Ulster Rugby v Edinburgh

PRESIDENT’S WELCOME

On behalf of Ulster Rugby, I would like to welcome you all to Kingspan Stadium for this evening’s second Guinness PRO14 match of the season.

As everyone will know we also played at home last week with the team recording a hard fought and well deserved win over Scarlets to get our Championship campaign off to a great start. Some of our new signings made their debuts last week and all made a favourable impression. It was also evident from the way that the team played, that the players and coaching staff have been working hard on their game plan during pre-season. This evening we entertain Edinburgh and extend a particularly warm welcome to Jonny Petrie, Managing Director, together with their guests and supporters. We trust they will enjoy their time in Belfast. Edinburgh have made significant signings for this season and it will be another difficult match for Ulster. However, we are back in our favourite Friday evening slot and we know that our faithful supporters will generate the kind of atmosphere which will inspire the team to what will hopefully be another victory. It would be great to have two wins under our belt before we embark on our long trek to South Africa for the matches against the Southern Kings and the Cheetahs. Last weekend saw the commencement of the Women’s, Girls and U19 inter-provincial tournaments. Unfortunately, all three teams lost with the Women losing 17-0 to Leinster, the Girls suffering a narrow 23-18 defeat to Connacht and the U19s going down 34-22 to Munster. All those matches were

away and with home advantage this weekend, we are hoping for better news. If anyone has time on their hands over the weekend, the three teams would welcome any support at Bangor RFC and Portadown RFC. On a brighter note, the Abbey Insurance Ulster Rugby Academy team had a home win against Leinster with sterling performances from some very promising young players. Significant work is going on in the development of those young men and we congratulate those in charge of the Academy. We look forward to seeing many of them on the senior team in the not too distant future. With the B&I Cup having finished at the end of last season, the Ulster A team are now playing in a new Celtic Cup competition involving the other three Irish provinces and the Welsh regions. By the time this evening’s match kicks off they will have completed their first match having played earlier at Malone against Leinster. We wish them well in their campaign. When finished that series of matches, hopefully the players will return to assist their clubs in the All Ireland League, where they gain valuable experience. As always, we thank our sponsors and followers for their continued support and hope that everyone enjoys the match and the Friday night experience at Kingspan Stadium. SUFTUM! Stephen Elliott President, IRFU Ulster Branch

IRFU ULSTER BRANCH 2018/19 OFFICERS Stephen Elliott President Gary Leslie Senior Vice President Philip Gregg Junior Vice President Denis Gardiner Honorary Secretary Michael Boyd Honorary Treasurer Greg Irwin Competitions Secretary EXECUTIVE TEAM Chris Webster Head of Rugby Development Audrey Robinson Head of Finance & Operations Fiona Hampton Head of Sales & Marketing 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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