Ulster Rugby vs Zebre

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Ulster Rugby Digital Programme v Zebre - Friday 12th September 2014

SHOW YOUR SUPPORT Good evening and welcome to another exciting Friday night at Kingspan Stadium as we officially herald the start of the new Guinness PRO12 campaign for the 2014/15 season. Ulster take on Zebre tonight and we extend a special welcome to the Italian fans who have travelled here to support their team and look forward to some top class rugby between the two sides. The last Friday night in Kingspan Stadium Ulster took on Exeter Chiefs in a pre-season friendly. Tonight we are hoping to see another strong performance and an exciting game to get the season started. Kingspan Stadium is once again a fortress and it is where Ulster plays best thanks to the energy and support of the home fans. This season marks the 18th year of our proud association with Ulster Rugby and we remain committed to the team. At Bank of Ireland we stand together with the fans, sharing their passion and together we are all the driving force behind our Ulster Rugby team. Good Luck for the season ahead Ulster!

Ian Sheppard // Head of Corporate Banking Northern Ireland Bank of Ireland

Official sponsor of Ulster Rugby

IRFU ULSTER BRANCH

PRESIDENT’S WELCOME

OFFICERS John Kinnear // President Bobby Stewart // Senior Vice President John McKibbin // Junior Vice President John McKibbin // Honorary Secretary Michael Boyd // Honorary Treasurer Denis Gardiner // Competitions Secretary STAFF Shane Logan // Chief Executive Chris Webster // Domestic Rugby Manager Audrey Robinson // Financial Controller Fiona Hampton // Head of Sales & Marketing Les Kiss // Director of Rugby (Interim)

It gives me great pleasure to welcome you all here to Kingspan Stadium for this Guinness PRO12 match against Zebre.

I would like to welcome in particular our friends from Zebre Rugby: directors, players, coaches and supporters alike - I hope that you all enjoy your stay in Belfast. The game this evening is the first competitive home match of the season and Ulster will face a stern test against a strong Italian side. However, we saw last weekend that this Ulster side has tremendous character, as they battled from 32-18 down to draw the game 32 all – the highest scoring draw in the history of the PRO12. Huge credit must go to the players for their determination in that game. To leave West Wales with three points was a solid start to the campaign. That match wasn’t the only significant result of the weekend. The U20s secured a convincing win over Connacht with a strong second half yielding 24 points thanks to tries from from Connor Young, Adam Liddell, Jack Owens and Lorcan Dow. Congratulations too to the U19s and Ulster Schools who also recorded bonus point wins over Connacht. A youthful Ulster Women’s team lost against an experienced Munster side but there were plenty of positives to take from that game.

Good luck to the Ulster U19s and U20s when they take on Leinster tomorrow. The U20s game is at Kingspan Stadium and the U19s play at Deramore. With free entry for under 18s to Kingspan Stadium why not come along and support our future stars? Best wishes too to the Ulster Schools and U18 Clubs who are away to Leinster and to the Ulster Women’s team who take on Connacht in Galway. This weekend marks the start of the Ulster Bank League in Divisions 1A and 1B. Best wishes to Ballynahinch, Malone, Belfast Harlequins and Ballymena for their matches. Finally, I would like to thank our main sponsors and partners, in particular Bank of Ireland for their continued support of Ulster Rugby. I hope that you enjoy the game. Good Luck to Ulster and Stand up for the Ulstermen! Yours in Rugby John Kinnear // President IRFU (Ulster Branch)

Kingspan Stadium, 85 Ravenhill Park, Belfast, BT6 0DG T // +44 (0)28 9049 3222 ulsterrugby.com

www. ulster rugby.com

ULSTER RUGBY

CREATED LIKE NO OTHER.

Chief Executive’s Welcome

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Welcome to the new 2014 / 2015 Guinness PRO12 season.

We are delighted to have Guinness on board as our Title Sponsor. They are a major global brand with a longstanding involvement and association with rugby and we are very much looking forward to growing the Guinness PRO12 together. We would also like to welcome our new broadcast partner Sky Sports to the Guinness PRO12. They will be broadcasting 33 live matches this season, making our competition available to all of the UK public, as well as Ireland. To our longstanding partners, Rhino and Specsavers - thank you for your continued support and input over the years. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank our other valued broadcasters BBC Wales, BBC Northern Ireland, BBC Alba, S4C and TG4. We will announce our Italian Broadcast partner shortly. We look forward toworkingwith the traditional and onlinemedia again this season and continuing our promotion of the Guinness PRO12, the premier rugby competition in Ireland, Italy, Scotland andWales. For the 5th year in a row, our competition has achieved year on year growth in attendance at games and in our TV audiences. We experienced record breaking crowds for both our Play-Offs and our Final. Our digital platforms have grown exponentially and we are proud to have launched our new Guinness PRO12 App this week. It was great to see the captains and coaches of all 12 clubs present at our recent launch at Diageo Headquarters and we wish them all well for the season ahead. Their performance and passion is what makes our competition a success. This is matched by the dedication by both the match officials and you, the fans, who all combine to ensure lots of exciting entertainment at all our matches! Last weekend we had lots of exciting rugby with an average 5.5 tries and over 42 points scored per game. No doubt the season ahead will be of particular interest to our 227 current internationals, originating from 14 countries, who will be looking to represent their nations at next year’s Rugby World Cup. Others will also be trying to break into the international squads too so all performances will be closely monitored, something which will only add to the Guinness PRO12. Hope you enjoy today’s game and Happy New (Rugby) Year!

John Feehan Chief Executive Guinness PRO12

PRO12RUGBY.COM

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A VERYWARMWELCOME FROM GUINNESS A very warm welcome to Kingspan Stadium for Round Two of the new GUINNESS PRO12 season. What a

campaign we have in store, with some of Europe’s finest going head-to-head in one of the most competitive tournaments in the world.

