Ulster Rugby v London Wasps

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PRESIDENT’S WELCOME
IRFU
ULSTER BRANCH
2017/18
OFFICERS
Graffin Parke
President
Stephen Elliott
Senior Vice President
Gary Leslie
Junior Vice President
Denis Gardiner
Honorary Secretary
Michael Boyd
Honorary Treasurer
Greg Irwin
Competitions Secretary
EXECUTIVE TEAM
Shane Logan
Chief Executive
Chris Webster
Domestic Rugby Manager
Audrey Robinson
Financial Controller
Fiona Hampton
Head of Sales & Marketing
Les Kiss
Director of Rugby
Bryn Cunningham
Operations Director
Kingspan Stadium,
134 Mount Merrion Avenue
Belfast, BT6 0FT
T
This evening we give a special welcome to all the Wasps' players,
officials and supporters and hope they have an enjoyable
experience in Belfast.
Since this is our very first game of the season, I would like to extend
a special welcome to all those who joined Ulster Rugby over the
summer, including coaches - Jono Gibbes, Dwayne Peel and
Aaron Dundon and also the new faces on the playing roster - Jean
Deysel, John Cooney and Schalk van der Merwe. I wish them all a
successful and enjoyable time with us.
At Ulster Rugby we are very fortunate to have in excess of 10,000
regular season ticket holders, we thank them all for their continued
support for another year and hope that they all have an enjoyable
season.
We are now well into the Woman’s Rugby World Cup 2017, the final
stages of which will be held at Queen’s Arena and here at Kingspan
Stadium on 22nd and 26th August. I must congratulate the Ireland
squad on winning their opening two fixtures and wish them every
success in their game versus France this evening. We look forward
to supporting them in the final stages of the competition here in
Belfast next week.
As this is the first game of my time as Ulster Branch President,
I would like to thank the Branch Committee for electing me as
President. I would like to mention my own club Rainey Old Boys
RFC, and thank them for all their support and assistance in allowing
me to be the first-ever Ulster Branch President from the club.
I look forward to a busy but enjoyable year meeting lots of new
people and celebrating the great game of rugby football throughout
the Province of Ulster and beyond.
With school and club rugby now gearing up for the new season, I
would like to wish all players, coaches, officials and especially all the
volunteers without whom club and school rugby could not exist, a
very prosperous and enjoyable 2017/18 season.
Graffin Parke
President IRFU (Ulster Branch)
It gives me great pleasure as President of the IRFU
Ulster Branch to welcome you all to Kingspan Stadium
tonight for the first game of the new season.
PRESIDENT’S WELCOME