Ulster Rugby v London Wasps

LEADING THE FIELD

Welcome back to Kingspan Stadium, the home of Ulster Rugby, as we look forward to the start of the 2017/18 season. With an exciting new Guinness PRO14 format to look forward to and the addition of two tough South African teams, tonight’s friendly against Wasps is a great opportunity to put the final preparations in place. The Ulster Rugby squad have been hard at work during the off-season ensuring they are in the best possible shape to meet the challenge and progress out of Conference B of the new Guinness PRO14. Over the years, Ulster fans have built a reputation for being both passionate and welcoming and this season is no different. Please join me in showing your appreciation for the Wasps squad and travelling supporters who have made the trip. Finally, on behalf of Kingspan, I would like to wish the Ulster Rugby squad and management team the very best this evening as they lay the foundations for a successful season ahead. To Ulster’s committed fans, enjoy the game, lead the way and help ensure this is another evening to remember at Kingspan Stadium.

Pat Freeman Divisional Managing Director

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CONTENTS

PRESIDENT’S WELCOME TONIGHT'S MASCOTS KIERAN TREADWELL

3 5 6 8

FAMILY FUN DAY LOUIS LUDIK Q&A JEAN DEYSEL ULSTER SQUAD

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12 15 16 18 22 23 24 30 33 35 37 38 39 42 43 44 41

ROD NAWN GUEST ARTICLE ULSTER SQUAD PROFILES

ULSTER TEAM WASPS TEAM

WASPS PROFILES PRO14 UPDATE

NEW SPONSOR: DELOITTE BELFAST BANKSY KIT LAUNCH ABBEY INSURANCE WELCOME

WASPS TO WATCH

URSC NEWS

OUR CLUB NEWS

STADIUM MAP

STADIUM INFORMATION

PRO14 FIXTURES

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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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17/18 ULSTER RUGBY HOME JERSEY

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TONIGHT’S MASCOTS

MASCOTS

DANIEL BELL (9) Daniel is from Greenisland and attends

MOLLY ROUNTREE (9) Molly is from Armagh and attends Markethill Primary School. She plays rugby at school and also enjoys baking and football. Her favourite player is Rory Best because he is a great leader and a talented player. When Molly grows up she would like to be a chef.

Greenisland Primary School. He plays rugby at school and also attends Ulster Rugby Summer Camps. Daniel also enjoys football, Boys’ Brigade and swimming. His favourite player is Charles Piutau because he is exciting to watch, dangerous with the ball and a great tackler. When Daniel grows up he would like to play professional rugby or football; or work with animals.

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KIERAN TREADWELL: HOPES HIS SUMMER SUCCESS CAN CONTINUE ON…

enjoyable. Japan was a hot place to go to and a tough place to play in but we managed and there were a few young guys in the same position as myself, so it was good for us to get exposure at that level. Did you notice the lift in intensity being involved in Irish Camp and in test games? Yes, definitely. The intensity in the players around you and the healthy competition within the squad is massive. Everyone wants to be in the team so it was intense. It was humid and hot so it was tough to do those high impact sessions. We trained hard and then we also had gym work and walking and talking through different roles, looking at the opposition, looking at our training and a lot of analysis was done behind the scenes also. It was

This time last year you were looking forward to making your Ulster debut. It's been a bit of a whirlwind year since then? Yes, you could say that! At the start of the season I was playing for my club, Ballymena, and I didn’t think I would get much of a chance during my first year at Ulster, but I’m extremely pleased, honoured and proud that I managed to get the opportunity and hopefully this season I'll be able to crack on and do the same. It was a real breakthrough year for you in terms of your form with Ulster, what do you put it down to? You've got to set goals but sometimes the goal posts can move as the season goes on. Once I got my first cap I needed to change my goals,

tough, but a great experience. I'm sure you will be hoping that that experience will stand you in good stead for the season ahead with Ulster? Yes, definitely. I'm hoping that this season we will kick on. Now that we have new coaches on-board, you can notice that the pre-season sessions have stepped up a level in intensity and we all want silverware. At the end

and where I wanted to go to. There are great players around you, and you've got some serious experience with the likes of Rory (Best), Hendy (Iain) and Jared (Payne) who went on the Lions Tour, and then there's Tommy and Trimby, who all set the bar so high. Also, the coaches really helped me to improve, Les especially. I set a goal to improve my fitness and the Strength & Conditioning

KIERAN TREADWELL

coaches, JD and Kev, helped me through and got me in the best shape I could be to get selected. Your good form was rewarded with an International call up, how was that experience for you? It was a bit of a shock to the system when I first got the email. I know I went for a camp before Christmas but it was still a shock to me. I put my head down, and carried on playing for Ulster and thought I just want to have a successful season at Ulster and then this came up, and the goal posts moved again. I went out there and thought I've just got to work as hard as I did for Ulster for Ireland. It was a successful tour and really

of the day we are all in this business to win and we have been working hard on all aspects of our game. We have our own style now and teams have got to adjust to us rather than the other way around. How has it been working with Jono Gibbes? Obviously, with him being a back row/second row I can pluck some of the wisdom that he has gathered over the years with both playing and coaching. I've only been with him a short time, but from the time I have been with him he has been very helpful. If i've got a question, I go straight to him and see if he has a solution or if we can work it out together, it has been good so far.