As rugby lovers you will know all about our long-standing heritage in this great game; the GUINNESS PRO12 marks the next exciting chapter. At GUINNESS we are passionate about rugby, and we look forward to welcoming fans from across Wales, Scotland, Ireland and Italy to get together and celebrate great days out with a pint of the black stuff. At GUINNESS we are also delighted to be the Official Responsible Drinking Partner of PRO12, so look out for ways we will be helping fans throughout the season to enjoy their day in a responsible manner. On the pitch Leinster were, of course, crowned as champions last season in what was a thrilling end to the campaign. This season is set to be equally as captivating with each team dreaming of potential glory in May. It promises to be one of the most exciting seasons yet, and with an exciting new broadcast deal for the GUINNESS PRO12 with Sky Sports, as fans you will be able to get closer to the action than ever before.

We hope you enjoy the game today, and look forward to welcoming you back for Round Three of the GUINNESS PRO12!

John Kennedy President, Diageo Europe

CATCHING UP WITH ROGER WILSON

ON Captaincy I have had the honour of captaining the side a few times in the past, it probably comes with the amount of experience I have now and the number of years I have under my belt. I am the oldest player in the squad this season but I was really happy to be asked and obviously relished the experience until Rory returned. ON Pre-season Pre-seasons tend not to differ an awful lot but this year we did a lot more BJJ Jujitsu style training instead of doing more contact and it has been great for fitness. Generally the sessions optimise our time much more, we fit as much as we can into the day and try to absorb as much information as we can. Pitch sessions are short and sharp which is much more intense. In terms of the games, it was

ON The season starting Pre-season can drag on so the lads were dying to get stuck back into rugby. We enjoyed the friendly games but it’s great to get back into competitive games, it’s down to business now and this is when the results really count. It was great to come back fighting against Scarlets and it is testimony to the work both physically and mentally that we put in over the summer. ON Zebre We do fancy our chances tonight, we would like to think that we have built a fortress here at Kingspan. Teams don’t enjoy coming here, they know what they are up against and it’s up to us to lay down a positive marker at the first competitive home game of the season.

ROGER WILSON

You sometimes don’t know what you are going to get with Italian sides, I am sure they will be physical but we have just got to focus on ourselves. Andrew Trimble and Luke Marshall are available from Ireland again this weekend, they had a super run out last weekend so that can only benefit us and the lads can’t wait to see a packed house at Kingspan. ON Developing

always going to be tough travelling to play Leinster and to get the result was great. I thought we started the game really well, much better than the week before, the Exeter game was a bit slow, obviously it was our first game back but I just thought things were better against Leinster. Those young guys and the new players who were given the opportunity to play really

I am always trying to learn, that was my 14th pre-season, so it would be easy for me to stay in my comfort zone but its important that I keep pushing myself. As a group we are working on being able to think clearly under fatigue so we have been doing a lot of fitness drills until exhaustion and then running plays so it is all about thinking clearly and making the right decision even when you’re tired. This recreates what its like in a game and has made training really challenging but definitely beneficial. ON Goals this season The main goal is to nail down a starting spot as much as I can. I am getting on a bit, I am the oldest in the squad now and there is so much young competition coming through, so for me it is just to keep the standards high, keep training well, keep enthusiastic and enjoy playing as much as possible.

stuck their hands up. ON The newcomers

Andy Warwick had a really good game against Mike Ross in Dublin; Louis Ludik has really impressed me over the past few weeks, he is physical and gets stuck in and also Sean Reidy had a good pre-season run as well, everyone is pleased with how things have gone over the past few weeks but those are the three stand out performers for me so far. ON Improvements We still need to work on ball retention, but that comes with getting more game time under our belts. Early games tend to be scrappy, there are a lot of new combinations and players who haven’t played together before are just getting used to each other and also match fitness will only improve with time. It’s just a case of getting more game time in, trying to lift things up another level and tidy things up.

ULSTER RUGBY

www.ulsterrugby.com

“I AM ALWAYS TRYING TO LEARN, THAT WAS MY 14TH PRE-SEASON, SO IT WOULD BE EASY FOR ME TO STAY IN MY COMFORT ZONE BUT ITS IMPORTANT THAT I KEEP PUSHING MYSELF” ROGER WILSON

www.ulsterrugby.com

ULSTERRUGBY

ZEBRE PREVIEW

HEAD TO HEAD

ULSTER 13 ZEBRE 6

FRIDAY 20TH DECEMBER 2013 KINGSPAN STADIUM

MATCH STATS:

ULSTER TRY

ZEBRE PENALTIES

Jared Payne Ruan Pienaar

Tommaso Iannone Luciano Orquera

CONVERSION

Ruan Pienaar (2)

PENALTIES

FORM GUIDE The team are back at Kingspan Stadium for their first competitive game of the season tonight. Ulster’s only victory in their last five Guinness PRO12 encounters was 19-17 at Munster in Round 22 last season, with their 32-all draw in Llanelli on Saturday being their highest scoring draw in the history of the tournament. Ulster were defeated 20-22 on their most recent match in Belfast and have not lost back-to-back matches at Kingspan Stadium since April 2010. The Ulstermen’s only previous defeat to an Italian opponent in any tournament came at home to Treviso in the PRO12 in October 2011. Zebre have slipped to successive defeats, at Glasgow and at home to Cardiff Blues, whilst their only previous away victory came at Cardiff in round 3 last season. Ulster have won all four previous contests against Zebre although the Italians have garnered two losing bonus points and a try bonus point along the way.

