Ulster Rugby, Heineken Champions Cup Match Day Programme - v Northampton Saints

ULSTER 

Official Match Day Programme 

v NORTHAMPTON 

SAINTS 

Fri 17 Dec 2021, 8pm 

Kingspan Stadium

POWERED BY NATURE 

CRAFTED FOR YOU 

In this Issue 

5 President’s 

Welcome 

7 EPCR 

Welcome 

9 Virtual 

Mascot 

12 

26 

38 

12 

Player Q&A: 

John Cooney 

18 Squad 

Profiles 

Danske Bank 

23 Schools’ Cup Update 

24 Team 

Line-ups 

Volunteering with 

Ulster Rugby 

26 

28 

Northampton Saints 

Ones To Watch 

31 Half-time 

Exhibition Games 

32 

34 

Last Time 

Out 

Behind The Player 

Stacey Sloan 

38 Interview: 

Louis Ludik 

42 

50 

Seeking Seasonal 

Cheer in Europe 

Player Interview: 

Kieran Treadwell 

42 

TISSOTWATCHES.COM 

TISSOT, INNOVATORS BY TRADITION 

3

President’s 

Welcome 

Welcome to Round 2 of the 2021-22 Heineken 

Champions Cup, and our first home game in 

the European competition this year. 

I would also like to give a warm welcome to 

our opponents this evening, Northampton 

Saints. They come into this game having a 

point to prove after being defeated 14-45 by 

Racing 92 at cinch Stadium. I have no doubt 

Dan McFarland and the coaching team will 

have the team well prepared for a reaction. 

Ulster will be hoping to make it two wins from 

two tonight, after their first-ever victory over 

ASM Clermont Auvergne at Stade Marcel- 

Michelin on Saturday, which has got them off 

to a great start in this campaign. 

Since our last home game, we have seen a 

number of milestones for the Ulster men. Craig 

Gilroy became the eighth Ulster men’s player 

to make 200 appearances for the province in 

our URC game against Ospreys two weeks 

ago. In the same game, Tom Stewart made 

his senior debut and Jack McGrath made his 

return from injury. Last Saturday, Sean Reidy 

made his 150th appearance versus Clermont 

and our new signing, Duane Vermeulen made 

his Ulster debut. Congratulations to them all! 

Earlier this month, the IRFU confirmed that 

Ireland’s Senior Women’s team will play their 

final 2022 Six Nations home fixture at Kingspan 

Stadium on 30 April versus Scotland. It’s 

fantastic to have senior international rugby back 

at the home of Ulster Rugby for the first time 

since the Women’s World Cup final in 2017. 

Last week, Ulster Carpets extended their 

longstanding partnership with Ulster Rugby to 

support youth rugby across the province. The 

partnership will see Ulster Carpets continue 

as the named sponsor of youth rugby 

competitions in Ulster. Club games at U14, U16 

and U18 level will take place throughout the 

province all-season-long before culminating 

in the Youth Cup finals day at Kingspan 

Stadium in May. 

Elsewhere in domestic rugby, I’d like to wish 

the best of luck to both Clogher Valley and 

Ballyclare in their All-Ireland Junior Cup semifinal 

fixtures tomorrow against Newcastle 

West and Connemara. 

I’m delighted that we have a special guest 

with us this evening. Louis Ludik, who retired 

towards the end of last season, didn’t get the 

chance to do so in front of a crowd, so tonight 

we’d like to give him the send-off he deserves 

at half-time. 

I hope you enjoy the game this evening 

and thank you for continuing to Stand 

Up for the Ulster Men safely in line with 

COVID-19 measures. 

Have a wonderful Christmas and New Year. 

Gary Leslie 

President, IRFU Ulster Branch 

5

EPCR 

Welcome 

A warm welcome to this match in the 2021/22 

Heineken Champions Cup season as we look 

forward once again to elite clubs and top 

players producing the brilliance and drama 

which have for long been the trademarks of 

our truly world-class tournament. 

