Ulster Rugby v Leinster

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

We extend a special welcome to the Leinster Branch President Niall Rynne, together with all the Leinster officers, management, supporters and players. We also bid a special welcome to the IRFU President Phil Orr and his Vice President, our own Ian McIlrath. We hope you all have a very enjoyable experience here in Ulster. Tonight also marks a significant milestone for one of our main sponsors, Bank of Ireland, who is celebrating 20 years of supporting Ulster Rugby. As with all of our sponsors, we are extremely grateful for their continued support and we look forward to working together going forward. As part of their celebrations, there will be a host of different activities and competitions around tonight’s game for supporters to get involved in, so please keep an eye out for them. Ulster Rugby’s charity partner for this season is Include Youth. As part of our fundraising activities we have an autograph book available to buy throughout the stadium this evening. Your support would be greatly appreciated. Following two weeks of European Champions Cup action that saw Ulster defeat Wasps at home before a tough away loss in La Rochelle, the focus now returns to the PRO14. Ulster has had an excellent start to the PRO14 campaign with five wins from the opening six games, leaving us in second place in Conference B, two points behind Scarlets and just ahead of Leinster on points difference. Leinster are Ulster’s oldest rivals with games at the Ravenhill venue dating back to the 1923/24 season, and the fixture remains among the biggest in the rugby calendar. Tonight’s game should be a very exciting spectacle between two sides who play an expansive and entertaining style of rugby, in front of a packed house here at Kingspan Stadium. I’m sure the 16th Man will be in full voice and will hopefully cheer Ulster on to a memorable win! SUFTUM! Graffin Parke President IRFU (Ulster Branch) As President of the IRFU Ulster Branch, it gives me great pleasure to welcome everyone to Kingspan Stadium for tonight’s Round 7 game in the Guinness PRO14 Championship against Leinster. PRESIDENT’S WELCOME

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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