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 />
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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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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 />
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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 />
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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 />
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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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