Following the new EPCR agreement which 

was concluded last April, we are now entering 

an exciting era for Heineken Champions Cup 

rugby and with stadiums across Europe 

opening up to fans once again, we will see a 

return to the traditional passion and colour 

which have characterised the competition 

since its inception in 1995. 

The 24-club format with two pools of 12 has 

been retained, and following two rounds of 

matches this month, and two in January, the 

eight highest-ranked clubs in each pool will 

qualify for the knockout stage. 

An innovative Round of 16 with home and 

away legs, and then traditional quarter-finals 

and semi-finals, will guarantee a further series 

of compelling fixtures culminating in the 

2022 final at the Stade Vélodrome in Marseille 

on Saturday, 28 May. In addition, three clubs 

from each pool will qualify for the Round of 16 

of the EPCR Challenge Cup. 

A special mention must go to Stade 

Toulousain who made history last season 

when they lifted the trophy in such fine style 

for a record fifth time, and to the supremelytalented 

Antoine Dupont who became 

the first French player to be awarded the 

Anthony Foley Memorial Trophy as EPCR 

European Player of the Year. 

We are delighted to be joined on the journey 

to the Marseille finals by our long-standing 

title partner, Heineken, and we also extend 

the hand of welcome to our newest official 

partner, DHL, who will provide customised 

logistics solutions for both the Heineken 

Champions Cup and the EPCR Challenge 

Cup. We would also like to thank Tissot, the 

Financial Times, Gilbert and Kappa for their 

continuing support. 

We recognise the superb coverage provided 

by our TV partners BT Sport, beIN SPORTS, 

France Télévisions, Channel 4 and Virgin 

Media whose output is complemented by 

the wide range of linear and OTT platforms 

which broadcast the Heineken Champions 

Cup globally. 

The elite clubs in this season’s tournament have 

a total of 38 European titles between them so 

we are certain of top-quality entertainment 

from the kick-off to the final whistle. 

On behalf of everyone at EPCR, enjoy the 

match and best wishes to you, the fans, as 

well as to your club’s players and staff for 

what promises to be another memorable 

Heineken Champions Cup season. 

Yours in rugby, 

Dominic McKay 

EPCR Chairman (interim) 

UlsterRugby.com

Virtual 

Mascot 

Name: Oliver Hetherington 

Age: 13 

Welcome back to Kingspan Stadium, the home of Ulster Rugby, 

where tonight the Ulster squad welcomes Northampton Saints 

for the second round of the Heineken Champions Cup. 

After a superb away victory last week against ASM Clermont Auvergne, 

Ulster will look to maintain their winning ways tonight. This evening, they will clash with the 

English giants of Northampton Saints who will also be keen for a win, having lost their 

opening game to Racing 92. This promises to be an exciting encounter. 

On behalf of the entire Ulster Rugby and Kingspan community, we would like to extend the 

warmest of welcomes to our visitors and we have no doubt the Kingspan Stadium faithful 

will provide stirring support for the Ulster team. 

Finally, on behalf of Kingspan, I would like to wish the Ulster Rugby squad and management 

team the very best of luck. To Ulster’s committed fans, enjoy the game, lead the way and 

help ensure that this is an evening to remember at Kingspan Stadium. 

Tonight we welcome Oliver to his 

first game at Kingspan Stadium. 

He is here to celebrate his birthday 

with family. 

Oliver plays rugby with 

Wellington College and absolutely 

loves the game. 

He has been really looking forward 

to tonight! 

UlsterRugby.com 

9

Every great match 

starts with 0.0 

Welcome 

to Round 2 

Welcome to Round 2 of the Heineken® 

Champions Cup 2021/2022. The start of 

a new season of Heineken® Champions 

Cup rugby always brings great 

excitement and anticipation for what 

awaits between now and the end of May. 

All teams start out with hopes and dreams 

of making the final in Marseilles and 

what promises to be a fantastic festival 

of rugby. We at HEINEKEN Ireland are 

immensely proud to be title sponsor of 

Europe’s leading club rugby competition, 

a tournament that conjures up so many 

truly memorable sporting occasions, 

forever etched in the folklore of Irish sport 

and I have no doubt, more memories will 

be made in this new season. 

