Ulster Rugby v London Wasps

PRESIDENT’S WELCOME

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

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 +44 (0)28 9049 3222 ulsterrugby.com

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