ULSTER SCORERS

ZEBRE

U Z

DATE

VENUE

SCORERS

Sat 30 Nov 13 Stadio XXV Aprile

19 11

Darren Cave(T) Paddy Jackson(C/4P)

Guglielmo Palazzani(T) Gonzalo Garcia(2P)

Rob Herring(T) Ricky Andrew(T) Ruan Pienaar(3P) Robbie Diack(2T)

Daniel Halangahu(P)

Fri 15 Feb 13 Kingspan Stadium 26 3

Paddy Wallace(T) Niall O’Connor(C/5P) Penalty Try(T)

Sun 18 Nov 12 Stadio XXV Aprile

27 25

Daniel Halangahu(T/C/P) Tito Tebaldi(T) Dries van Schalkwyk(2T)

www. ulster rugby.com

ULSTER RUGBY

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NEVIN SPENCE ALWAYS WITH US

Monday will mark the second anniversary of the tragic death of Nevin, Noel and Graham Spence in a farming accident.

Nevin’s passing had a profound impact on the players, management and staff of Ulster Rugby. Two years on, it is still impossible to comprehend how a young player, so talented, so humble and with such a massive future in both sport and life, could be so cruelly taken from us. Following his death, a commitment was made that as long as Ulster Rugby exists, the name and the player ‘Nevin Spence’ will never be forgotten. As part of that promise, a new education and heritage centre will open next year in the new Memorial End Stand – ‘The Nevin Spence Centre’ extolling the virtues that Nevin so brilliantly displayed – namely a healthy life style, sporting success and a passion for Ulster Rugby. As we approach the second anniversary of Nevin’s death, we asked our captain, Rory Best, our Head

His was the only signature I needed to complete the shirt. Typically Nevin wondered why the shirt needed his signature but reluctantly in the end he did it. On Monday, as a squad we will come together to remember Nevin. The young rugby player and our friend who was tragically taken from us on the 15th September 2012. Remembering Nevin is a very personal thing but today represents a collective understanding that this date should be marked by the squad spending time together. To pay our respects, to share our memories and to support each other. This is the ‘fixture’ in our season that will remain constant. The date if fixed. There will be no cheering crowd, no tries, no crunching tackles and no points won or lost. The result will be the same each year. It will be the reality check in the often-mad world o f professional rugby.

NEVIN SPENCE

of Physiotherapy, Gareth Robinson and our Chaplain, Reverend Andrew Thompson, to reflect on what Nevin meant and continues to mean to them. RORY BEST

Monday will represent the time when we reflect on how Nevin touched our lives and how through his memory he continues to be an example to us all. Nevin was just a great person to know and work with. He wasn’t a noisy loud in your face type of person. He was humble honest and committed. I’m not sure if Nevin ever recognised the talent he had but anyone who saw him train or play respected him and his talent fully. Not that Nevin was shy! His occasional flirtation with treatment

It is hard to believe that it is two years since Nevin so sadly passed away. If you ask any member of the squad they will be able to tell you exactly where they were when they heard the devastating news. The two years have flown by. In many respects for us and for the players, life has had

to continue. Things have happened – we have won games and we have lost games. We have been in finals. Rugby has gone on. But just as it has seemed that the two years have gone quickly I have no doubt that it has been a long two years for the Spence family. They are always in our thoughts. For Ulster Rugby, the 15th September will always be a sad occasion. As a squad we will come together with management and staff on Monday to remember Nevin. We will reflect and there will be sadness. However, we will also enjoy sharing stories about him – things that he did on the rugby pitch, games that he played and those terrible jokes that he told. Monday will be sad day, but those memories of Nevin bring so much joy. GARETH ROBINSON The last time I saw Nevin was the night before he died. The team had just beaten Munster and he was in the changing room congratulating the boys. Just before he left I asked him to sign a shirt for me.

room stand up was far from funny yet it was. He made us laugh and he made us cringe! Both Alan and I got to spend a fair bit of time with Nevin through his career. Its safe to say he hated being injured. A limb could literally be falling off and it would be “nothing to worry about”. There wasn’t an aliment a “flam” or a “painkiller” couldn’t cure! When he was injured he worked so hard to get back. He was as determined through his rehabilitation as he was in a match. Nevin was one of life’s good guys. For such a talented young man he possessed such solid values. The underlying thing that fuelled and maintained these values was his faith. A strong deep faith that allowed him to keep his integrity in a challenging world. By recognising and understanding his faith and that of his family it has allowed us to reason he is happy and safe now. Even in his death Nevin has had influence. We miss Nevin. For a long time after his death we expected him to walk into the treatment room and everything be fine. He never did.

ULSTER RUGBY

www. ulster rugby.com

I wonder where that shirt with Nevin’s signature has ended up? What I do know is that now, every time an Ulster shirt is pulled before a match Nevin’s ‘signature’ is there. It might not be in bold black ink but it is entwined in the fabric of the shirt this team and this organisation. He is always with us. REVEREND ANDREW THOMPSON Some people will tell us, “There’s no future living in the past!” Why, then, do we have this tendency as human beings to always want to cast our gaze back to bygone times? From simple birthdays and anniversaries, to the recollection of former sporting glories, to the commemoration of historically significant events, as families and a society we clearly recognise the importance of remembering the past. In Bible times, God consistently encouraged people to look back and remember. Through communion and the familiar landmarks in the calendar like Christmas and Easter, our churches recall and celebrate events that took place hundreds, even thousands of years ago. It is important to look back and remember, because past events can teach us so much that it relevant to our present and our future. In terms of faith, it is by recalling how God has demonstrated His goodness and power in the past that we are inspired and equipped to serve Him in the present and assured to know that He is looking after the future. Those associated with Ulster Rugby feel that it is important to look back this weekend and reflect on the tragic death of Nevin Spence, alongside his father, Noel and brother, Graham, two years ago. We remember them because, in so doing, we celebrate and keep alive the things that were important to them including commitment, loyalty, discipline, family and faith. Our prayer is that Nevin Spence’s example continues to shine and serves as an inspiration, especially to the young people of our Province who will visit the centre that bears his name. We also remember, most importantly, because we know that, for the members of the Spence family, their circle of friends and Nevin’s teammates, their loss is still raw and painful – it is important that they continue to know that we love and support them and that God will never forget or leave their side.

