Ulster Rugby v Wasps

CD GROUP RENEW DEAL AS MAIN SPONSOR OF ULSTER A

CD Group, Ireland's largest automotive parts distributor, has renewed its partnership with the Ulster A team, with the new deal set to run until the summer of 2019.

seasons. During our involvement we have seen young guys come through the ranks and progressing on to play in the PRO14 and European Champions Cup. In Jacob Stockdale's case he has even pushed on and achieved international honours. The work that Kieran and his team do is something we are proud to be associated with, as it fits well with our business aim of supporting our customers and driving on for future success." Last season Ulster A advanced to the playoffs of the British & Irish Cup for the first time in five years, before falling to eventual winners Munster A at the quarter-final stage. As the competition enters its ninth year, 20 teams will once again compete in five pools of four teams, with the pool winners and the top three runners-up progressing to the knockout phase. ULSTER A'S BRITISH & IRISH CUP POOL STAGE GAMES 2017/18 ROUND 1 Ulster A v Scarlets Premiership Select, Saturday 14th October at Banbridge RFC (2.30pm) ROUND 2 Cornish Pirates v Ulster A Sunday 22nd October at Mennaye Field, Penzance (2.30pm) ROUND 3 Hartpury RFC v Ulster A Saturday 9th December at Hartpury College (2.30pm) ROUND 4 Ulster A v Hartpury RFC Saturday 16th December at Ballymena RFC (2.30pm) ROUND 5 Ulster A v Cornish Pirates 12-14th January at Shaws Bridge (TBC) ROUND 6 Scarlets Premiership Select v Ulster A Saturday 20th January at Llandovery RFC (3.00pm)

The deal will see the CD Group logo feature on the front of the Ulster A jersey and in various locations within Kingspan Stadium. With offices in Cork and Dublin as well as the company headquarters in Mallusk, the CD Group is a family run business that has been operating for more than 50 years, making deliveries to more than 350 customers across the island of Ireland every day. The Ulster A team, a mixture of Professional, Development, Academy and Club players, compete in the annual British & Irish Cup against teams from the English Championship, Welsh Regions and the other three Irish Provinces. Ulster A's 2017/18 British & Irish Cup campaign is set to kick-off this Saturday 14th October with a home tie against the Scarlets Premiership Select. Kieran Campbell, Head Coach of the Ulster A team, welcomed the announcement of the new deal: "We're delighted that CD Group have committed their support to the Ulster A team for the next two years. The Ulster A team is a critical part of the organisation, providing a platform for us to mix our best young Academy talent with some more experienced senior players in a really challenging environment. Last season we saw the likes of Jacob Stockdale, Rob Lyttle and Ross Kane feature prominently for the Ulster A team, forging a way for a place in the Ulster senior squad. We look forward to working with CD Group to ensure that even more make that step up in the near future." CD Group Managing Director, Terry Knox, commented: "We are very excited to continue our relationship with Ulster Rugby for another two

PARTNER ANNOUNCEMENT

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