Ulster Rugby vs Scarlets

PRESIDENT'S WELCOME

Tonight’s game is week six of a thirteen-week block of successive games, which see Ulster play six Heineken Champions Cup and seven Guinness PRO14 fixtures, including four inter-provincial clashes. After six rounds of the PRO14 Championship, Ulster currently sit in second place in Conference A, behind early pace-setters Leinster. The club have also made a very strong start to the European campaign with opening round wins over Bath away and the superb victory over Clermont at home last weekend. The extended run of continuous games places huge pressure on the extended squad and keeps our medical, physio and S&C staff on their toes. I would just like to extend my best wishes and thanks to our Athletic Performance and Medical Performance teams; I’m sure we will see the rewards of their labour with continued success on the pitch. Our opponents tonight are sitting second in Conference B with five wins and just one loss to their name so far. Our contests with Scarlets in recent years have been keen contested, entertaining affairs, and I expect tonight’s to be no different. On Saturday afternoon, we have a full programme of club fixtures in the All Ireland League, plus a host of domestic fixtures in Ulster. As always, I would urge you to get out and support your local clubs in action. To the travelling Scarlets Officers, management team and playing squad – I hope you have an enjoyable, but not successful, visit to Belfast. To the Ulster supporters – make your voices heard and hopefully cheer the Ulster men towards more valuable PRO14 Championship points. 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 Guinness PRO14 fixture versus Scarlets.

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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