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What are the goals for this season both for you and for the team? The goal for us is to win something this year. I think last year we started well, fizzled out a little bit and then towards the end of the season we started to play well again. This year, we just need consistency and a strong team mentality from the outset to keep each other going and pushing and winning games. For me, I would like to get back into the Ireland set-up, but you are only as good as your last game so I need to get off to a good start with Ulster. We take on Wasps at home in a pre-season match and then the first Championship game in the new PRO14 we are at home to the Cheetahs, are you looking forward to getting back out in front of the Kingspan Stadium crowd? Yes, I can't wait. That buzz you get from playing in front of a big crowd, especially at Kingspan, is something you can't replicate anywhere else, it's going to be tough against a skillful English side and also the Cheetahs

will bring a different edge to the game. We are all really looking forward to the season starting.

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Friday 28th July at Kingspan Stadium

FAMILY FUN DAY

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Thank you to the 4,000 fans who helped us raise over £5,500 for Include Youth by supporting Family Fun Day 2017!

FAMILY FUN DAY

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An unmissable line up on BT Sport Visit bt.com/sport or call 0800 201 2201

THE ASHES

CUP

WHICH TEAMMATE IS THE WORST DRESSER? Peter Browne WHO IS THE BIGGEST COFFEE SNOB? Callum Black WHO IS THE WORST ROOMMATE TO HAVE ON AWAY TRIPS AND WHY? Anyone who snores, us parents need to get our sleep while we can! WHO IS THE SMARTEST ON THE TEAM? Andrew Trimble IF YOU HAD A BOAT, WHAT WOULD YOU NAME IT? Quicksilver PINEAPPLE ON PIZZA, YAY OR NAY? Yay! WHAT SCARES YOU THE MOST? Drowning DESCRIBE YOURSELF IN 3 WORDS? Easy going & trustworthy LOUIS LUDIK ANSWERS FAN QUESTIONS ITALIAN FOOD / CHINESE FOOD MOVIE / THEATRE STAR WARS / INDIANA JONES EUROPE / AMERICA HIKE / BIKE BUNGEE JUMP / SKY DIVE UP EARLY / LIE IN SUPER MARIO / SONIC PLAYSTATION / X BOX IRON MAN / CAPTAIN AMERICA SUPERMAN / BATMAN X FACTOR / STRICTLY COME DANCING DOG / CAT QUICKFIRE

TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT LOUIS FOLLOW HIM ON TWITTER @LOUISLUDIK

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GETTING TO KNOW: JEAN DEYSEL

Affectionately nicknamed ‘Big Red’ by the squad, Deysel has quickly settled into life in Belfast and he is looking forward to getting stuck in and making a success of his move to Ulster…

I had heard great things about the club from guys back home so Ulster was always on my radar. I then made the move to Munster for three months and that gave me the opportunity to acclimatise to Irish rugby. I was ready for a new adventure so when the opportunity came up to move to Ulster it was one that I relished and my family and I can’t wait to get stuck into life here. I am really happy to be a part of the squad here, especially with old friends like Wiehahn and Marcell and I am looking forward to making new friends as well. The people, the rugby, Ireland in general has exceeded my expectations. I hope to build on my skills here and make as big an impact as possible. I am a physical player and like to carry

the ball so the new PRO14 and the Champions Cup should be a great challenge. I have high hopes for the squad this year. Pre- season has gone well, Les and the coaching staff have a lot of exciting plans for this season and I’m delighted to be involved and looking forward to getting time on the park. So far, I can only say good things about Kingspan Stadium and the facilities; and also the city of Belfast. We have settled in well and it’s quickly feeling like home. I had the opportunity to meet some fans on Monday night, which was a pleasure and I can’t wait to experience the crowd in a packed-out stadium on match nights! Welcome Jean - here’s to a great season!

JEAN DEYSEL

DOB 05.03.1985 BIRTHPLACE Virginia, South Africa HEIGHT 191cm WEIGHT 118kg POSITION Back Row INTERNATIONAL CAPS South Africa (4 caps) TWITTER @jeandeysel JEAN DEYSEL

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"THE PEOPLE, THE RUGBY, IRELAND IN GENERAL HAS EXCEEDED MY EXPECTATIONS. I HOPE TO BUILD ON MY SKILLS HERE AND MAKE AS BIG AN IMPACT AS POSSIBLE"

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ULSTER RUGBY SQUAD 2017/18 GIANT’S CAUSEWAY, COUNTY ANTRIM

Few campaigns have begun with such bewildering and beguiling changes afoot, and now that the action takes priority it’s an evening to come to terms with the new competitive landscape. ULSTER IS ALREADY BUZZING

As a glamorous Ulster curtain-raiser to what we will eventually and more easily call the Guinness PRO14 campaign, one of the great names in English rugby provides the opposition at Kingspan Stadium. A rich history is littered with Premiership titles, domestic trophies galore and, of course, a period of domination in Europe. Players from all parts of the world who have written themselves into rugby lore have pulled on that famous gold and black jersey, and that tradition continues as the club enters its 150th anniversary season. Formed in the Eton and Middlesex Tavern in north London in 1867 – before the creation of the Rugby Football Union – Wasps is proud of its humble beginnings and of its contribution to the game and of its constant quest for success on the pitch and for reaching ambitious goals off the field. Typical of the club’s resilience has been its emergence in the last decade from a period of deep uncertainty about its future. Wasps has always been something of an itinerant and yet maintained a loyal fan base, winning leagues and cups even when without a permanent home, only to suffer a severe decline in fortunes, playing and financial. Lawrence Dallaglio was one of the celebrated former players asked to ‘front’ a totally restructured Wasps and with wise and wealthy counsel in the boardroom the huge decision was taken two years ago to relocate – out of the capital with which it was so associated – to Coventry. Wasps’ reputation for employing adventurous tactics on the pitch was mirrored in a bold decision in 2014 to buy the established and modern Ricoh Arena, and the result? Packed houses, renewed confidence in management and in the dressing room, last season’s narrow defeat to Exeter in the Aviva Premiership Final testament to just how far the club has travelled and with such driven focus. The nomadic existence has ended and Director of Rugby Dai Young has guided his squad right back to the pinnacle of the English game while others provided the foundations for another long period of playing success.

