE

Prop 09.05.87 191cm 115kg England Lions

POSITION BORN HEIGHT WEIGHT HONOURS

Back row 03.06.86 191cm 109kg England

POSITION BORN HEIGHT WEIGHT HONOURS

SEBASTIEN DE CHAVES

TOM CROFT

Lock 30.01.90 199cm 105kg —

POSITION BORN HEIGHT WEIGHT HONOURS

Back row 07.11.85 196cm 105kg England Lions

POSITION BORN HEIGHT WEIGHT HONOURS

32

ULSTER RUGBY

www. ulster rugby.com

LEONARDO GHIRALDINI

JAMIE GIBSON

Hooker 26.12.84 184cm 99kg Italy

POSITION BORN HEIGHT WEIGHT HONOURS

Back row 27.09.90 196cm 107kg —

POSITION BORN HEIGHT WEIGHT HONOURS

SQUAD 2014/15

VERENIKI GONEVA

SAM HARRISON

Centre/Wing 05.04.84 178cm 97kg Fiji

POSITION BORN HEIGHT WEIGHT HONOURS

Scrum-half 07.04.90 175cm 80kg —

POSITION BORN HEIGHT WEIGHT HONOURS

GRAHAM KITCHENER

CHRISTIAN LOAMANU

Lock 29.09.89 198cm 121kg —

Centre 13.05.86 188cm

POSITION BORN HEIGHT WEIGHT HONOURS

POSITION BORN HEIGHT WEIGHT HONOURS

106kg Japan

DAVID MELE

NIALL MORRIS

Scrum-half 22.10.85 170cm 70kg —

POSITION BORN HEIGHT WEIGHT HONOURS

Wing 08.08.88 188cm 88kg —

POSITION BORN HEIGHT WEIGHT HONOURS

GEOFF PARLING

LOGOVI’I MULIPOLA

Lock 28.10.83 198cm 115kg England Lions

Prop 11.03.87 193cm 124kg Samoa

POSITION BORN HEIGHT WEIGHT HONOURS

POSITION BORN HEIGHT WEIGHT HONOURS

TIZIANO PASQUALI

MICHELE RIZZO

Prop 16.09.82 188cm 110kg Italy

POSITION BORN HEIGHT WEIGHT HONOURS

Prop 14.07.94 188cm 118kg —

POSITION BORN HEIGHT WEIGHT HONOURS

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ULSTER RUGBY

JULIAN SALVI

BLAINE SCULLY

Flanker 09.10.85 187cm 100kg —

POSITION BORN HEIGHT WEIGHT HONOURS

Full-back 29.02.88 1.92m 93kg USA

POSITION BORN HEIGHT WEIGHT HONOURS

SQUAD 2014/15

MATT SMITH

ED SLATER

Wing/Centre 15.11.85 188cm 98kg —

Lock 01.08.88

POSITION BORN HEIGHT WEIGHT HONOURS

POSITION BORN HEIGHT WEIGHT HONOURS

2.00m 116kg —

MATHEW TAIT

HARRY THACKER

Hooker 18.02.94 174cm 88kg —

POSITION BORN HEIGHT WEIGHT HONOURS

Full-back 06.02.86 183cm 90kg England

POSITION BORN HEIGHT WEIGHT HONOURS

ADAM THOMPSTONE

BRAD THORN

Wing 04.09.87 183cm 101kg —

Lock 03.02.75 195cm 116kg New Zealand

POSITION BORN HEIGHT WEIGHT HONOURS

POSITION BORN HEIGHT WEIGHT HONOURS

MANUSAMOA TUILAGI

OWEN WILLIAMS

Centre 18.05.91 184cm 110kg England Lions

POSITION BORN HEIGHT WEIGHT HONOURS

Fly-half 27.02.92 183cm 91kg —

POSITION BORN HEIGHT WEIGHT HONOURS

BEN YOUNGS

TOM YOUNGS

Scrum-half 05.09.89 179cm 87kg England Lions

Hooker 28.01.87 1.75m 102kg England Lions

POSITION BORN HEIGHT WEIGHT HONOURS

POSITION BORN HEIGHT WEIGHT HONOURS

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ULSTER RUGBY

Your home of Rugby Over 360 live International, Domestic and European matches from the 2014-15 Rugby season