What makes this season even more special 

is that it truly marks the return of the 

big match day occasion that we have all 

missed so much over the past couple of 

seasons. It was testament to the great 

work of EPCR and the players and officials 

of all the participating teams, that the past 

two Heineken® Champions Cup seasons 

were completed, albeit in a truncated 

manner. However, what was abundantly 

clear is that matchday is nothing without 

fans in stadia. It really is fantastic that all 

fans will again get to enjoy rugby around 

Europe this season; be it live in stadia or in 

their local bar over a refreshing Heineken® 

with friends. The pandemic has impacted 

us all in so many ways, but sport has been 

a real beacon of hope, a source of great 

enjoyment and comfort to so many. Long 

may it continue to be. 

I wish all teams participating in this 

season’s competition good luck and 

success. It goes without saying that we in 

HEINEKEN Ireland will keep a particularly 

close eye on the results of Connacht, 

Leinster, Munster and Ulster. I wish them 

all well in Round 2 as they take on quality 

English and French opposition. 

Enjoy the games and as always please do 

socialise responsibly. 

Maarten Schuurman 

Managing Director, HEINEKEN Ireland. 

11

Q&A 

John Cooney 

Turkey or ham? 

Ham. 

Christmas pudding or mince pies? 

Neither. Selection box & Celebrations. 

Mulled wine or hot chocolate? 

Hot chocolate. 

Christmas at home v Christmas abroad? 

Never been abroad for it so will have to say 

‘at home’. 

Christmas Eve or Christmas Day? 

Christmas Day. 

Open presents on Christmas Eve or 

Christmas Day? 

Christmas Day 

Best Christmas present you 

ever received? 

A PlayStation 2. 

Favourite part of your Christmas dinner? 

Roast potatoes. 

Favourite Christmas movie? 

Home Alone. 

What’s at the top of your Christmas wishlist 

this year? 

A normal 2022. 

Who did you get in the 

Q& 

squad for Secret 

Santa this year? 

Can’t tell you. It’s a secret! 