With players such as the astonishingly-gifted Danny Cipriani, Elliot Daly, Kyle Eastmond, Christian Wade, Jimmy Gopperth, Joe Simpson, Marty Moore, James Haskell, Nathan Hughes and an inspirational skipper in Joe Launchbury Wasps is set to mount a challenge on all fronts this season. Nothing less is expected of a lean and superbly- run club and the players all realise that their reputations count for nothing as the Premiership ‘opener’ against Sale awaits, the owners, management and supporters expecting last season’s thrilling campaign to be but a mere stroll in the foothills as the summit of domestic and European rugby beckons. Warren Gatland gave the club riches in terms of trophies before his switch to guide Wales and the Lions, and now Young – with his superb playing and coaching pedigree – has the launchpad to match or exceed those glory days. It is hard to argue with a side with such a formidable pool of forwards and an array of backs which, unsurprisingly, set new records last year in England for tries and points scored. But argue with it – at least tonight in sporting terms! – will Ulster, making its debut appearance at home under the new management team of Head Coach Jono Gibbes and his assistants Dwayne Peel and Aaron Dundon and with Director of Rugby Les Kiss at the helm, they will be determined to see tangible reward from a season which once again begins with justifiably high expectations from a steadfast Kingspan crowd. Gibbes’ CV is outstanding, and the former All Black flanker-come-lock arrives from Clermont Auvergne, having previously made an outstanding impression in the same role, of forwards coach, at Leinster under Joe Schmidt. For Peel, ‘capped’ no fewer than 76 times at scrum-half by Wales, the chance to concentrate on the Ulster backline is a golden opportunity to work with some of the most gifted players in Europe. Charles Piutau, Jared Payne, Luke Marshall, Stuart McCloskey, Andrew Trimble, Craig Gilroy, Tommy Bowe and Jacob Stockdale - the fourth Irish international winger ‘on the books’ - are

ROD NAWN

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ARTICLE BY ROD NAWN FREELANCE JOURNALIST AND SPORTS ENTHUSIAST @RODNAWN1

renowned for their attacking firepower. And with Louis Ludik, Darren Cave, Paul Marshall, John Cooney, Peter Nelson and a raft of young Academy products anxious to press their claims for senior recognition Peel will be a key figure this season. Lions Rory Best and Iain Henderson will be pillars of the pack, with Wiehahn Herbst, new boy Jean Deysel, Chris Henry, Sean Reidy, Kieran Treadwell and a fully-restored Marcell Coetzee at flanker poised to fulfil their individual and collective talents in powering Ulster to the top of the Guinness PRO14 and to a really decisive impact in the Champions Cup. Wasps and Ulster will field some of their biggest ‘names’ this evening, and with competitive rugby but a fortnight away fans of each side will be looking for evidence that the summer recruitment and the weeks of pre-season training together provides genuine grounds for long-term optimism. In Ulster’s case, Les Kiss has never hidden his disappointment at the failure to bring silverware to Kingspan Stadium - in the last two seasons in particular - and he knows the frustrations which have been suffered by the PRO14’s persistently fervent and largest home support. With Gibbes, Peel, Dundon and Niall Malone his handpicked lieutenants the Director of Rugby knows that his squad of players and his management team is expected to be more than just occasionally thrillingly competitive in the new-look PRO14 and in Europe. Yes, the challenges of a very different league format, and the exotic addition of two South African teams will be considerable, particularly as other clubs have strengthened their ranks, notably Scarlets, Cardiff and, inevitably, Leinster. So this evening’s contest has real substance, players can lay down ‘markers’, coaches can come to some important judgements, and the supporters will at last have the chance to exercise their vocal chords again in urging on their favourites. Ulster must start the competitive season on the first day of September ‘running’, and the visit of

the Cheetahs that Friday evening will provide a myriad of reasons to pack Kingspan Stadium terraces and stands once more. This evening, though, look for the portents for another exciting season of action, a real step forward in the ambition to achieve world-class status in the game. That is the stated mission of Ulster Rugby, the journey should be as breathlessly spectacular as the ambition.

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JOHN ANDREW

RODNEY AH YOU

RORY BEST

Hooker 26.05.93

Prop 27.10.88 186cm 128.1kg 17 3 Prop 25.02.86 180cm 116.8kg 128 —

Hooker 15.08.82 180cm 105kg

180cm 99.1kg 26 —

198 104

PETER BROWNE 2nd Row 25.10.87 200cm 115.8kg

TOMMY BOWE

CALLUM BLACK

Wing 22.02.84

191cm 98.6kg 150 69

31 —

DARREN CAVE

AARON CARINS

DAVID BUSBY

Centre 05.04.87 182cm 93kg 193 11

Scrum half 07.10.92

Back Line 03.02.94

176cm 84.9kg 1 —

179cm 89.8kg

— —

JEAN DEYSEL

MARCELL COETZEE

JOHN COONEY

Back Row 05.03.85 191cm 118kg — SA 4

Flanker 08.05.91

Scrumhalf 01.05.90 177cm 88kg

191cm 122kg 4 SA 28

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ULSTER SQUAD 2017/18 18 Wing 11.03.91 182cm 94kg 148 10 Prop 05.07.88 177cm 120.9kg 54 — CHRIS HENRY No. 7 17.10.84 187.cm 105.5kg 164 24 ROBBIE DIACK No. 8 12.11.85 195cm 193cm 110.8kg 2