AUTUMN INTERNATIONALS

For full fixture information visit sky sports.com/rugbyunion

TONIGHT’S OPPOSITION

The only club to qualify for the European Cup in every year of English participation, quarter-finalists five times, finalists five times and back-to-back European champions in 2001 and 2002; there are few clubs able to boast a better pedigree than the Leicester Tigers.

to do on Friday. We have a huge amount of respect for Ulster and we need to make sure we are better again and see where that takes us.” While Tigers have struggled for continuity in the face of lengthy injury absences to key men including Manu Tuilagi, Geoff Parling, Dan Cole, Tom Youngs, Tom Croft and Logovi’i Mulipola, as well as club captain Ed Slater, they have never been too far away from the battle for semi-final places in their domestic Aviva Premiership campaign. Since ending a run of three successive defeats from Round 3, there have been just two Premiership defeats, while a 17-8 victory over high-flying Bath in the opening game of 2015 provided the high point so far, with hooker Youngs providing the all-important try. Boss Cockerill knows Tigers will need to call on all of their abilities and experience, as well as the resilience and determination for which they are well known, as they approach the business end of another big season for the club.

Anything less than victory in last weekend’s Pool 3 encounter with the Scarlets, however, would have spelled an immediate end to hopes of reaching the knockout stages of Europe’s elite club competition for a fourth time in the last five years. In the event, Tigers ran in six tries against an injury-hit Scarlets side, with Tom Youngs scoring two in a six-minute spell during the second half to add to scores from Miles Benjamin, Jordan Crane, Adam Thompstone and Sam Harrison. “It’s just what we needed,” said Director of Rugby Richard Cockerill, thinking not just in terms of the points available but also of the momentum that could be crucial in the second half of the season if Tigers are to be in the cleansweep on home ground in Pool 3, following a 25-18 victory over Ulster in Round 1 and a 25-21 verdict against defending champions Toulon at Welford Road in December. First-half scores from Owen Williams, Graham Kitchener and Freddie Burns set the platform for the opening-round win over Ulster and the intensity of the performance in victory over double European champions Toulon set the benchmark for the season as Brad Thorn claimed the only try alongside 20 points from fly-half Williams. Away from home, however, points have been not been as forthcoming as Tigers were beaten 15-3 at the Scarlets in October and 23-8 in the Toulon return. “The whole team had a really positive mindset to go out and play against the Scarlets,” Cockerill added. “We don’t know what will happen at the end of the pool stages, but we did what we had shake-up for honours. The win also secured a

CLUB STATS //Location Leicester //Founded 1880 //Ground Welford Road //Capacity 24,000 //Last Game Scarlets (H)40-23(W) Fri 16th January 2015 at 19.45 //Next Game Northampton Saints (H) Sat 31st January 2015 at 15.00

//Recent Form W L W L W

STAFF // Director of Rugby Richard Cockerill

//Captain Ed Slater

CONTACT Aylestone Road

Leicester LE2 7TR England

Photograph: Tiger Images

Tel +44 84 48 56 18 80 Fax +44 11 62 54 17 74

TICKET OFFICE Tel +44 84 48 56 18 80

www.leicestertigers.com

LeicesterTigers

LeicesterTigers

LeicesterTigersLTTV

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ULSTERRUGBY

BT Sport. Unmissable and still freewith BTBroadband. There’s all sorts of top sporting action coming up on BT Sport. You won’t want to miss it. Still free with BT Broadband. Call 0800 756 75 66 bt.com/sport

MATCH PREVIEW

YOU HAVE TO SEE IT TO BELIEVE IT

UK residential BT Broadband customers only. Watch BT Sport online at home with a minimum line speed of 400kbps. To watch BT Sport online elsewhere you need 3G/4G/wifi (charges may apply). To watch BT Sport at btsport.com you need Microsoft Silverlight. The BT Sport App works on iPhone (3GS and above), iPad (iOS 6 and above) & selected Android devices with OS 4.1. Max. 2 devices simultaneously. e-billing required. BT Broadband for new customers from £4 a month for 6 months, then £10 a month with our special offer until 22/12/14. £12.50 from month 19. (plus line rental £15.99 a month – rising to £16.99/month on 1 December). £6.95 Hub delivery charge. Prices may change during the contract period. Terms apply. Please check bt.com/sport for details.