www.ulsterrugby.com

ULSTERRUGBY

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INTER PROVINCIAL SERIES 2014

ULSTER U20s Allen Clarke and Kieran Campbell’s charges got their inter-provincial campaign off to the perfect start with a bonus point 27-7 win over Connacht at Kingspan Stadium last Friday night. Ulster enjoyed much of the possession and territory in the first half but failed to convert a number of scoring opportunities, Sean O’Hagan’s penalty the only reward for their dominance. A strong second period yielded 24 points that came courtesy of tries from Connor Young, Adam Liddell, Jack Owens and Lorcan Dow. O’Hagan converted two of the scores. The back three of Liddell, Owens and Jacob Stockdale looked dangerous throughout and look to have promising futures, while up front, Lorcan Dow made his presence felt with some strong carries and good defensive work. ULSTER U19s Ulster U19s fought hard against a resolute Connacht team to secure a 24-17 triumph at Belfast Harlequins RFC on Saturday. The side, which contained a mix of school and club players, took their time to settle before opening up a 14 point gap, only for that to be reduced to 7 late on. Jonny Rossborough, Matt Fisher, Andrew Cordosi and Adam McBurney scored the tries which sealed a four try bonus, while Gareth Millar converted two. ULSTER SCHOOLS The Ulster Schools team scored four tries in each half to register a comprehensive 53-0 win over Connacht in Ballinasloe on Saturday afternoon. Robert Lyttle scored a first half brace and Conor Field and Fergus Jemphrey also touched down to seal the bonus point by half time. Jemphrey added his second after the interval, with Conor Kelly, Ben O’Reilly and Jack Howard also scoring. The rest of the points came from the accurate boots of Lyttle and Matthew McDowell. The young Ulstermen produced a superb performance and scored some incisive tries but they can expect to face tougher challenges in their remaining two fixtures.

ULSTER U18 CLUBS Chris Parker and his assistants Gareth Bronte and Jonny Graham, will hope their training over the past few months (which involved players from 22 different clubs) will pay off when they start their campaign tomorrow against Leinster at Navan RFC. ULSTER WOMEN Ulster Women began their inter-pro series in disappointing fashion, losing 0-22 to an experienced Munster side in front of a good crowd at Kingspan Stadium on Saturday afternoon. The damage was done in the first half as the visitors scored three tries to earn a 17 point advantage at the break. Munster got their fourth try shortly after half time but Ulster responded with a good spell, in which they deserved a score of their own. While the hosts were second best for much of the game, the Ulster coaching staff will draw plenty of positives from a spirited second half performance. There were some promising moments from Queen’s University backs Peita McAlister and Emma Jordan, two of four players to make their first competitive start for the Province

INTER PRO UPDATE

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ULSTER RUGBY

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INTER PROS FIXTURES

INTER PROVINCIAL SERIES 2014 FIXTURES

ULSTER U20s

ULSTER U18 CLUBS

INTER PRO UPDATE

ULSTER V LEINSTER SATURDAY 13TH SEPTEMBER 4.00PM, KINGSPAN STADIUM MUNSTER V ULSTER SATURDAY 20TH SEPTEMBER 2.00PM, MARDYKE, CORK

ULSTER V LEINSTER SATURDAY 13TH SEPTEMBER

2.00PM NAVAN RFC MUNSTER V ULSTER

SATURDAY 20TH SEPTEMBER 1.00PM KINGSPAN STADIUM MUNSTER V ULSTER SATURDAY 27TH SEPTEMBER 1.30PM SPORTSGROUND

ULSTER U19s

ULSTER V LEINSTER SATURDAY 13TH SEPTEMBER 2.30PM, BELFAST HARLEQUINS RFC MUNSTER V ULSTER SATURDAY 20TH SEPTEMBER 2.00PM, MARDYKE, CORK

ULSTER WOMEN

CONNACHT V ULSTER SATURDAY 13TH SEPTEMBER 2.00PM SPORTSGROUND LEINSTER V ULSTER SATURDAY 20TH SEPTEMBER 2.00PM ASHBOURNE RFC

ULSTER SCHOOLS

ULSTER V LEINSTER SATURDAY 13TH SEPTEMBER 2.30PM, ST. MARY’S RFC MUNSTER V ULSTER SATURDAY 20TH SEPTEMBER 3.30PM, KINGSPAN STADIUM

ULSTER REPRESENTATIVE GAMES AT KINGSPAN STADIUM ULSTER U20S V LEINSTER SATURDAY 13TH SEPTEMBER 4.00PM ULSTER U18 CLUBS V MUNSTER SATURDAY 20TH SEPTEMBER 1.00PM ULSTER SCHOOLS V MUNSTER SATURDAY 20TH SEPTEMBER 3.30PM

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ULSTER RUGBY

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TONIGHT’S MASCOTS

MASCOTS

BEN BEST (4) Ben is from Gilford and attends

LEWIS TOLERTON (9) Lewis attends Downshire Primary School in Hillsborough. He plays mini rugby for Lisburn RFC and also enjoys golf and football. Lewis is a massive Ulster Rugby and Ireland supporter and his favourite player is Andrew Trimble.