IAIN HENDERSON 2nd Row 21.02.92 200cm 117kg

CRAIG GILROY

74 32

ROB HERRING

WIEHAHN HERBST

Hooker 27.04.90

182cm 106kg 119 1

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ROSS KANE

BRETT HERRON Out Half 13.11.95

PADDY JACKSON

Prop 14.10.94 179cm 113.5kg

Out half 05.01.92 177cm 89kg 122 23

183cm 89.9kg 7 —

11 —

ROB LYTTLE

LUKE MARSHALL

LOUIS LUDIK Full back 08.10.86

Wing 28.01.97

Centre 03.03.91 180cm 98kg 103 9 Centre 06.08.92 190cm 108.8kg 57 1

ULSTER SQUAD 2017/18

174cm 86.2kg 8 —

182cm 92.4kg 54 —

STUART McCLOSKEY

KYLE McCALL

PAUL MARSHALL

Prop 02.01.92 177cm 106.7kg 35 —

Scrum half 26.07.85

170cm 76.0kg 193 3

PETER NELSON Full back 05.10.92 180cm 87kg 36 —

JOHNNY McPHILLIPS

ALAN O’CONNOR 2nd Row 10.09.92 195cm 113.2kg 38 —

Out half 13.04.97

180cm 88.9kg

— —

STUART OLDING

JACK OWENS

TOMMY O'HAGAN

Centre 11.03.93 177cm 89kg 62 4

Wing 04.10.95

Prop 05.10.93 182cm 120kg

189cm 98.6kg

— —

— —

CHARLES PIUTAU Full Back 31.10.91 186cm 103.5kg

CALLUM PATTERSON

JARED PAYNE Full back 13.10.85 187cm 94kg

Centre 10.08.92

181cm 93.3kg

— —

78 20

NZ 17

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OUR COMMITMENT TO THE COMMUNITY

Constructive, collaborative and caring. We recognise our role in ensuring our companies are rooted in the communities in which we operate. We do this in a number of ways - through community funding, through community volunteering and through partnerships with schools and colleges.

www.kingspan.com

Working Together

CLIVE ROSS

MATTHEW REA

SEAN REIDY

Back Row 14.06.89 190cm 107.2kg

No. 8 21.09.93 193cm 110.8kg

Back Row 10.05.89

182cm 103kg — 1

— —

— —

JONNY SIMPSON

JACOB STOCKDALE

DAVE SHANAHAN

Prop 19.08.90 182cm 108.3kg

Centre 03.04.96 190cm 102kg — 1

Scrum Half 20.06.93

ULSTER SQUAD 2017/18

174cm 77.4kg

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— —

SCHALK VAN DER MERWE

ANDREW TRIMBLE

KIERAN TREADWELL 2nd Row 06.11.95 198cm 115kg

Prop 04.12.90 184cm 110kg

Wing 20.10.84 185cm 98kg

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ANDREWWARWICK

Prop 12.03.91 177cm 113kg

Keep up to date with the latest player profiles, career stats and player news at www.ulsterrugby.com . PLAYER STATS

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ABBEY INSURANCE ULSTER RUGBY ACADEMY 2017/18 SQUAD NAME POSITION SCHOOL / CLUB DOB

YEAR

HEIGHT WEIGHT

Rory Butler

Centre Hooker

Ballynahinch RFC

11.03.97 02.07.98 22.01.97 26.03.98 16.11.98 22.12.98 26.06.98 07.09.98 13.01.96 20.08.98 05.09.96 10.02.95 06.07.98 30.11.95 23.09.98 08.09.97 09.05.97 20.02.98 01.08.95

2 1 3 2 1 1 2 1 1 1 2 2 1 1 1 2 1 2 3

197cm 188cm 182cm 183cm 196cm 190cm 192cm 184cm 196cm 170cm 181cm 180cm 198cm 188cm 187cm 189cm 178cm 192cm

101kg 103kg 115kg 105kg 101kg 88kg

Alexander Clarke Peter Cooper Angus Curtis Matthew Dalton Joe Dunleavy James Hume Greg Jones Michael Lowry Adam McBurney Aaron Hall

Queen's University RFC

Prop

Malone RFC

Outhalf 2nd row Flanker Back row

Queen's University RFC

Malone RFC Malone RFC

Ballynahinch RFC Banbridge RFC Banbridge RFC Banbridge RFC Ballymena RFC Ballynahinch RFC Rainey OB RFC Banbridge RFC Banbridge RFC Ballymena RFC Ballynahinch RFC

