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Connacht vs Ulster Digital Match Programme

Connacht vs Ulster Digital Match Programme Aviva Stadium Saturday 23rd October, 17:15

Connacht vs Ulster Digital Match Programme
Aviva Stadium
Saturday 23rd October, 17:15

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PRESIDENT’s<br />

WELCOME<br />

THank You To Our Partners for<br />

their continued support<br />

On behalf of everyone at<br />

<strong>Connacht</strong> Rugby, I am delighted to<br />

welcome you to the Aviva Stadium<br />

for today’s historic United Rugby<br />

Championship fixture between<br />

<strong>Connacht</strong> and <strong>Ulster</strong>.<br />

Today is a special occasion for a number of<br />

reasons – both on the field, off the field, and in<br />

society as a whole.<br />

Before we get to the game itself and what it<br />

represents, I’d like to first acknowledge how<br />

special it is for <strong>Connacht</strong> Rugby to be hosting<br />

the first professional sporting fixture in Ireland<br />

since the further easing of restrictions and<br />

the move to 100% capacity at stadiums going<br />

forward.<br />

Principal Partner<br />

Official Retail Partner Official Kit Partner Official Partner<br />

Official Beer Partner<br />

This is a significant move, not just for <strong>Connacht</strong><br />

Rugby and the IRFU, but for sport in Ireland as<br />

a whole. We have all seen first-hand the impact<br />

of COVID-19 on sporting organisations since<br />

March 2020 - not just financially but in every<br />

aspect of what we do. That we can return to<br />

100% capacity is obviously very significant<br />

both for the IRFU ahead of their November<br />

Internationals, and <strong>Connacht</strong> Rugby as we plan<br />

towards the remainder of the season. Today is<br />

the first step of that new journey, and I can’t<br />

think of a better setting to take those first<br />

steps.<br />

Of course the news this week didn’t just<br />

happen overnight. It took months of hard work<br />

both from the IRFU and the four provinces to<br />

ensure that our supporters can return in a safe<br />

and enjoyable manner, as well as the general<br />

public thanks to the incredible uptake in our<br />

vaccination programme and the way in which<br />

we have all followed, at times, very challenging<br />

restrictions. We have all played our part, and<br />

for that we thank you.<br />

New locations like this also brings new<br />

challenges, but we are lucky in <strong>Connacht</strong> to<br />

have an incredible staff that have put in tireless<br />

and trojan efforts to make this game a reality.<br />

Our Operations team have worked around the<br />

clock to ensure today’s goes ahead seamlessly<br />

and safely. Our Commercial & Marketing<br />

department have overcome many challenges<br />

to bring this game to as wide an audience as<br />

possible, and putting together events such as this<br />

one. Through our Club & Community department,<br />

we have clubs visiting us from all over <strong>Connacht</strong><br />

to give this game a truly West of Ireland feel.<br />

Our Financial team have ensured we have the<br />

resources to bring this game to life. And of course<br />

not forgetting our Professional setup, assisted<br />

by our Academy department, who have been led<br />

by our coaches and management to make sure<br />

our squad are as best prepared to entertain -<br />

and hopefully win! – in front of our travelling<br />

supporters.<br />

To all of you, a sincere and heartfelt thank you.<br />