Armstrong Primary School in Armagh. He plays mini rugby at Banbridge RFC and also enjoys farming, swimming and playing football. Ben’s favourite player is Rory Best, because that is his Dad!

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ULSTER RUGBY

MATCH PREVIEW

ULSTER RUGBY

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IT’S THE AGE OF THE SQUAD ULSTER and the revamped Guinness PRO12 League are up-and-running!

by ROD NAWN

The deftness and intelligence we have come to expect of the Ulster players, so well-coached and so driven, will be matched by just how cleverly resources at Kingspan are handled. Just as we await Ruan Pienaar’s arrival after he completes his campaign in the Rugby Championship with South Africa so too we know that Ireland’s call to Belfast will be a widespread one. Success – and Ulster has set many such ‘markers’ over the last decade – brings recognition to the individuals concerned, so Chris Henry, skipper Rory Best, Rob Herring, Declan Fitzpatrick, Robbie Diack, Iain Henderson, Dan Tuohy, Andrew Trimble, Darren Cave, Luke Marshall, Tommy Bowe, Paddy Jackson, Paul Marshall, the restored Stuart Olding, Craig Gilroy and newly-qualified Jared Payne can expect to be involved busily in Ulster and Ireland training camps for the year ahead. And others too will catch Joe Schmidt’s eye, be assured. So never has it been truer that the strength of a side is judged by the quality and range of its squad. In that regard Ulster is in a very good place, for Rory Scholes, Michael Heaney, Michael Allen, Sean Reidy and Mike McComish – for example – won’t regard themselves as anything other than in the top tier, they and others determined to give their all and to be in as many matchday panels as fitness and form allows. Ian Humphreys’ has returned to the fold and slipped comfortably into the No. 10 spot, offering the seamless continuity the management was so keen to ensure as Jackson’s international star continues to rise. And, modest and rooted though he is, Ian doesn’t cross the whitewash believing he’s anyone but the right choice. As the Scarlets learned last Saturday! So, for those who may think that the many references which coaches make to the value of ‘the squad’ are rather glib, think again. It’s not just a fifteen-man game, or even a 23- man game, it’s about a side picked to supply a performance and a result and backed up by a support system on the bench, on the training ground, and managed and coached by professionals with a keen, undimmed enthusiasm for rugby and keeping Ulster at the top table. It’s a sport now which offers opportunity for so many, and to ‘make the cut’ into the squad is a recognition of being special, of being an Ulster player.

The early preparatory jousting with Exeter and at Leinster indeed did fulfil a vital service to interim Director of Rugby Les Kiss. Some players not immediately identified as ‘starters’ demonstrated their quality, and – importantly – their readiness for the heat of competitive battle. Some new recruits, experienced and less hardened, pulled the jersey on for the first time and suddenly Ludik, Scholes, Warwick, Ricky and John Andrew, Butterworth, Herbst, Stockdale and Van der Merwe were elevated into the fans’ consciousness as part of the Ulster family. It’s almost a cliché, not confined to rugby, but team sport at the top level now most assuredly is about the strength and breadth of the squad. There are league games aplenty - and this Friday night at Kingspan Stadium will generate a special fervour – and there are exciting European challenges to come in the Champions’ Cup. Les Kiss, and perhaps especially Neil Doak, Jonny Bell and Allen Clarke, will want a deep pool of committed talent to call on in the months ahead. It’s not just the proliferation of games which requires the rotation of players to get appropriate rest, but injuries are the anticipated but always unpredictable hurdles which must be overcome: confidence in the players asked to step up and indeed make a case for retention will be high this season. That is evidenced by the attacking verve shown against Exeter in Belfast, the gritty discipline on show in the defeat of Leinster at Tallaght, and the combination of those – allied to the genuine character which saw points secured in last weekend’s thrilling draw in the ‘opener’ at Scarlets – hints at a season which could surprise those who felt the Province might need a year for transition on and off the field. But the performance in Llanelli, for instance, was achieved without a clutch of Ireland internationals who will be gradually ‘weaned’ back into the fray. The player management protocols may frustrate club coaches at times, but it has proved its worth at the very top level. Players are limited in the number of games they will play in a season to ensure their skills, fitness and energies are sustained. Les Kiss, with his double role with Ulster and with Ireland, will attest to how successful such well-monitored care has helped the national side in recent years, and he will be particularly expert at marking out the games and the teams which require ‘horses for courses’. The autumn internationals and the 2015 Six Nations Championship have assumed even greater import in a fifteen-month cycle which will climax with a World Cup next year.

Article by Rod Nawn Freelance Journalist and Sports Enthusiast @RODNAWN1

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ULSTER RUGBY

MICHAEL ALLEN

RICKY ANDREW

Centre/Wing 28.11.90 183cm 97kg 36 -

Fullback 02.12.89 185cm 87kg 18 -

POSITION BORN

HEIGHT WEIGHT ULSTER CAPS INT. CAPS

RORY BEST (C)

