Ulster Rugby Annual Report

PRESIDENT’S REPORT STEPHEN ELLIOTT

It has been a great honour for me to serve as President of the Ulster Branch for the 2018/19 Season and my thanks to the Council for electing me to fulfil the role.

Darren Cave retired from professional rugby. Rory’s achievements are well known to everyone and we wish him well as he leads Ireland to the World Cup in Japan and into the future. Darren equalled Andrew Trimble’s appearance record for Ulster in the last match of the season and our best wishes go to him and all the other departing players for whatever the future holds. The other Ulster representative teams had mixed seasons and congratulations to all those selected who represented the Province in the various tournaments throughout the year. I was privileged to be a guest of the IRFU at the November Internationals and at all of the Six Nations matches. Unfortunately Ireland suffered defeats to England and Wales, but I was grateful for the hospitality afforded me and wish the team well in the World Cup. The Ireland Under 20s team won the Championship with some inspiring performances. I congratulate all the Ulster players who performed with distinction, both male and female, throughout the tournaments. On the domestic front I have attended many dinners and matches at various Clubs and thank them all for their warm hospitality. The Clubs, Schools and of course the Branch itself, depend on the work of volunteers to run all that is associated with the game. I have attended a number of volunteer awards evenings and it is great to see those who give so freely of their time being recognised for their contribution. I also thank the USRFR and the referees without whom rugby would not be played.

I have enjoyed the year immensely, travelling to many Clubs within and beyond the Province and attending a wide variety of functions. The Ulster team under the leadership of new head coach Dan McFarland exceeded expectations in what was a successful season on and off the pitch. In the Heineken Cup the team qualified for the quarter finals by winning five out of six group matches losing only to Racing in Paris. That match in the indoor stadium was a novel experience for all those from Ulster who attended. After an excellent performance, with tremendous support from the fans, the team lost narrowly to Leinster in the Aviva Stadium. In the Pro 14 League Ulster finished as runners up in the conference and qualified for a home quarter final when Connaught were defeated at Kingspan. The semi-final in Glasgow proved to be a bridge too far and the campaign ended in defeat. The improved results this season are a credit to the coaching team and to all the players, with special mention going to the younger players who have come through the Academy system and contributed in a substantial way. For me a particular highlight was the twelve day trip to South Africa for the matches against the Southern Kings and the Cheetahs. Having survived the lengthy journey the time spent there provided a unique opportunity to spend time with the players, coaches and management and it was a very enjoyable experience. During the season we said goodbye to a long- serving Ulster player in Chris Henry and at the end of the season, two other stalwarts in Rory Best and

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