2 MINUTES MARCOS AYERZA WITH

IN FOCUS

NICKNAME: Toro FAVOURITE SONG/ARTIST? Gabriel’s Oboe from The Mission CAN YOU COOK? Yes! WHAT’S YOUR SIGNATURE DISH? A nice Argentinian barbecue LAST BOOK YOU READ? A political book of Argentinian politics ‘Lanata por Majul’ FAVOURITE TV SHOW? Friends WHOWOULD YOU MOST LIKE TO BE STUCK IN A LIFT WITH? Pope Francis IF YOUWEREN’T PLAYING RUGBY, WHAT WOULD YOU BE DOING? Breeding horses on the farm DO YOU HAVE A PET? No HARDEST? Julian Salvi QUICKEST? Miles Benjamin FUTURE MANAGER/COACH? Geoff Parling BEST NICKNAME? Keith Kitchener BEST DANCER? Logovi’I Mulipola BEST DRESSER? Anthony Allen BEST TEAMMATE TO FOLLOWON TWITTER? @LeicesterTigers! BEST IN TRAINING? Tom Youngs BEST MATE ON TEAM? Gonzalo Camacho

YOU TEAM

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ULSTERRUGBY

www.championscuptravel.com For Official Ticket, Accommodation and Hospitality Packages for the 2015 European Rugby Champions Cup Final please visit

IT’S ALL COMING TO A HEAD

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

#SUFTUM @KINGSPAN STADIUM

Kingspan are offering seven lucky Ulster fans, plus a friend the opportunity to train with the Ulster squad simply by tweeting a #SUFTUM selfie from Kingspan Stadium.

COMPETITION TIME

If you are heading to an Ulster Rugby game this season simply take a selfie of you / your friends enjoying the action and tweet the image to @KingspanStadium with the #SUFTUM before midnight on Sunday (following the match). The winner, with the best selfie will then be announced by U105 legend, Frank Mitchell on his Monday morning show and also via Twitter. The winner from each home match week will then be invited, along with a friend, to attend Kingspan Stadium in April to take part in a training session with members of the Ulster Rugby squad. For full T&Cs please www.ulsterrugby.com CONGRATULATIONS TO MARIANNE CLEARY WHO WON OUR CONNACHT #SUFTUM SELFIE COMPETITION. She and a friend will be attending a training session with the squad next year.

SATURDAY 24TH JANUARY ULSTER V LEICESTER TIGERS FRIDAY 13TH FEBRUARY ULSTER V TREVISO FRIDAY 27TH FEBRUARY ULSTER V SCARLETS FRIDAY 27TH MARCH ULSTER V CARDIFF BLUES #SUFTUM SELFIE MATCH DATES:

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ULSTER RUGBY

Aquinas Hospitality Suite: Tables of 10 (we will accept a minimum booking of 4 persons in multiples of 2) • Access to the Aquinas Hospitality Suite from 90 minutes pre-match and up to 90 minutes after the final whistle · Match tickets for the Main Grandstand · Three course sit down meal served pre-match by Yellow Door · Beverages (beer, wine and soft drinks) included from arrival through to kick off (90 minutes) · Post-match tea, coffee and cheese board

· Official match day programme · Cash bar available post-match

Ulster v Leinster Friday 24th April, kick off 7.35pm Only remaining hospitality date of the season Cost: £170 plus vat per person

Please contact the Ulster Rugby Commercial Department to make a booking or alternatively email phillip.polack@ulsterrugby.com

Made with