98kg 98kg

Centre

Number 8

103kg

Outhalf Hooker Hooker 2nd row

79kg

100kg 100kg 110kg 113kg 103kg 108kg 78kg 110kg 118.5kg

Zack McCall

John McCusker Eric O’Sullivan

Prop Prop

Tom O’Toole Marcus Rea Jack Regan

Back row 2nd row Scrumhalf Back row

196.6cm

Jonathon Stewart

Queen's University RFC

Nick Timoney

Banbridge RFC

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15

1

CALLUM BLACK

LOUIS LUDIK

14

2

ANDREW TRIMBLE

JOHN ANDREW

13

3

WIEHAHN HERBST

CALLUM PATTERSON

12

4

STUART McCLOSKEY

PETER BROWNE

ULSTER RUBGY

11

5

CRAIG GILROY

ALAN O'CONNOR

6

10

CLIVE ROSS

BRETT HERRON

7

9

CHRIS HENRY

PAUL MARSHALL

REPLACEMENTS 16 17 18 19 20 21 R HERRING A McBURNEY A WARWICK K McCALL R AH YOU J SIMPSON R DIACK J DEYSEL 22 23

24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

C MONTGOMERY M REA A CAIRNS D SHANAHAN P NELSON T BOWE

8

N TIMONEY

TODAY’S OFFICIALS REFEREE FRANK MURPHY ASSISTANT REFEREES

C PIUTAU J OWENS

JONNY ERSKINE CHRIS BUSBY

JOHNNY PEAK ANDREW MITCHELL

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1

15

SIMON MCINTYRE

ROB MILLER

14

2

MARCUS WATSON

ASHLEY JOHNSON

WASPS

3

13

JAKE COOPER-WOOLLEY

BRENDAN MACKEN

4

12

GABY LOVOBALAVU

WILL ROWLANDS

5

11

JOSH BASSETT

KEARNAN MYALL

6

10

JACK WILLIS

DANNY CIPRIANI

7

9

GUY THOMPSON

CRAIG HAMPSON

REPLACEMENTS 16 17 18 19 20 21 T CRUSE B HARRIS P D-JONES M SYMONS M GARRATT A TJ HARRIS

22 23 24 25 26 27

D ROBSON U DE JONGH G ARMITAGE

8

ALEX RIEDER

C WADE O JAMES

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JOSH BASSETT

DANNY CIPRIANI

GUY ARMITAGE

Wing 17.03.92 6ft 3in 98kg 23 Eng U20

Fly Half 02.12.87 6ft 1in 92kg

Centre 29.11.91 6ft 5in 111kg 6 Eng U20

154 Eng

ELLIOT DALY

TOM CRUSE

JAKE COOPER-WOOLLEY

Centre 08.10.92 6ft 100kg 157 B&I Lions

Hooker 30.03.89 5ft 10in 98kg

Prop 18.11.89

6ft 3in 125kg 88 Eng Saxons

11 —

KYLE EASTMOND

PAUL DORAN-JONES

JUAN DE JONGH

Centre 16.07.89 5ft 7in 83kg 16 Eng

Prop 02.05.85

Centre 15.04.88 5ft 9in 87kg — South Africa

6ft 2in 120kg 1 Eng

JIMMY GOPPERTH

WASPS SQUAD 2017/18 MARCUS GARRATT 2nd Row 09.11.94 JAMES GASKELL 2nd Row 20.05.90

Fly Half 29.06.83 5ft 11in 90kg 56 J All Blacks

6ft 5in 128kg 4 —

6ft 7in 115kg 67 Eng Saxons

CRAIG HAMPSON

JAMES HASKELL

ANTONIO HARRIS

Back Row 02.04.85 6ft 4in 117kg 178 Eng/B&I Lions

Scrum Half 25.10.90 5ft 9in 83kg 7 —

Hooker 25.02.94 5ft 10in 106kg

— —

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BEN HARRIS

ASHLEY JOHNSON

NATHAN HUGHES

Prop 28.04.89

Back Row 16.05.86 6ft 0in 118kg 140 South Africa

Back Row 10.06.91

6ft 4in 122kg 2 —

6ft 5in 124kg 97 Eng

WASPS SQUAD 2017/18

WILLIE LE ROUX

JOE LAUNCHBURY 2nd Row 12.04.91

SAM JONES

Utility Back 18.08.89 6ft 1in 90kg — South Africa

Back Row 15.12.91 6ft 3in 112kg 118 Eng Saxons

6ft 6in 125kg

109 Eng

ALEX LUNDBERG

GABIRIELE LOVOBALAVU

BRENDAN MACKEN

Prop 09.12.94 6ft 0in 120kg — Eng U20

Centre 20.06.85 5ft 9in 96kg — Fiji

Centre 19.05.91 6ft 2in 98kg 17 Emerging Ireland Prop 01.03.91 5ft 10in 123kg 25 Ireland

MARTY MOORE

ROB MILLER Full Back 05.08.89 5ft 11in 91kg 66 Eng Saxons

SIMON McINTYRE

Prop 19.03.91

6ft 0in 119kg 126 —

KEARNAN MYALL 2nd Row 15.12.86

MATT MULLAN

ALEX RIEDER

Back Row 03.09.91

Prop 23.02.87

6ft 7in 116kg 94 Eng Saxons

6ft 3in 110kg 27 —

6ft 0in 116kg 111 Eng

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JOE SIMPSON

DAN ROBSON

WILL ROWLANDS 2nd Row 19.09.91

Scrum Half 05.07.88 6ft 0in 84kg

Scrum Half 14.03.92 5ft 8in 81kg 58 Eng Saxons

6ft 8in 120kg

212 Eng

28 —

GUY THOMPSON

MATT SYMONS 2nd Row 04.08.89

TOMMY TAYLOR Hooker 11.11.91

Back Row 23.01.87

WASPS SQUAD 2017/18

6ft 1in 106kg 79 —

6ft 7in 120kg 26 —

6ft 0in 104kg 26 Eng

CHRISTIAN WADE

MARCUS WATSON

THOMAS YOUNG

Wing 15.05.91 5ft 8in 86kg 133

Wing 27.06.91 5ft 9in 87kg — Eng U20

Back Row 18.05.92 5ft 11in 104kg 65 Wales

Eng/British & Irish Lions

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2017/18 SEASON TICKETS

AVAILABLE NOW!