Finally I would like to extend a very warm welcome<br />

to our visitors from <strong>Ulster</strong> Rugby today. I’m<br />

sure you appreciated the shorter journey than<br />

normal, and I know your own supporters are also<br />

travelling in strong numbers. Here’s to a great<br />

game, and we look forward to returning the favour<br />

at Kingspan Stadium on St. Stephen’s Day.<br />

Thank you and enjoy the day.<br />

<strong>Connacht</strong> Abu!<br />

Ann Heneghan<br />

President, <strong>Connacht</strong> Rugby<br />

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Available Now<br />

gilbertrugby.com<br />

GUINNESS PRO14 CAMPAIGN TO CONCLUDE IN<br />

MARCH AHEAD OF NEW “RAINBOW CUP” WITH<br />

SOUTH AFRICA’S TOP FOUR ‘SUPER’ TEAMS<br />

The current Guinness PRO14 campaign will<br />

end in March allowing South Africa’s four<br />

‘Super’ teams and our existing clubs to<br />

finish the season with a 16-team “Rainbow<br />

Cup” competition ahead of the British &<br />

Irish Lions tour.<br />

• The 2020/21 Guinness PRO14 campaign will finish after 16<br />

rounds with the Conference winners facing each other in a<br />

final in late March<br />

• Qualification for EPCR tournaments in 2021/22 will be<br />

decided by rankings after Round 16<br />

• On April 17, 2021, the Guinness PRO14 Rainbow Cup will<br />

kick-off and introduce the Vodacom Bulls, Emirates Lions,<br />

Cell C Sharks and DHL Stormers and their World Cupwinning<br />

Springboks<br />

• The Guinness PRO14 Rainbow Cup will consist of a pool<br />

stage (two pools of eight teams) and a final between the<br />

two pool winners<br />

FINAL CHAPTER OF GUINNESS PRO14<br />

fixture list will aim to ensure home and away in-conference<br />

fixtures are completed and each team plays all of its<br />

cross-conference matches also. Further clarification will be<br />

available when fixtures are confirmed.<br />

The scheduled dates for the conclusion of the 2020-21<br />

Guinness PRO14 campaign are:<br />

R12: February 20<br />

R13: February 27<br />

R14: March 6<br />

R15: March 13<br />

R16: March 20<br />

Final: March 27<br />

After consulting with key PRO14 stakeholders, the Guinness<br />

PRO14 Rainbow Cup was chosen as the best pathway to<br />

finish up the current campaign and introduce South Africa’s<br />

THE<br />

four ‘Super’ teams: the Vodacom SPIRIT<br />

Bulls; Emirates Lions; Cell<br />

OF<br />

C Sharks and DHL Stormers. This decision also allows our<br />

European-based sides to earn qualification for European<br />

Professional Club Rugby (EPCR) tournaments in 2021/22 in<br />

a fair and equitable manner.<br />

Ahead of the 2021 British & Irish Lions tour to South Africa,<br />

the Guinness PRO14 Rainbow Cup will provide a ground-<br />

Once Round 16 has been completed, the top-ranked teams<br />

from each conference will qualify for the 2021/22 Heineken<br />

Champions Cup. Requirement for play-offs is under review.<br />

UNITED RUGBY<br />

GUINNESS PRO14 “RAINBOW CUP”<br />

breaking spectacle for fans who will see international star FORGING NEW RIVALRIES<br />

players from north and south establish new rivalries in their<br />

bid for the ultimate Test selection.<br />

With South Africa preparing to host their first British & Irish<br />

Lions tour since 2009, the World Cup champions will see<br />

Right through until the last kick of the ball in the Rainbow their ‘Super’ teams – the Bulls, Lions, Sharks and Stormers<br />

Cup in June, fans will be able to watch it all unfold with our take on the very best that Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales<br />