CALLUM BLACK

Hooker 15.08.82 180cm 110kg 152 74

Prop 25.02.86 180cm 110kg 61 -

POSITION BORN

ULSTER RUBGY

HEIGHT WEIGHT ULSTER CAPS INT. CAPS

TOMMY BOWE

CHARLIE BUTTERWORTH

Wing 22.02.84 191cm 102kg 118 53

POSITION BORN

Back Row - 195cm 115kg 0 -

POSITION BORN

HEIGHT WEIGHT ULSTER CAPS INT. CAPS

DARREN CAVE

ROBBIE DIACK

Centre 05.04.87 184cm 97kg 134 5, 10A

Back Row 12.11.85 196cm 109kg 129 -

POSITION BORN

HEIGHT WEIGHT ULSTER CAPS INT. CAPS

DECLAN FITZPATRICK

CRAIG GILROY

Wing 11.03.91 183cm 90kg 85 5

Prop 12.07.83 182cm 118kg 87 5, 9A

POSITION BORN

HEIGHT WEIGHT ULSTER CAPS INT. CAPS

MICHAEL HEANEY

IAIN HENDERSON

Scrumhalf 05.11.90 176cm 78kg 21 -

POSITION BORN

Back Row 21.02.92 200cm 115kg 40 9, 1A

POSITION BORN

HEIGHT WEIGHT ULSTER CAPS INT. CAPS

ULSTER RUGBY

www. ulster rugby.com

CHRIS HENRY

WIEHAHN HERBST

Back Row 17.10.84 191cm 105kg 119 13, 10A

POSITION BORN

Prop 05.07.88 180cm 114kg 1 -

POSITION BORN

HEIGHT WEIGHT ULSTER CAPS INT. CAPS

SQUAD 2014/15

ROB HERRING

IAN HUMPHREYS

Hooker 27.04.90 183cm 103kg 48 -

Outhalf 24.04.82 178cm 85kg 85 -

POSITION BORN

HEIGHT WEIGHT ULSTER CAPS INT. CAPS

PADDY JACKSON

CONOR JOYCE

Outhalf 05.01.92 179cm 87kg 64 9, 1A

POSITION BORN

Back Row 05.07.93 192cm 106kg 4 -

POSITION BORN

HEIGHT WEIGHT ULSTER CAPS INT. CAPS

RICKY LUTTON

LOUIS LUDIK

Prop 26.02.86 183cm 115kg 23 -

POSITION BORN

Fullback 10.08.86 182cm 92kg 1 -

POSITION BORN

HEIGHT WEIGHT ULSTER CAPS INT. CAPS

LUKE MARSHALL

PAUL MARSHALL

Centre 03.11.91 181cm 96kg 54 5

POSITION BORN

Scrumhalf 26.07.85 172cm 80kg 124 3, 2 A

POSITION BORN

HEIGHT WEIGHT ULSTER CAPS INT. CAPS

STUART McCLOSKEY

KYLE McCALL

Centre - 195cm 105kg 4 -

POSITION BORN

Hooker 02.01.92 176cm 108kg 3 -

POSITION BORN

HEIGHT WEIGHT ULSTER CAPS INT. CAPS

www. ulster rugby.com

ULSTER RUGBY

NEIL McCOMB

MIKE McCOMISH

2nd Row 15.07.83 201cm 120kg 40 -

POSITION BORN

Back Row 07.12.83 190cm 106kg 40 -

POSITION BORN

HEIGHT WEIGHT ULSTER CAPS INT. CAPS

SQUAD 2014/15

RUAIDHRI MURPHY

PETER NELSON

Fullback 05.10.92 180cm 84kg 14 -

Prop

POSITION BORN

187cm 115.5kg 0 -

HEIGHT WEIGHT ULSTER CAPS INT. CAPS

STUART OLDING

JARED PAYNE

Outhalf 11.03.93 176cm 88kg 20 1

Fullback 13.10.85 186cm 97kg 50 -

POSITION BORN

HEIGHT WEIGHT ULSTER CAPS INT. CAPS

RUAN PIENAAR

SEAN REIDY

Scrumhalf 10.03.84 187cm 90kg 80 79 (SA)

POSITION BORN

Back Row 10.05.89 180cm 100kg 0 -

POSITION BORN

HEIGHT WEIGHT ULSTER CAPS INT. CAPS

BRONSON ROSS

CLIVE ROSS

Prop 16.09.85 183cm 118kg 1 -

Back Row 14.06.89 192cm 104kg 0 -

POSITION BORN

HEIGHT WEIGHT ULSTER CAPS INT. CAPS

DAVE RYAN

RORY SCHOLES

Prop

POSITION BORN

Wing 24.04.93 186cm 95kg 5 -

POSITION BORN

183cm 116kg 0 -

HEIGHT WEIGHT ULSTER CAPS INT. CAPS

www. ulster rugby.com

ULSTER RUGBY

“Carrick-a-Rede, theharbour fromGame ofThrones, theDarkHedges... There’sso muchmore totheCausewayCoast than I ever imagined.”

Orla, Drogheda

Take a leaf out of Orla’s book and discover Northern Ireland’s Causeway Coastal Route. Thehome of Game of Thrones. This landscape ismagical. Aplace of hiddengems like the amazingCarrick-a-RedeRopeBridge andancientwonders like theGiant’s Causeway and itsVisitor Centre. Take a roadtrip for two andexplore it. Check into a fabulous spahotel, or a coastal B&B, and stopoff at pretty fishing villages and seafront restaurants. You’ll soon see why the Causeway Coastal Route is world famous.

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Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge, Co. Antrim

JAMES SIMPSON

LEWIS STEVENSON

2nd Row 03.11.90 197cm 115kg 1 -

2nd Row 01.06.84 200cm 116kg

POSITION BORN

HEIGHT WEIGHT ULSTER CAPS INT. CAPS

62 1A

SQUAD 2014/15

ANDREW TRIMBLE

DAN TUOHY

Wing 20.10.84 187cm 99kg 183 54 3 A

POSITION BORN

2nd Row 18.06.85 197cm 115kg 110 9, 3 A

POSITION BORN

HEIGHT WEIGHT ULSTER CAPS INT. CAPS

FRANCO VAN DER MERWE

ANDREW WARWICK

2nd Row 15.03.83 198cm 115kg 1 -

Prop 12.03.91 180cm 111kg 7 -

POSITION BORN

HEIGHT WEIGHT ULSTER CAPS INT. CAPS

NICK WILLIAMS

ROGER WILSON

Back Row 21.09.81 191cm 106kg 155 1, 11 A

POSITION BORN

Back Row 02.12.83 189cm 122kg 42 -

POSITION BORN

HEIGHT WEIGHT ULSTER CAPS INT. CAPS

ULSTER RUGBY SQUAD SEASON 2014/15

www. ulster rugby.com

ULSTER RUGBY

ULSTER RUGBY FRIDAY 12TH SEPTEMBER KICK O

15 14 13 12 11

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

RICKY ANDREW

ANDREW WARWICK

ULSTER RUGBY

RORY BEST (C)