Scrum Half 

01/05/1990 

178cm 

85kg 

88 

13

IN 

CHRISTMAS 

KINDNESS 

Giveaway 2021 

BALLYGOWAN – OFFICIAL HYDRATION 

PARTNER OF ULSTER RUGBY 

WIN 

NOW 

MADE FROM 

1 % 

RECYCLED 

PLASTIC 

* 

Mon 20 Dec 

Tue 21 Dec Wed 22 Dec Thu 23 Dec 

Fri 24 Dec 

1 % 

IRISH 

1 % 

RECYCLABLE 

£100 

Christmas Hamper 

courtesy of 

Yellow Door 

A Year’s Supply 

of Soft Drinks 

courtesy of 

Britvic Ireland 

500 Litres of 

Home Heating Oil 

courtesy of 

ClickOil.com 

2 Nights B&B 

Hotel Stay, 

Prosecco on Arrival 

& Dinner for 2 

courtesy of 

Clayton Hotels 

Signed UR Jersey & 

2x VIP Grandstand 

Hospitality Tickets 

for Ulster v Leinster 

courtesy of 

Bank of Ireland 

Free Entry 

15

#KEEPPERFORMING 

Photos © Pressesports

Dan Soper 

Assistant Coach 

Jared Payne 

Defence Coach 

Will 

Addison 

Iain 

Henderson 

Rob 

Herring 

James 

Hume 

Cormac 

Izuchukwu 

Dan McFarland 

Head Coach 

Roddy Grant 

Forwards Coach 

Craig Newby 

Skills Coach 

Utility Back 

20/08/1992 

185cm 

95kg 

26 

5 

Lock 

21/02/1992 

198cm 

116kg 

122 

65 

Hooker 

27/04/1990 

185cm 

105kg 

204 

23 

Centre 

07/09/1998 

188cm 

95kg 

48 

1 

Lock 

28/01/2000 

201cm 

117kg 

6 

John 

Andrew 

Hooker 

26/05/1993 

180cm 

100kg 

87 

John 

Cooney 

Scrum Half 

01/05/1990 

178cm 

85kg 

88 

11 

Robert 

Baloucoune 

Wing 

19/08/1997 

193cm 

92kg 

33 

2 

Angus 

Curtis 

Fly Half / Centre 

26/03/1998 

178cm 

88kg 

15 

Billy 

Burns 

Fly Half 

13/06/1994 

183cm 

87kg 

58 

7 

Nathan 

Doak 

Scrum Half 

17/12/2001 

185cm 

87kg 

10 

Sam 

Carter 

Lock 

10/09/1989 

201cm 

116kg 

29 

AUS 16 

Craig 

Gilroy 

Wing 

11/03/1991 

183cm 

91kg 

200 

10 

Greg 

Jones 

Back Row 

13/01/1996 

196cm 

108kg 

30 

Rob 

Lyttle 

Wing 

28/01/1997 

175cm 

85kg 

48 

Ross 

Kane 

Prop 

14/10/1994 

180cm 

118kg 

57 

Ian 

Madigan 

Fly Half 

21/03/1989 

178cm 

89kg 

24 

30 

Mick 

Kearney 

Lock 

29/03/1991 

198cm 

116 kg 

5 

Luke 

Marshall 

Centre 

03/03/1991 

180cm 

99kg 

144 

11 

Mike 

Lowry 

Full Back 

20/08/1998 

170cm 

76kg 

54 

David 

McCann 

Back Row 

13/06/2000 

193cm 

108kg 

12 

Senior Squad 


19

Prop 

11/10/1989 

185cm 

118kg 

19 

56 

Jack 

McGrath 

Prop 

15/12/1992 

191cm 

134kg 

6 

Gareth 

Milasinovich 

Prop 

01/03/1991 

178cm 

123kg 

63 

10 

Marty 

Moore 

Centre 

08/08/1999 

183cm 

90kg 

20 

Stewart 

Moore 

Back Row 

22/04/1991 

188cm 

102kg 

48 

30 

Jordi 

Murphy 

Lock 

10/09/1992 

196cm 

110kg 

141 

Alan 

O’Connor 

Lock / Back Row 

19/05/1995 

193cm 

107kg 

15 

David 

O’Connor 

Prop 

30/11/1995 

185cm 

117kg 

72 

1 

Eric 

O’Sullivan 

Prop 

23/09/1998 

185cm 

123kg 

68 

2 

Tom 

O’Toole 

Full Back / Wing 

10/08/2000 

188cm 

86kg 

23 

Ethan 

McIlroy 

Centre 

06/08/1992 

193cm 

110kg 

145 

6 

Stuart 

McCloskey 

Back Row 

08/09/1997 

188cm 

108kg 

8 

Marcus 

Rea 

Senior Squad 

Back Row 

01/08/1995 

188cm 

114kg 

89 

2 

Nick 

Timoney 

Lock 

06/11/1995 

198cm 

115kg 

113 

3 

Kieran 

Treadwell 

Prop 

12/03/1991 

178cm 

116kg 

143 

Andrew 

Warwick 

Back Row 

21/09/1993 

193cm 

110kg 

69 

Matthew 

Rea 

Hooker 

04/01/1996 

175cm 

104Kg 

11 

WAL 1 

Bradley 

Roberts 

Wing/Full Back 

03/04/1996 

191cm 

102kg 

83 

35 

Jacob 

Stockdale 

Scrum Half 

20/06/1993 

175cm 

77kg 

75 

David 

Shanahan 

Hooker 

11/01/2001 

183cm 

103kg 

1 

Tom 

Stewart 

Wing 

24/08/200 

188cm 

94kg 

1 

Aaron 

Sexton 

Prop 

06/01/1999 

183cm 

117kg 

7 

Callum 

Reid 

Back Row 

10/05/1989 

183cm 

102kg 

150 

2 

Sean 

Reidy 

Back Row 

03/07/1986 

193cm 

120kg 

1 

SA 60 

Duane 

Vermeulen 

21 

UlsterRugby.com

Danske Bank Schools’ Cup Update 

The draw for the 3rd round of the Cup 

has taken place after 6 games were 

played in the 2nd round. 

