Ulster Rugby v Ospreys

PRESIDENT'S WELCOME

After an extended pre-season, the season finally begins in earnest with our first Guinness PRO14 game. It has been a long summer for both our loyal Ulster supporters and the playing squad who have endured an additional four week of the lung bursting experience of pre-season training. We welcome our summer signings Sam Carter, Jack McGrath, Matt Faddes, Bill Johnston, David O’Connor and Gareth Milasinovich to Ulster Rugby and I hope that they enjoy their time with us. With Ulster and Ospreys both finding ourselves in Conference A this year, this evening’s game takes on an extra level of significance, with each trying to set down an early marker and get valuable points on the board. The Rugby World Cup started last weekend and I am sure that you all, like me, are enjoying a superb tournament and that the early alarm clocks have been set to watch the television coverage. I specifically want to congratulate our own representatives, Rory, Iain and Jacob on their contributions to date, and hopefully more Ulster men will join them in Japan before the end of the tournament. On the domestic front, the club competitions are well under way and I wish all the teams every success in their respective competitions. Tomorrow, there is a full programme of club fixtures and I would urge you to get out and support your local teams. The Ulster Women and U18 Girls, sponsored by Deloitte, completed their Inter-provincial campaigns last week, with the U18 Girls falling just short of the Series title at the final hurdle. Thank you to both sets of players and management for the efforts throughout the campaign, and for being great ambassadors of the female game. The Ulster A team have continued their excellent form in the Celtic Cup, losing just once in the opening five rounds, and hopefully by the time you’re reading this, they will have made if five wins from six. To the travelling Ospreys Officers, management team and playing squad – I hope you have an enjoyable, but not successful, visit to Belfast. To the Ulster supporters – let’s set the tone for another fantastic season of our unique match night atmospheres at Kingspan Stadium, and hopefully cheer the Ulster men on to an opening round win. SUFTUM! Gary Leslie President, IRFU Ulster Branch On behalf of Ulster Rugby, I would like to welcome everyone to Kingspan Stadium for this evening’s 2019/20 season opener versus Ospreys.

IRFU ULSTER BRANCH 2019/20 OFFICERS Gary Leslie President Philip Gregg Senior Vice President Denis Gardiner Junior Vice President & Honorary Secretary Michael Boyd Honorary Treasurer Greg Irwin Competitions Secretary Jonny Petrie Chief Executive Officer

Kingspan Stadium, 134 Mount Merrion Avenue Belfast, BT6 0FT T +44 (0)28 9049 3222 ulsterrugby.com

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