CHAMPIONSHIP.<br />

broadcast partners Premier Sports, eir Sport, S4C, TG4,<br />

have to offer.<br />

DAZN and Super Sport.<br />

How it will Work<br />

Players aiming to make the British & Irish Lions squad will<br />

find no better trial environment to test themselves in, as<br />

they go up against the likes of Siya Kolisi, Pieter Steph du<br />

Toit (both DHL Stormers), Duane Vermeulen (Vodacom<br />

Bulls), Elton Jantjies (Emirates Lions) and former Guinness<br />

PRO14 top-try scorer Makazole Mapimipi (Cell C Sharks).<br />

The Guinness PRO14 Rainbow Cup will kick off on April 17<br />

with two pools of 8 teams made up of two Irish, two South<br />

African, two Welsh, one Italian and one Scottish club. Each<br />

team will play one game against each pool opponent and<br />

the sides that finish top of their pools will face off in a final<br />

on June 19.<br />

Across 57 matches, the Guinness PRO14 Rainbow Cup will<br />

feature the best of the Springbok talent going toe-to-toe<br />

with some of the British & Irish Lions’ biggest names – every<br />

one of them keen to lay down a marker to their respective<br />

selectors ahead of what will prove to an historic tour.<br />

Enjoy responsibly<br />

The oval trim design is a registered trademark of Gilbert Rugby.<br />

Rounds 12 to 16 will take place from February 20 and<br />

conclude on March 20. A final will then take place at the<br />

home venue of the highest-ranked team. This abbreviated<br />

DISCOVER THE SPIRIT WITHIN |<br />

#SAVOURTHEMOMENT


Pro team PROFILES<br />

bundee<br />

aki<br />

Centre<br />

sammy<br />

arnold<br />

Centre<br />

jack<br />

aungier<br />

Prop<br />

finlay<br />

bealham<br />

Prop<br />

Caolin<br />

blade<br />

Scrum Half<br />

shayne<br />

bolton<br />

Centre<br />

Paul<br />

Boyle<br />

Back Row<br />

denis<br />

buckley<br />

Prop<br />

matthew<br />

burke<br />

Prop<br />

Laya Healthcare are proud to be<br />

Official Health and Wellbeing Partner<br />

to <strong>Connacht</strong> Rugby<br />

Jarrad<br />

Butler<br />

Back Row<br />

jack<br />

Carty<br />

Out Half<br />

tom<br />

daly<br />

Centre<br />

shane<br />

delahunt<br />

Hooker<br />

Ultan<br />

Dillane<br />

Second Row<br />

oisin<br />

dowling<br />

Back Row<br />

jordan<br />

duggan<br />

Prop<br />

Tom<br />

Farrell<br />

Centre<br />

Leva<br />

Fifita<br />

Second Row


Pro team PROFILES<br />

Conor<br />

Fitzgerald<br />

Out Half<br />

mack<br />

hansen<br />

Out Half / Back<br />

Three<br />

Matt<br />

healy<br />

Back Three<br />

dave<br />

heffernan<br />

Hooker<br />

sam<br />

illo<br />

Prop<br />

kieran<br />

marmion<br />

Scrum Half<br />

eoghan<br />

Masterson<br />

Back Row<br />

Sean<br />

Masterson<br />

Back Row<br />

greg<br />

Mcgrath<br />

Prop<br />

Oran<br />

Mcnulty<br />

Back Three<br />

Jonny<br />

Murphy<br />

Hooker<br />

Niall<br />

Murray<br />

Second Row<br />

Ben<br />

O’Donnell<br />

Back Three<br />

Tiernan<br />

O’Halloran<br />

Back Three<br />

Conor<br />

Oliver<br />

Back Row<br />

OFFICIAL ENERGY DRINK PARTNER<br />

OF CONNACHT RUGBY<br />

Abraham<br />

Papali’i<br />

Back Row<br />

John<br />

Porch<br />

Back Three<br />

Cian<br />

Prendergast<br />

Back Row


Pro team PROFILES<br />

Colm<br />

reilly<br />

Scrum Half<br />

peter<br />

robb<br />

Centre<br />

Dominic<br />

Robertson-<br />

Mccoy<br />

Prop<br />

Peter<br />

Sullivan<br />

Back Three<br />

Gavin<br />

Thornbury<br />

Second Row<br />

Dylan<br />

Tierney-Martin<br />

Hooker<br />

Alex<br />

Wootton<br />

Back Three<br />

20 CONNACHT RUGBY


4 CONNACHT RUGBY


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DESIGNING, WEAVING & TAILORING<br />

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40 CONNACHT RUGBY


www.connachtrugby.ie 57<br />

www.connachtrugby.ie 49


OFFICIAL COACH<br />

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