Ulster Rugby Annual Report

IQ Rugby (Irish Qualified) team took part in the U18 Schools competition along with Ulster, Leinster and Munster although results against IQ Rugby did not count towards the Inter Provincial Championship which was won by Leinster with Ulster finishing as runners-up. The preparation phase followed the now normal pattern of three sessions per week from early July at the Newforge Country Club followed by one main warm up match. The preparation phase was much shorter this year as the Festival was held at the end of August prior to the return to School by the players, rather than in the first three or four weekends in September. The Schools side played two warm-up matches, winning 35-21 in Bristol on 11th August before returning to Newforge to beat Ontario U18s three days later. Given the short turnaround between the two games, some key players were rested by Ulster, providing an ideal opportunity for a number of the U17s to gain some experience. In the first match of the festival in Limerick Ulster came from six points down at half-time to defeat Munster 12-6, scoring two tries in the process. In a hard physical encounter against the Irish Qualified side, which had been strengthened by the inclusion of a number of overage players, Ulster U18 Schools prevailed by 41-26. It was only in the latter stages that Ulster managed to pull clear. In their final match against Leinster, the Ulster side led 15-7 at half time, but failed to hold on and lost 32-22. A tough encounter in their previous match, coupled with a long return trip to Belfast for exam results just prior to their final match, may have had an adverse effect on the fitness of the players. Thanks go to all the staff for their input to the squad. There was once again a strong sense of collective purpose amongst the staff throughout the summer and both staff and players were clear from the outset the ultimate objective for the season. Thanks also go to all the parents and family members who supported the players throughout the summer and for their attendance at matches which included much travel this year. The coaches in Schools deserve credit for their work in developing players over the years. Finally, a big thank-you goes to our sponsors, Danske Bank, for their generosity.

was selected, reduced to a final squad of twenty six following the friendlies. The squad included twelve uncapped players and ten Clubs were represented. These figures are hugely positive showing the hard work being put in at Club level. It is hoped that with further Club development and support, there will be an even greater pool of players in the near future. The first U18 Inter-Provincial match was against Connacht at Ballinasloe RFC with Ulster being narrowly defeated in the last ten minutes of the game by 23- 18, scoring three tries in the process. The Ulster girls suffered their second defeat of the series against Leinster at Portadown RFC going down 7-22. In the final game of the Interprovincial series, the Ulster girls put in a great performance, scoring four tries in a 31-5 victory. Eight of our girls were involved in the 7s programme which ran for a few months before the Inter-Provincial series while three girls, Lucinda Kinghan, Katie Hetherington and Kelly McCormill, were selected to represent Ireland in the UL School games competition with Ireland going on to win the series. The Ulster U18 girls’ side continues to provide a pathway to the Ulster Women’s team with nine girls entering the adult set-up for next season. Head Coach: Davy Chambers Assistant Coach: James McBriar S & C Coach: Paul Heasley Physiotherapist: Aine Conway Managers: Gillian McAllister and Neal Johnston This season saw the Inter-Provincial series moved from December to September. The summer training programme was split between two venues with on-pitch sessions at Portadown RFC and weekly gym sessions at Knowledge Fitness, Banbridge. The commitment from the squad throughout the summer months was unquestionable. Many of the individual performances in the training game against Connacht in mid-August were extremely encouraging and confidence was high ahead of the opening game against Leinster despite the loss of key link-player Kathryn Dane. The trip to Dublin resulted in a 17-0 defeat, although those present on the night would undoubtedly confirm that Ulster deserved more from a spirited and confident performance. The second weekend was a home fixture to Munster. In the early stages it certainly looked like the home team could cause an upset but Munster’s experience gained them tries either side of the interval, although Ulster replied with two of their own. The final score of 20-40 left Ulster with one last game to clinch that elusive Inter-provincial victory. The final weekend saw Ulster travel to Galway. Connacht had suffered defeats to both Munster and . ULSTER WOMEN’S XV Performance Consultant: Derek Suffern

ULSTER UNDER 18 (GIRLS) Head Coach: : Charlie Farrell Backs Coach: Zoe Templeton Assistant Coach: Jemma Jackson S & C Coach- Paul Heasley Physiotherapist: Aine Conway Age-grade Manager: Brenda Artt

In preparation for the 2018/19 Inter-Provincial series, two screening days were held in April and June to select players. The girls also played two friendlies against Canadian touring side Ontario in August to enable the coaching staff to make selection for the upcoming Inter-Provincials. As a result of the screening sessions, an initial pool of thirty four players

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IRFU ULSTER BRANCH ANNUAL REPORT 2018/19