The following fixtures have been drawn 

in Round 3 of this season’s Danske Bank 

Schools’ Cup: 

Foyle College v Belfast High School 

RS Armagh v Belfast Royal Academy 

Grosvenor GS v Omagh Academy 

Limavady GS v Coleraine GS 

Dalriada v Enniskillen RGS 

Rainey Endowed School v Down HS 

Dromore HSl v Banbridge Academy 

Regent House v Bangor Grammar School 

These matches will take place on Saturday 

15 January 2022. 

The draw was conducted by the Ulster 

Schools’ Committee Chairman Richard 

Clingan, and Lurgan College Principal Trevor 

Robinson, at Limavady Grammar School 

after Round 2 had been concluded on 

Saturday 11 December 2021. 

Round 2 Results 

Belfast HS 27-14 Portadown 

Dalriada 15-0 Cambridge House 

Banbridge Academy 15-5 Friends’ 

Limavady GS 17-0 Lurgan College 

Regent House 24-3 Carrickfergus 

Strabane Academy 5-43 Grosvenor 

The draw for the Schools’ Trophy 

quarter final was also held, and produced 

the following fixtures: 

Strabane v Friends’ School 

Larne v Portadown 

Carrickfergus v Lurgan 

Cambridge House - Bye 

This draw was conducted by Tony Lennon 

of Limavady Grammar School Board of 

Governors, and the Principal, Nicola Madden. 

23

1 Warwick 

2 Herring 3 Moore 

1 Waller 2 Haywood 3 Painter 

C 

4 O’Connor 5 Henderson 

4 Ribbans 5 Ratuniyarawa 

C 

6 Rea 8 Vermeulen 

7 Timoney 

6 Lawes 8 Wood 

7 Ludlam 

9 Cooney 

Referee: Piardi Andrea 

Assistant Referees: Gnecchi Gianluca, 

Russo Filippo 

TMO: Pennè Stefano 

9 Mitchell 

11 McIlroy 

10 Burns 

11 Skosan 

10 Furbank 

REPLACEMENTS 

REPLACEMENTS 

16 J Andrew 

12 McCloskey 

16 J Fish 

12 Dingwall 

17 J McGrath 

17 E Iyogun 

18 T O’Toole 

18 C Carey 

19 K Treadwell 

13 Hume 

19 A Coles 

13 Proctor 

20 S Carter 

20 J Augustus 

21 N Doak 

21 T James 

22 S Moore 

14 Gilroy 

22 J Grayson 

14 Sleightholme 

23 G Jones 

15 Lowry 

23 R Hutchinson 

15 Tuala 

25

Volunteering 

with 

Ulster Rugby 

Emily Millar 

the home of Christmas music 

To mark International Volunteer Day on 5 

December, we spoke to Emily Millar about 

her experience as a young volunteer with 

Ulster Rugby and her club, Malone RFC. 

“I’ve been volunteering for Ulster Rugby for 

about four years, but I’ve been volunteering 

with Malone RFC for longer than that, since 

about 2015. 

“I am currently the Team Manager for the 

Deloitte Ulster Senior Women’s team, as 

well as being a volunteer on match nights, 

so I help co-ordinate the half-time Minis’ 

matches. I also volunteer throughout the year 

at different rugby summer camps, at summer 

tournaments and primary blitzes. 

“I’ve also been involved with the Ulster Rugby 

Youth Forum for a few years, which is now 

the Young Persons’ Advisory Group. Through 

that, I got involved with the Department for 

Communities’ “Sport - A home for lifelong 

volunteering” programme, which has given 

me access to cross-community opportunities 

with the Ulster GAA and the IFA, working 

with young volunteers who are similar to me 

and interested in getting involved in their 

sport in a different way. 

