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SPORTS MINISTER OPENS
THE NEVIN SPENCE CENTRE
The Nevin Spence Centre, a new education and heritage facility at
Kingspan Stadium, the home of Ulster Rugby, has been formally opened
by Sports Minister Carál Ní Chuilín.
The centre, funded by the Northern Ireland
Executive, is named in memory of former Ulster
player, Nevin Spence, who died in a farming
accident along with his father Noel and his brother
Graham in September 2012.
Housed in the Memorial End Stand, The Nevin
Spence Centre contains interactives and audio-
visual content and enables visitors to explore the
history of rugby in Ulster and the benefits that the
game has for players, supporters and society in
general.
The centre was designed by leading consultancy
Mather & Co. and showcases the science and
technology that underpins the game of rugby to fit
with the school curriculum (key stages 2-4).
A bespoke interactive gaming zone, developed
in partnership with the Movement Innovation lab
in the School of Psychology, Queen’s University
Belfast, demonstrates performance and match
analysis and features avatars created by staff and
students at South West College in Enniskillen.
Visitors can also get a sense of what it is like to
kick for goal at Kingspan Stadium by having a
go at a kicking challenge in an innovative virtual
environment, choose their Ulster Rugby dream-
team in an interactive game and watch short films
showcasing female rugby, disability rugby mini-
rugby and the senior Ulster team. A digital Ulster
Rugby vault houses hundreds of digital images
of team photographs, minute books and reports
from over 100 years of rugby in Ulster. In addition,
The Nevin Spence Centre also contains a number
of significant historical items including the lion
carried by the unbeaten 1974 British and Irish Lions
(loaned by Willie John McBride), Dr Jack Kyle’s
Ireland jersey (loaned by the Kyle family) and the
old Irish interprovincial trophy.
Bobby Stewart, President IRFU (Ulster Branch),
said: “This centre tells the history of rugby in Ulster,
while demonstrating the important benefits of a
healthy lifestyle and I have no doubt that it will
become an important resource for schools and the
education community across the province.
“The centre is also a vibrant and entirely fitting way
to remember Nevin who was so tragically taken
from us almost three years ago.
“On behalf of the Ulster Branch, I would like to
thank the Sports Minister and the Northern Ireland
Executive for their support of this project.”
Carál Ní Chuilín said: “I am pleased to officially
open The Nevin Spence Centre at Kingspan
Stadium. The stadium has, from its inception,
placed the community benefits at the very top of
the priority list.
“The Nevin Spence Centre will bring children from
all over the North and from all backgrounds to
Kingspan Stadium and will allow them to learn new
skills in a very fun environment.
“The incredible transformation of the stadium is
now complete. We have a world-class stadium as
the home of Ulster Rugby and a state-of-the-art
education centre that will provide our young people
with the opportunity to learn about the creative
industries and the STEM agenda.
“I would like to congratulate everyone involved
with the project and I hope that this wonderful new
facility will help educate future generations for years
to come.”
The Nevin Spence Centre opens to the public on
1st September 2015 and is open Monday - Friday
from 10am until 5pm.
NEVIN SPENCE CENTRE
Visits to the Nevin Spence Centre must be
booked in advance. To set up a booking,
please email
nevinspencecentre@
ulsterrugby.comoutlining the date that
you wish to visit and the number of people
who wish to attend. Alternatively, bookings
can be made by calling
028 9049 3111
or
028 9049 3222.