Ulster Rugby is one of the four professional provincial rugby union teams from the island of Ireland. They compete in the Irish regional pool of the United Rugby Championship and in the European Rugby Champions Cup, each of which they have won once. Ulster were the first Irish team and the first team outside England and France to win the European Cup in 1999.
Robin Henderson Thompson was a rugby union international for Ireland, a former British Lions captain and rugby league player.
Tyrone Gyle Howe is a former rugby player who played on the wing for University of St Andrews RFC, Ulster, Ireland and the British & Irish Lions.
Old Wesley Rugby Football Club was founded in 1891 from the past pupils of Wesley College, Dublin. It plays in Division 1B of the All-Ireland League. The club won the Leinster Senior Cup in 1909 and 1985 as well as winning the AIL Division 2 title in 1989 and the AIL Division 2A title in 2015. They celebrated their Centenary year in 1991 with a match against a star-studded Barbarians team featuring Internationals such as Eric Rush, Pierre Berbizier and Tony Underwood. They won the eleven-try match in dramatic fashion with a last minute drop-goal to win 37-36.
Belfast Harlequins is a multi-sports club located off the Malone Road in south Belfast, Northern Ireland. The club name provides the overall umbrella for rugby union, men's and ladies' hockey, and squash. The club is associated on and off the field with Methodist College Belfast (MCB).
Ards RFC is a rugby club based in Newtownards, County Down, Northern Ireland, playing in the Ulster Rugby Championship Division 2. It is affiliated to the Ulster Branch of the Irish Rugby Football Union. The club currently fields three adult teams and a women's team, North Down Women, who are a combination of players from Ards, Bangor and Donaghadee. Three youth teams also play at under-18, under-16 and under-14 levels. There is also a rapidly developing girls' junior section and a very successful mini rugby section in the club. The club works in close collaboration with local schools such as Regent House Grammar School, Movilla High School and Strangford College who provide much of the playing talent at the club.
The Ulster Senior League, currently known as the Ulster Rugby Premiership, is a rugby union competition for senior clubs in the Irish province of Ulster. It was formed by the then Northern Branch of the Irish Rugby Football Union in October 1890. It has traditionally being ranked second in importance to the Ulster Senior Cup. It has declined in importance due to the formation of the All-Ireland League and growth in importance of the Heineken Cup.
Ballymena Rugby Football Club is a rugby union club based in the town of Ballymena, Northern Ireland, playing in Division 2A of the All-Ireland League. It is affiliated to the Ulster branch of the Irish Rugby Football Union. The club fields five adult teams and an under-20s team. In youth rugby, there are under-18s, under-16s and under-14s teams.
Justin Michael Fitzpatrick is an Irish former rugby union player who most recently was head coach of the Houston SaberCats of Major League Rugby (MLR). He previously played for London Irish, Castres Olympique, Dungannon RFC & Ulster. He had also held several other coaching positions, including head coach of Dungannon RFC and the Seattle Saracens, and assistant coach of the United States national rugby union team.
City of Derry Rugby Football Club is a rugby club, formed in 1881 in Derry, Ireland. They currently play in the Ulster Rugby Championship Division 1 after relegation from Division 2C of the All-Ireland League in 2022.
Rainey Rugby Football Club is situated in the market town of Magherafelt, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland playing in Division 2B of the All-Ireland League.
Dungannon RFC is a rugby union club from Dungannon, Northern Ireland, playing in Division 2B of the All-Ireland League.
Malone RFC is a rugby union club based in Belfast, in Northern Ireland. It is currently in the Division 2B of the All-Ireland League. The club is affiliated with the Ulster Branch, itself part of the Irish Rugby Football Union. It is one of the last remaining Belfast rugby clubs not to have amalgamated and still plays at its original ground. As well as its successful Senior teams, it has a thriving Youth and Mini structure, and was the first Mini rugby team from Ireland to play in the renowned Fundacion Cisneros International rugby tournament in Madrid.
Ballynahinch Rugby Club is an Irish rugby union club based in the County Down town of Ballynahinch. Founded in 1954, the club is affiliated to the Ulster Branch of the Irish Rugby Football Union.
University College Dublin Rugby Football Club is a rugby union club based in Dublin, Ireland, and plays in Division 1A of the All-Ireland League. They play their home games at UCD Bowl.
North of Ireland Football Club is a former Irish rugby union club that was based in Belfast, Northern Ireland. It was the first rugby club formed in what is now Northern Ireland and only two other clubs - Dublin University and Wanderers - were formed earlier anywhere else in all Ireland. It was founded in 1868 by members of North of Ireland Cricket Club. NIFC also played in the first recorded rugby game in Ulster when they played a 20-a-side match against Queen's University RFC.
Nigel Carr MBE is a former Ireland rugby union international. His career was cut short due to injuries sustained in an IRA bomb explosion. His service as a player, selector, broadcaster and charity volunteer was recognised by the 2021 Birthday Honours award of an MBE for his contribution to sport and community relations.
David Humphreys MBE is an Irish former rugby union player. He played 72 times for Ireland, scoring 560 points, including 6 tries, and at the time of his international retirement was Ireland's most capped out-half. He played his club rugby for London Irish and Ulster, winning the 1998-99 Heineken Cup, the 2004 Celtic Cup and the 2005–06 Celtic League with the latter. Since retiring as a player he has served as director of rugby for Ulster and Gloucester, as a performance consultant with the Georgian Rugby Union, and Director of Performance Operations with the England and Wales Cricket Board. Since June 2024 he has been Performance Director of the IRFU.
The 2004–05 season was Ulster Rugby's tenth under professionalism, and their first under head coach Mark McCall. They competed in the Heineken Cup, the Celtic League and the Celtic Cup.
Henry Roger McKibbin CBE was an Ireland rugby union international from Northern Ireland who became a prominent rugby administrator.
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