“I got the role of Team Manager as I had 

been volunteering for Ulster Rugby for a 

few years and had been doing half-time Mini 

matches with Neill Alcorn, the Head Coach 

of the Ulster Women’s team. He contacted 

me in May and asked if it would be a role I 

was interested in, as he knew that I was Team 

Manager for Malone Women’s team, and he 

knew it was a role I was used to and it would 

be something I would be interested in. 

“The skills you need for that type of role 

would be mainly communication. There’s a lot 

of liaising with a lot of different staff members 

from Ulster and the IRFU. A lot of patience is 

needed, team-work skills and collaboration, 

and being approachable and friendly with 

both players and staff who I’m working with. 

“I got into volunteering as I started as a player 

for Malone and unfortunately got injured. My 

coach encouraged me to get involved in the 

sport in a different way, so I started coaching 

the U12s and moved my way through U14s 

up to U18s and then got the role of Team 

Manager for their senior women’s team and 

I’ve been there ever since. 

“I get so much out of volunteering. I get to 

meet so many people who are like-minded 

and who just have a passion for their sport. It 

allows me to see behind the scenes and work 

with people of all different levels in the sport, 

especially working with the IRFU and Ulster 

Rugby this year. It also encouraged me to 

love the game even more. 

“I would definitely encourage more young 

people to get involved in volunteering. It 

gives you so many different opportunities. 

As well as playing the game, there are so 

many different aspects to rugby and so many 

different important roles that are needed to 

make rugby work every weekend, which is 

brilliant. It is so enjoyable and you can learn 

so my different skills.” 

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN 

UlsterRugby.com 27

Ones to Watch 

Fraser Dingwall 

Alex Mitchell 

Fraser Dingwall is often something of an unsung hero in 

Saints’ midfield, but no-one has played more minutes for 

Northampton so far this season. 

The 22-year-old centre came through the Academy setup 

at Franklin’s Gardens, captaining England Under-20s 

in 2019 and scooping Saints’ Young Player of the Season 

award in 2019/20. 

Capable of playing in either the 12 or 13 jersey, Dingwall has 

been called up to several England training squads but is yet 

to be capped by the Red Rose, and has notched 13 tries in 

64 appearances to date in Black, Green and Gold. 

After knocking on the England door for over 12 months, 

scrum-half Alex Mitchell finally saw his superb club form 

rewarded by the Red Rose as he was capped in November, 

marking the occasion in style with a debut try against 

Tonga at Twickenham. 

That was true to form for Mitchell – who averages more 

than a score every three games for Saints, and is the player 

with the most direct involvements in tries (four scored, 

eight assists) across the Gallagher Premiership this term. 

Mitchell also landed the Gallagher Player of the Month 

gong in a whirlwind November for the 24-year-old No.9. 

Juarno Augustus 

Summer signing Juarno Augustus has made a big 

impression since his arrival from the Stormers in the 

Gallagher Premiership, and scored his first two tries in 

Black, Green and Gold against Bath a fortnight ago. 

At 6’2” and 116kg, the 24-year-old is a physical No.8 – and 

his dynamic and aggressive ball-carrying ability has led 

to his South African nickname, ‘trokkie’ (truck). 

Player of the Tournament at the 2017 World Rugby 

Under-20 Championship, Augustus could be a star of 

the future for the Springboks and his showdown with 

the great Duane Vermeulen this evening should make for 

intriguing viewing. 

NAME POSITION DOB HEIGHT (cm) WEIGHT (kg) 