ANDREW TRIMBLE

WIEHAHN HERBST

DARREN CAVE

LEWIS STEVENSON

LUKE MARSHALL

CRAIG GILROY

DAN TUOHY

10 IAIN HUMPHREYS 9 PAUL MARSHALL

ROBBIE DIACK

CHRIS HENRY

REPLACEMENTS FROM 16 17 18 19 R HERRING R MURPHY B ROSS F VD MERWE 20 21 22 23

R WILSON M HEANEY S OLDING L LUDIK

NICK WILLIAMS

REFEREE ASSISTANT REFEREE’S CITING COMMISSIONER TMO TODAYS OFFICIALS

LEIGHTON HODGES (WRU, 42ND COMPETITION GAME) PETER FITZGIBBON (IRFU) // JOHN CARVILL (IRFU) EUGENE RYAN (IRFU) MARSHALL KILGORE (IRFU)

ULSTER RUGBY

www. ulster rugby.com

ZEBRE RUGBY 014 - KINGSPAN STADIUM F 19.35 1

15 14 13 12 11 10

ZEBRE RUGBY

HENDRIK DANILLER

ANDREA DE MARCHI

2 3 4 5 6 7

DAVID ODIETE

ANDREA MANICI

GIULIO BISEGNI

DARIO CHISTOLINI

GONZALO GARCIA (C)

ANDRIES FERREIRA

GIULIO TONIOLATTI

GEORGE BIAGI

KELLY HAIMONA

MAURO BERGAMASCO

9 8

BRENDON LEONARD

FILIPPO FERRARINI

REPLACEMENTS FROM O FABIANI A LOVOTTI L LEIBSON V BERNABÒ 20 21 22 23 16 17 18 19

Q GELDENHUYS S VUNISA G PALAZZANI E PADOVANI

ANDRIES V SCHALKWYK

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ULSTER RUGBY

MATIAS AGUERO

MAURO BERGAMASCO

Prop 13.02.1981 183cm 109kg ITA (26)

Flanker 01/05/1979 183cm 102kg ITA (100)

POSITION BORN HEIGHT WEIGHT INT. CAPS

MIRCO BERGAMASCO

VALERIO BERNABÒ

Utility Back 23/02/1983 180cm 94kg ITA (89)

Lock 03/03/1984

POSITION BORN HEIGHT WEIGHT INT. CAPS

198 110 ITA (23)

ZEBRE RUGBY

DION BERRYMAN

GEORGE BIAGI

Fullback 20/04/1986 178cm 86kg —

POSITION BORN HEIGHT WEIGHT INT. CAPS

Lock 04/10/1985 199cm

POSITION BORN HEIGHT WEIGHT INT. CAPS

116kg ITA (3)

GIULIO BISEGNI

MARCO BORTOLAMI

Centre 04/04/1992 180kg 83cm —

Lock 12/06/1980 196cm 112kg TA (107)

POSITION BORN HEIGHT WEIGHT INT. CAPS

ALBERTO CHILLON

DARIO CHISTOLINI

Prop 14/09/1988 179cm

Scrum half 05/12/1990 177cm 83kg ITA (1)

POSITION BORN HEIGHT WEIGHT INT. CAPS

112kg ITA (2)

FILIPPO CRISTIANO

HENDRIK DANILLER

Flanker 13/03/1987 188cm 103kg —

POSITION BORN HEIGHT WEIGHT INT. CAPS

Fullback 05/04/1984 194cm 100kg —

POSITION BORN HEIGHT WEIGHT INT. CAPS

ULSTER RUGBY

www. ulster rugby.com

ANDREA DE MARCHI

TOMMASO D’APICE

Prop 19/11/1988 187cm

POSITION BORN HEIGHT WEIGHT INT. CAPS

Hooker 30/06/1988 182cm 107kg ITA (10)

POSITION BORN HEIGHT WEIGHT INT. CAPS

113kg ITA (2)

SQUAD 2014/15

OLIVIERO FABIANI

FILIPPO FERRARINI

Hooker 13/07/1990 180cm 98kg —

Flanker 07/09/1990 183cm 103kg —

POSITION BORN HEIGHT WEIGHT INT. CAPS

ANDRIES FERREIRA

GONZALO GARCIA

Lock 29/03/1990 197cm 122kg —

POSITION BORN HEIGHT WEIGHT INT. CAPS

Centre 18/02/1984 186cm 95kg ITA (35)

POSITION BORN HEIGHT WEIGHT INT. CAPS

KELLY HAIMONA

QUINTIN GELDENHUYS

Fly half 30/07/1986 186cm 114kg —

POSITION BORN HEIGHT WEIGHT INT. CAPS

Lock 19/06/1981 204cm 119kg ITA (49)

POSITION BORN HEIGHT WEIGHT INT. CAPS

TOMMASO IANNONE

LUCIANO LEIBSON

Utility Back 16/09/1990 181cm 85kg ITA (10)

POSITION BORN HEIGHT WEIGHT INT. CAPS

Prop 01/07/1988 183cm 112kg —

POSITION BORN HEIGHT WEIGHT INT. CAPS

ANDREA LOVOTTI

BRENDON LEONARD

Prop 28/07/1989 183cm 111kg —

POSITION BORN HEIGHT WEIGHT INT. CAPS

Scrum half 16/04/1985 182cm 96kg NZL (13)