2018

2017

S E A S O N T I C K E T

ULSTERRUGBY.COM /SEASONTICKETS

BENEFITS

Guaranteed entry to 15 games including a pre-season fixture in August, 11 Guinness PRO12 fixtures and 3 European Rugby Champions Cup games Save money in comparison to buying on a match by match basis Receive a membership swipe card for convenient access to Kingspan Stadium Avail of convenient part-payment options Hassle free online booking and a one-off booking fee Conveniently manage your ticket via Ticketmaster Account Manager Priority booking on available final stage tickets, additional match tickets and other events at Kingspan Stadium Exclusive access to members-only events Benefit from the Ticket Exchange option to sell your Adult ticket on if you can’t attend a game First access to 2018/19 Season Tickets and a loyalty discount period

HOW TO BUY

In person at the Kingspan Stadium Ticket Office

Over the phone on 02890 493 222

Online at ulsterrugby.com /seasontickets

PRO14 UPDATE

ULSTER’S SA FIXTURES FRIDAY 1ST SEPTEMBER 2017 ULSTER RUGBY V TOYOTA CHEETAHS at Kingspan Stadium, Kick off 19.35 SATURDAY 4TH NOVEMBER 2017 SOUTHERN KINGS V ULSTER RUGBY at Nelson Mandela Bay, Kick off 17.00 9-11 FEBRUARY 2018 ULSTER RUGBY V SOUTHERN KINGS at Kingspan Stadium, Kick off TBC

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Celtic Rugby and the South African Rugby Union confirmed earlier this month that the Toyota Cheetahs and the Southern Kings will join an expanded Guinness PRO14 tournament for the 2017/18 season. GUINNESS PRO14 WELCOMES TOYOTA CHEETAHS & SOUTHERN KINGS

A long-term strategic agreement has been signed by both parties which will allow the participation of two South African franchises in the renamed Guinness PRO14 Championship. The agreement means that the Championship will take place across the northern and southern hemispheres and marks the first phase of expansion as the Guinness PRO14 becomes a truly global tournament. This move will contribute to the drive for ever higher standards across the tournament and provide greater resources to the clubs who will compete in the most testing environment the Championship has ever created. All current home and away derby games have been protected - these fixtures are sacrosanct to the tournament and those tribal rivalries are just one element of what makes the Guinness PRO14 so special. With a new format, new teams and new audiences the Guinness PRO14 - which leads World Rugby statistics for Positive Play - will hit even greater heights in 2017/18. Ulster will kick off their exciting new Championship season against Cheetahs on Friday 1st September at Kingspan Stadium. A limited number of tickets are still available for this game, visit www.ulsterrugby.com/ buytickets to secure yours now. NEW FORMAT The addition of the Toyota Cheetahs and the Southern Kings will require the Championship to introduce a new Conference format as a league format is not suited to a 14-team cross- border tournament. The Guinness PRO14 will adopt a two- conference model which will allows for the new clubs to be added into the Championship without need to add extra rounds in 2017/18.

» Each conference will contain 7 teams with an equal split of teams from each union » Every team plays 21 regular season games » Every team to play each other at least once » All Home & Away Derby fixtures will remain in place » Italian, Scottish and South African teams will play an additional Derby fixture to even out the schedule (e.g. Edinburgh will play Glasgow Warriors three times) » The Guinness PRO14 Final Series will now include Quarter-Finals allowing six clubs to reach the knock-out stages (teams 1-3 from each Conference) » The top 3 clubs from each conference will qualify for the Champions Cup while the team with the highest points total outside of those six teams across both conferences will claim the final Champions Cup place » South African clubs will not be eligible to qualify for EPCR tournaments at present The Conferences need to fulfil two criteria. First, there must be an equal number of teams from each union in both conferences. Secondly, there must be a competitive balance based upon the previous season's final placings that feed into union rankings. To create an equal number of teams per union each conference will contain: » 2 Irish teams; 2 Welsh; 1 Italian; 1 Scottish, 1 South African » Additionally, for the entrance of the South African teams their Super Rugby final placings were used for ranking. Please note: To maintain competitive balance the Conferences will be reset each season based upon rankings from the previous campaign.

PRO14 UPDATE

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TRAVEL TO SOUTH AFRICA with Killester Travel Group

SOUTHERN KINGS v ULSTER RUGBY SATURDAY 4th NOVEMBER 2017

TRIP DATES Tuesday 31st October 2017 to Sunday 5th November 2017

COSTS: Belfast from £1185 per person sharing Dublin from £1125 per person sharing Tailored trips can be arranged on request including Cape Town and other activities like wine tasting, safari, whale watching and golf.

INCLUDED: » Economy flights with BA and South African Airways » Belfast or Dublin departure to Port Elizabeth via London and Johannesburg » 4 nights BB twin sharing in Radisson Blu Hotel, Port Elizabeth » Airport transfers » Match ticket

Please contact Paddy Baird on rugby@killestertravel.com for details.

DELOITTE BECOMES PRINCIPAL SPONSOR OF ULSTER WOMEN’S RUGBY TEAM Deloitte has announced an exciting new two-year sponsorship agreement with Ulster Rugby to become the lead sponsor of the Ulster Women’s Rugby team.

