Ulster Rugby vs Bordeaux Begles

the long term stability of Ulster Rugby. We seek partners that share the same long-term objectives that we can deliver together on, that will become an integral part of the make up at Ulster, and that our fans can identify with and support.  GRASSROOTS SPONSORSHIP This is a vital part of the income stream that allows us to continue to invest into the grassroots game and we are lucky to work with a range of partners who see the value in aligning with these sponsorship properties. 2017 will see Danske Bank enter their 12th year of sponsorship of the Ulster Schools’ Cup, with commitment for a further three years. Some of our partners are providing some great incentives such as Ulster Carpets with the ‘Club of the Month’ initiative that actively rewards youth rugby clubs who deliver examples of best practice both on and off the field, and the ‘Community Champions Award’ sponsored by SONI, which looks to recognise volunteers and provide multiple winners with a bursary for their club.  KINGSPAN STADIUM With a fantastic stadium that can deliver across a range of events we are definitely open for business and indeed this is one of our fastest growing new revenue streams. With the facilities and experience to host major events here, we have been successful in winning the right to have

the PRO12 Final in 2015, Barbarians v Fiji in 2016, and we look forward to hosting the prestigious Women’s Rugby World Cup in 2017, an event that really will put us on the world map. Day-to-day we are open for ‘Ulster Rugby Visitor Experience’ tours which take in The Nevin Spence Centre and a behind-the-scenes stadium tour. Our H3 Lounge is open for conferencing and we have seen our revenues through conferencing double since last year. Commercially, we need to grow these revenues outside of Ulster Rugby match days and our strategy is to ensure we have at least one major external event here each year and to increase conference income, visitor numbers and hospitality outside of match days. FUTURE DIRECTION In the ever changing landscape of professional rugby, the commercial reality is that we need sustainable growth to ensure that we can compete at the top table of European rugby. We will seek to achieve this through delivering value for money for our partners and sponsors, delivering an exceptional experience for our fans, and capitalising on new revenue streams. This will hopefully ensure that we can provide the financial platform for the professional team to compete on field and for the domestic game to flourish. As always, thank you for your support. Fiona Hampton Head of Sales & Marketing

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