POSITION BORN HEIGHT WEIGHT INT. CAPS

www. ulster rugby.com

ULSTER RUGBY

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DAVID ODIETE

ANDREA MANICI

Wing 24/02/1993 181cm 86kg —

Hooker 4/28/90 182cm 104kg ITA (3)

POSITION BORN HEIGHT WEIGHT INT. CAPS

SQUAD 2014/15

LUCIANO ORQUERA

EDOARDO PADOVANI

Fly half 12/10/1981 171cm 80kg ITA (44)

Fly Half 15/05/1993 189cm 90kg —

POSITION BORN HEIGHT WEIGHT INT. CAPS

MATTEO PRATICHETTI

GUGLIELMO PALAZZANI

Centre 27/07/1985 190cm 96kg ITA (24)

Scrum Half 11/04/1991 173cm 83kg ITA (3)

POSITION BORN HEIGHT WEIGHT INT. CAPS

LORENZO ROMANO

LEONARDO SARTO

Prop 31/03/1989 190cm

Wing 15/01/1992 192cm 93kg ITA (9)

POSITION BORN HEIGHT WEIGHT INT. CAPS

123kg ITA (2)

GIULIO TONIOLATTI

ANDRIES VAN SCHALKWYK

Wing 15/01/1984 180cm 86kg ITA (12)

POSITION BORN HEIGHT WEIGHT INT. CAPS

Number 8 21/12/1984

POSITION BORN HEIGHT WEIGHT INT. CAPS

193 105 —

GIOVANBATTISTA VENDITTI

SAMUELA VUNISA

Number 8 8/19/88 187cm 120kg —

POSITION BORN HEIGHT WEIGHT INT. CAPS

Wing 27/03/1990 188cm 111kg ITA (22)

POSITION BORN HEIGHT WEIGHT INT. CAPS

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ULSTER RUGBY

Suppliers of fresh produce to the Ulster Rugby team.

Official suppliers of fresh produce to the Ulster Rugby team.

ULSTER RUGBY

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TONIGHT’S OPPOSITION

Zebre Rugby are ready to be part of a key season of Guinness PRO12

CLUB STATS //Location Parma, Italy //Founded 1973 //Ground Stadio XXV Aprile, Parma //Capacity 3,500 //Last Game Cardiff Blues (H) 26-41 (L) Sun 7 September, 17:55 //Next Game Munster Rugby (A) Fri 19 September, 19:30 //Recent Form L W W L L

It all started last Sunday, the third season of PRO12 Rugby for Zebre who completed the first round of the competition at home to Welsh side, Cardiff Blues. The summer began for the men in white and black in early July when many Italian internationals who took part in the June South Pacific tour to Fiji, Samoa and Japan and other players were capped with the Emerging Italy team in Georgia, found themselves back in the rugby city of Parma. The technical guide has remained in the hands of Andrea Cavinato, confirmed for the second season, while the forwards have been entrusted to new head coach, Victor Jimenez, former Italy U20s coach. The pre-season saw Bortolami and his teammates stay in Italy; joining a 10-day retreat in the mountains of the Apennines of Reggio Emilia in the territory of the franchise. On 800 metres of Castelnuovo ne’ Monti Zebre, have been able to work well both on the technical, athletic side of their game but also on team building. The club faced its first friendly against the Italian champions Rugby Calvisano on the field of Castelnuovo with a well deserved 42-21 victory. In the second outing in Rovigo against the finalists of the last Italian championship came their second win by 27 points to 7. Pre-season therefore provided two great challenges from a physical point of view that prepared the boys well for their 2014/15 debut in the GUINNESS PRO12 league. On Sunday, Zebre struggled to maintain their unbeaten home run against an ambitious Cardiff Blues side, led by a new Kiwi coach, Mark Hammett, who avenged the double defeat of last season by winning a balanced match in front of a large audience at the Stadio XXV Aprile in Parma.

Two Zebre mistakes were immediately exploited by the Blues who took a 14-0 lead, the men in black and white were back into the game thanks to an excellent scrummaging effort that led to the first try for the former All-Black, Leonard followed by flanker, Ferrarini. The lead did not last long thanks to a great kick from over 50 metres by Patchell, who was voted man of the match. In the second half, despite the great heat, it was a very enjoyable game which remained in the balance due to an additional three tries. One by the Italians and two by the Welsh which closed the match in favour of the guests. The Zebras have maintained the same backbone of last season, which ended with five wins and two draws. This season 12 new athletes have arrived: international lock Bernabò came from Treviso while two new South Africans have arrived from the Super Rugby franchise the Cheetahs: Ferreira and Daniller. The center Mirco Bergamasco, with 89 caps for Italy, has joined his brother Mauro in Parma ready for his debut in the GUINNESS PRO12 while some of the best young Italians are part of the roster of the club ready to do battle for a place in the line-up. The aim of the tonight’s match is to deal with one of the best teams in this tournament trying to play effective and enjoyable rugby for the many fans who will be in the stands of the newly renovated Belfast stadium for this great event. Good luck to all the players for the game and a special greeting to Ulster fans which we expect to join us in Parma in two weeks time for the return leg. We hope they enjoy the unique experience of Italian rugby on match day. Leonardo Mussini// Zebre Rugby Parma, September 9, 2014

STAFF //Coach Andrea Cavinato //Captain Gonzalo Garcia

CONTACT Stadio XXV Aprile Via San Leonardo 110/a

www.zebrerugby.eu

zebrerugby zebrerugby zebrerugby zebrerugby

www. ulster rugby.com

ULSTER RUGBY

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