The Irish Rugby Football Union has set ambition targets to help grow participation in the women’s game across Ireland, with numbers already increasing in Ulster over recent years following the introduction of an Ulster Girls Schools Cup. A number of players from the Ulster Women’s Rugby team have represented Ireland in the Six Nations tournament and are part of the Irish squad for the Women’s Rugby World Cup – the final of which will take at the Kingspan Stadium this month. Jackie Henry, Senior Partner at Deloitte, said the sponsorship deal is in keeping with Deloitte’s strong track record of supporting sport at all levels. “Deloitte is delighted to be the new sponsor of the Ulster Women’s Rugby team. Female participation in the sport has grown significantly in the past few years and this partnership will help promote women’s rugby to a wider audience. “This has been a great year for women’s sport in Ireland, with the Women’s Rugby World Cup final soon to be played here in Belfast, and we felt the time was right for Deloitte to throw its support behind

the women’s game. Diversity is one of Deloitte’s core values and we are committed to playing our part in helping to raise the profile of women’s sport and helping to get more women and girls to take part.” Deloitte was a major sponsor in the London 2012 Olympics and has played a major role in Ireland’s bid to host the men’s Rugby World Cup in 2023. The company has also demonstrated its commitment to gender equality by implementing an inclusive leadership culture founded on fairness and respect that has seen the firm set a target of having a 30 per cent female leadership by 2020. Barry Willis, Rugby Operations Manager at Ulster Rugby, said: “At such an exciting time for Women’s Rugby in Ulster & Ireland, it is welcome and fitting that we will have such a prestigious company as the title sponsor of the Ulster Rugby Women’s team. “With the backing of Deloitte, we will continue to support our top female players and provide further and better opportunities for women and girls to excel in the game.”

SPONSOR NEWS

Pictured are Jackie Henry, Senior Partner at Deloitte NI and Ulster Rugby players Peita McAlister, Claire Johnston, Brittany Hogan and Hannah Beattie.

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'BELFAST BANKSY' HELPS LAUNCH NEW ULSTER RUGBY HOME AND AWAY JERSEYS The new Ulster Rugby home and away kits, designed and manufactured by Kukri Sports, were unveiled on Monday evening at an exclusive Season Ticket holder event.

KIT LAUNCH

Almost 300 supporters attended as local street artist Glen Molloy revealed the jerseys in a large piece of art, featuring Andrew Trimble and Stuart McCloskey, on an interior wall at Kingspan Stadium. The special event was attended by Trimble, along with John Cooney, Jean Deysel and Schalk van der Merwe, all newcomers to the Ulster squad this season. Created by Kukri's design team in Lisburn, County Antrim, the home shirt incorporates Ulster's traditional colours of white, red and black, while the away jersey is black and duck egg blue. Both kits will remain unchanged for a two-year cycle. The jerseys, which are made from 4D technical fabric to keep them lightweight and to minimise abrasions, again feature the logos of Kingspan, Bank of Ireland, Go Power and BT Sport. New sponsor, Tobermore, features on the shorts for the first time.

Supporters will see Ulster wear the new away kit for the first time tonight in the pre-season game versus Wasps. Fiona Hampton, Head of Sales & Marketing at Ulster Rugby, said: "Kukri Sports has been a valued partner of Ulster Rugby for ten years and they have once again delivered a quality product for players and supporters to wear. We are now starting the fourth season of our current five-year deal and this new design will be retained for the next two years. "Events like this offer added value to Season Ticket holders and it was encouraging to see so many in attendance tonight to meet the new players and get a glimpse of the new kits. Supporters are at the focus of everything we do at Ulster Rugby and it was great to be able to involve them in this way.” Terry Jackson, Director and General Manager, Kukri Ireland, said: "We are immensely proud of

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KIT LAUNCH

our long-standing relationship with Ulster Rugby and are excited to see the players on the pitch in the new kits, making the club and its fans proud. "Kukri Sports has a strong history of producing quality sports and leisure wear for a variety of sports. We continue to strive to be the number one provider of bespoke sportswear for playing kit, training and leisurewear, and our well- established partnership with Ulster Rugby is testament to our commitment to excellence both on and off the pitch.”

The new elite home and away Ulster Rugby jerseys start at £55 for children and £70 for adults, while the loose fit, supporter jerseys costs £45 for children and £55 for adults. They are now on sale in the Ulster Rugby Shop at Kingspan Stadium, in retailers and online at www.ulsterrugbyshop.com.

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ULSTER RUGBY INSURED FOR SUCCESS WITH ABBEY INSURANCE Abbey Insurance is delighted to welcome in the 2017/18 rugby season as the new sponsor of Kingspan Stadium's Family Stand.

The three-year partnership will also see Northern Ireland’s largest locally owned insurance broker sponsor the Ulster Rugby Academy, which is responsible for training the next stream of future Ulster Rugby talent. The company has exciting plans for family-friendly match day fun and activities throughout the season. George Storey, founder and Chairman of Abbey Insurance said: “We are delighted to be partnering with Ulster Rugby. These exciting sponsorships provide us with an opportunity to support Ulster Rugby and its fans, helping drive the team to success on the pitch, both now and in the future. “Abbey is a home-grown company, proud of its local roots, so we are really excited to support a local team which is inspiring international standard sporting excellence right across Ulster. “We will be working hard to sustain the family-friendly rugby experience for supporters of all ages. Ulster Rugby is always a great spectacle, hugely entertaining and a great way for families to spend time together growing and sharing a sporting passion. “As the second strand of our sponsorship, we are very proud to be investing in the future of professional rugby here. The Ulster Rugby Academy has a proven reputation for nurturing and developing new talent, with many of today’s rugby heroes including Andrew Trimble, Craig Gilroy and Jacob Stockdale coming

through the Academy ranks. Over the next three years we are excited to see the next batch of stars who will pass through the Abbey Insurance Ulster Rugby Academy and go on to play for Ulster and hopefully even pull on a green jersey for Ireland.” Shane Logan, Chief Executive Officer at Ulster Rugby said: “Abbey Insurance, like Ulster Rugby, share a commitment to excellence while also being proud of our place within the local community, so we look forward to working together to further enhance these two key strands of the organisation. “The identification and development of the best local talent within the Ulster Rugby Academy is an absolutely critical area for us as we continue to compete at the new PRO14 and European level, and we are immensely proud that a considerable number of players have graduated through our Academy system to represent Ireland and indeed the British & Irish Lions with distinction. With the support of Abbey Insurance we look forward to building on this success and further reinforcing our Academy’s reputation as among the best in Europe. “We proudly promote Ulster games as safe and enjoyable experiences for all the family, so we are excited to see our new partners bringing their activation ideas to life on match days with their sponsorship of the Family Stand at Kingspan Stadium.”

