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The Committee has pleasure in presenting the 137th Annual Report and Statement of
Accounts for 2016/17.
ULSTER BRANCH REPORT
INTRODUCTION
Once again, injuries to key players had an adverse affect
on the performance of the Ulster side, most noticeably
the absence of Marcell Coetzee for all but four of our
matches. What a difference he made during those four
games! Additionally, we saw very little of Jared Payne
in the white of Ulster, but everyone was delighted and
relieved that he was able to recover as quickly as he
did from a serious kidney injury. Despite a number
of excellent results, notably at home to Clermont and
Leinster and a first ever league win over Glasgow
at Scotstoun, it was a disappointing season for the
senior team, finishing bottom of our group in Europe
and narrowly failing to qualify for a play-off spot in the
Guinness Pro 12.
On the Domestic front, things were brighter than for
a number of years. Ulster sides gained three nett
promotions in the AIL, including Omagh, who were
promoted from the Ulster Championship League.
Following Bangor’s success last season, this brings
Ulster’s representation in the AIL to twelve, its highest
for many seasons. For the second successive season,
the number of cancellations in the adult Domestic game
was down. At one hundred and sixty one it remains a
significant problem, but is a reduction of sixty on last
season and compares even more favourably with the
two hundred and twenty games cancelled in 2014/2015.
It is also the lowest number of cancellations since the
2010/2011 season. Hopefully a downward trend has
begun.
We also had three Inter Provincial champions this
season. Our U18 Girls were successful in the first ever
Inter Pro series, winning all three matches, as did the
U19s. Not to be outdone, the Ulster Juniors also won all
three of their matches, to be crowned champions for the
second time in three seasons.
Ruan Pienaar
During his seven seasons in Belfast, Ruan Pienaar
established himself as one of the most talented and
popular players ever to wear the white shirt of Ulster.
The news that Ulster had been refused permission
to renew his contract was received with a mixture of
stunned disbelief and anger, made all the worse by the
fact that Ruan wanted to continue to play in what has
become his home city.
The contribution made by Ruan, not just by his
incredible performances on the pitch, but by the
effect he has on the development of our younger
players is there for all to see. A fantastic role model
in so many ways, it is no coincidence that players like
Paddy Jackson, Luke Marshall, Stuart Olding, Stuart
McCloskey and Craig Gilroy have flourished and gone
on to earn their first Ireland caps, as did Paul Marshall,
during Ruan’s time in Ulster. At our Awards Ceremony
on 6th June, on accepting his award as the Young
Player of the Year, yet another of our rising stars, Jacob
Stockdale, also paid tribute to the mentoring role that
Ruan had played in his development.
We often hear governing bodies and supporters
bemoan the lack of loyalty in professional sportsmen.
Not so many years ago Ruan was offered a significant
increase in salary to play in France. Although he is not
an Irishman, he chose to forego the financial rewards on
offer in order to stay with Ulster at a time when not every
Irish player chose to stay in Ireland. How has Ruan
been rewarded for his loyalty?
Ulster did everything in our power to keep Ruan at the
Kingspan Stadium, but the IRFU refused to alter its
stance. While we all understand the logic behind their
policy, and the need to produce Irish players, it is not
a policy which has always been rigidly applied. In the
case of Ruan Pienaar, the Ulster Rugby public believe
this decision, for a number of reasons, was simply
wrong. The Pro 12 will be a poorer league next season
without one of its greatest stars.
All we can do now is thank Ruan Pienaar for seven
wonderful years. We wish him, his wife Monique
and their two children every happiness in their new
adventure in Montpellier. We hope it will not be too long
before we have the chance to welcome them back to
Belfast.
Roger Wilson
Following a fifteen year professional career, eleven of
which were spent with Ulster, Roger Wilson bowed
out at the Kinspan Stadium on Saturday 6th May 2017.
Winning his two hundred and twenty first and final Ulster
cap, more than any other player, how typical it was that
on a beautiful evening, in front of a full house, he not
only won the “man of the match” award, but also scored
Ulster’s first try – and he did it against old rivals Leinster.
It is hard to imagine a better send-off.
A product of R.B.A.I. with whom he won two Schools
Cups, Roger made his debut for Ulster in September
2003 and stayed with the Province until the end of the
2007/8 season. During that time he helped Ulster to win
the Celtic Cup in 2003 and the League in 2006, as well
as winning his only Irish Cap against Japan.
After leaving Ulster, he played over one hundred
matches for Northampton, winning the European
Challenge Cup in 2009 and the LV Cup the following
year, returning to Belfast in 2012 and remaining here
ever since.
Wherever he goes now – it may be to America – we
wish him well, and we thank him for an invaluable
contribution to Ulster Rugby over many years.
Others Departing
Apart from Ruan and Roger, we also say good-bye to a
number of players who will not be with us next season.
Angus Lloyd, Dan Tuohy and Sam Windsor left us
during the current season, as did assistant coach Joe
Barakat. To them and to Franco Van De Merwe, Ricky
Lutton, Stevie Mulholland, John Donnan, Conor Joyce,
Mark Best, Lorcan Dow, Johnny Murphy and Callum
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