SPONSOR NEWS

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For NEW members , please go to membership.ursc.co. For RENEWING members , please check your email in the next few days. For your convenience, a personal invitation will be sent to you with a link to a registration form already completed with your existing details. Please confirm or edit your details as necessary. If you are a current member and you have changed your email address since last registration, or if you do not receive your renewal notification within the next few days, please contact us by email to membership@ursc.co.uk

DANNY CIPRIANI

POSITION: Fly Half WEIGHT: 92kg / 14st 7lbs HEIGHT: 185cm / 6ft 1in DOB: 02/11/1987 NATIONALITY: English

WASPS TO WATCH

Fly half Danny Cipriani is back in black and gold. Cipriani returned to Wasps ahead of last season, the club he started his career with as a school boy. Cipriani is recognised as one of the country’s most gifted play-makers. After impressing for Wasps’ Academy while still at Whitgift School, Cipriani swiftly graduated to the senior squad and made his debut as a 17-year-old against Bristol in the 2004 Powergen Cup. He soon became an integral part of Wasps’ squad, using his blistering pace and attacking instinct to open up defences across the Premiership. Cipriani also played a key role in Wasps’ 2007 Heineken Cup campaign, starting the Final at full back.

Capitalising on his club form with Wasps, Cipriani burst onto the international scene aged 20. Cipriani went on to make 95 appearances for Wasps, before moving to Australia to spend two seasons with the Melbourne Rebels (2011/12), returning to England in 2012 to join Sale Sharks, where his performances again earned international recognition. He has won 14 caps and scored 64 points for his country, including a man of the match performance against the Barbarians in June 2015. The experienced 10 has passed 1,000 Premiership points and made his 100th appearance for Wasps against Northampton Saints in 2016.

POSITION: Wing WEIGHT: 86kg / 13st 8lbs HEIGHT: 172cm / 5ft 8in DOB: 15/05/1991 NATIONALITY: English CHRISTIAN WADE

Born in Slough, Wade started playing rugby at RGS High Wycombe before joining the Wasps youth set up as a teenager. Since then he has made a huge try-scoring impact, despite suffering some long term injuries in 2013 and 2015. Wade had a fantastic 2014/15 season, being named in the BT Sport Team of the Year, after he beat 62 defenders and scored 14 tries. Injury then struck but he made a fine return in the second half of the 2015/16 season with tries against Harlequins, Gloucester and Leicester and Sale. His six tries against Worcester at Sixways in April will certainly go down in history. Wade's rich vein of try-scoring continued in 2016/17 when he managed to notch up 19 tries in 29 appearances and equalled Dominic Chapman's

record for the most tries scored by an individual in a Premiership season with 17. Wade's tries also took him past Kenny Logan (79) as Wasps' all-time leading try scorer at the age of just 25. His reward was a place in the Aviva Premiership Dream Team for 2016/17, alongside fellow Wasps Elliot Daly, Joe Launchbury and Jimmy Gopperth and being named Aviva Premiership Rugby Player of the Month for March. Christian's additional representative honours include England Sevens, England U16, U18 and he was a key part of the England U20 side which won a Grand Slam Six Nations title and reached the final of the Junior World Cup, at which he finished joint top try scorer, alongside Ulster’s Charles Piutau.

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17/18 ULSTER RUGBY AWAY JERSEY

Available now · In store and online

ulsterrugbyshop.com

WELCOME TO OUR Club

Hello and welcome to another exciting season as a member of OUR Club, Ulster Rugby’s Official Junior Supporters Club! We hope you all had a great summer and are looking forward to the upcoming PRO14 Championship and European Champions Cup games beginning next month. Tonight, we welcome English Premiership side, Wasps, who we will face again later in the season as European Pool competitors. Up next on September 1st, Ulster will play against a team from South Africa, The Toyota Cheetahs, who join the new-look PRO14 league for the very first time along with the Southern Kings, also from South Africa, who we will play later in the season. AS ALWAYS THERE IS A FUN-FILLED SEASON IN STORE WITH COMPETITIONS AND GIVEAWAYS FOR THOSE UNDER 12 YEARS’ OLD INCLUDING:

OUR CLUB NEWS

» Win a tour for your school competition » Design a jersey contest » End of Season OUR Club Champions training session

» Halloween fancy dress contest » Food Village takeover » Mascot and Guard of Honour opportunities » Christmas Leaders Treat

The OUR Club points system will continue this season, for every activity you do, the more points you are awarded. At Christmas and at the end of the season, all the points are tallied and the top scorers on the leaderboard are awarded a special Ulster Rugby treat! Keep an eye out for OUR Club emails, which will give you or your parents the details on how to enter. Don’t forget to visit OUR Quarter on a match night to pick up extra points and some treats before a game! Keep in touch with Jen and the OUR Club Crew by emailing ourclub@ulsterrugby.com . Submit photos and stories throughout the season and you may even feature on this page! Enjoy the season! SUFTUM THIS SEASON WE HAVE INTRODUCED NEW ACTIVITIES FOR THOSE MEMBERS AGED 13 TO 16 INCLUDING: » Work Experience Opportunities » Opportunity to watch a training session » Design a jersey contest » End of Season Champions training session » Monthly members ballot – call in to OUR Quarter to collect your ticket before each home game (Beginning 1st September 2017)

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