Arden Mattthew Fly Half 14/07/2003 178 82 

Atuanya Chukwuemeka (Emeka) Lock 17/03/2003 199 116 

Augustus Juarno Back Row 09/12/1997 186 116 

Auterac Nicholas Prop 12/11/1992 183 116 

Biggar Daniel Fly-Half 16/10/1989 188 93 

Burns Callum Hooker 03/02/2002 183 100 

Carey Conor Prop 26/09/1991 182 115 

Coles Alexander Lock 21/09/1999 207 107 

Collins Thomas Wing 03/07/1994 183 86 

Dingwall Fraser Centre 07/04/1999 188 86 

Fish James Hooker 15/07/1996 185 110 

Francis Piers Fly Half 20/06/1990 183 90 

Freeman Tommy Full Back 05/03/2001 188 89 

Furbank George Full Back 17/01/1996 182 87 

Garside Jake Scrum-Half 01/09/2002 173 72 

Garside Karl Prop 04/02/1997 188 125 

Gillespie Josh Wing 20/10/2000 188 94 

Grayson Ethan Centre 15/04/2002 191 94 

Grayson James Fly Half 26/06/1998 187 84 

Harrison Teimana Flanker 05/09/1992 188 104 

Haywood Michael Hooker 10/11/1991 180 105 

Heffernan Oisín Prop 04/01/1995 185 107 

Hendy George Full Back 15/10/2002 190 90 

Hill Paul Prop 02/03/1995 188 123 

Hobbs-Awoyemi Daniel Prop 07/03/1994 183 109 

Hutchinson Rory Centre 29/01/1996 181 95 

Irvine Geordie Back Row 05/08/2003 199 102 

Iyogun Emmanuel Prop 24/11/2000 190 114 

James Tom Scrum-Half 12/10/1993 183 90 

Lawes Courtney Lock 23/02/1989 201 115 

Litchfield Tom Centre 20/04/2002 186 100 

Lockett Tom Lock 06/10/2002 201 112 

Lomani Frank Scrum-Half 18/04/1996 177 79 

Long-Martinez Dani Wing 06/11/2001 194 102 

Ludlam Lewis Back Row 08/12/1995 192 104 

Marshall Reece Hooker 09/09/1994 183 105 

Matavesi Sam Hooker 13/01/1992 183 102 

Mitchell Alex Scrum-Half 25/05/1997 180 81 

Moon Alexander Lock 06/09/1996 201 123 

Naiyaravoro Taqele Wing 07/12/1991 195 131 

Nansen Brandon Lock 03/11/1993 198 121 

Newman Ollie Back Row 01/12/2000 193 94 

O'Neil Leroy Prop 07/12/2002 180 111 

Painter Ehren Prop 21/03/1998 195 129 

Proctor Matthew Centre 26/10/1992 180 90 

Prowse Edward Prop 27/10/2000 193 123 

Ratuniyarawa Apisalome Lock 11/07/1986 198 115 

Ribbans David Lock 29/08/1995 202 121 

Sleightholme Oliver Wing 13/04/2000 181 89 

Skosan Courtnall Wing 24/07/1991 183 83 

Sylvester Kayde Back Row 07/09/2001 197 108 

Tonks JJ Back Row 25/05/2000 193 107 

Tuala Ahsee Full back 23/08/1989 189 107 

Tupai Connor Scrum-Half 08/12/1999 187 89 

Waller Alexander Prop 14/02/1990 187 120 

Willemsen Duane Back Row 20/10/2000 198 128 

Wilkins Karl Back Row 28/02/1996 196 110 

Wood Thomas Flanker 03/11/1986 195 112 

29

Half-Time Exhibition Games 

Players 

1 Aidan Campbell 

Players 

1 Alex Pedan 

2 Charlie Andrews 

2 Daniel Graham 

3 Finlay Steele 

3 Freddy Harris 

4 Harry McFerran 

4 Joel Davey 

Holywood RFC 

5 Isaac Orr 

6 Jay Topping 

Ballynahinch RFC 

5 Joe Bailey 

6 Monty Jackson 

Coaches 

1 Jonny Topping 

7 Josh Cowan 

8 Lucas McKeown 

Coaches 

1 Colin Graham 

7 Nathan Stone 

8 Patrick Dooley 

2 Paul Henderson 

9 Noah Cassidy 

2 David Harris 

9 Patick McFarland 

3 Stephen Perrot 

10 Sammy Williams 

3 William Quinn 

10 Ryan McMullan 

Club Colours: 

Black / Green / Red 

11 Scott Henderson 

12 Toby Grant 

Club Colours: 

Green / Navy 

11 Ray Gill 

12 William Quinn 

Players 

Players 

1 James McBurney 

1 Cory Newton 

2 Archie Bailie 

2 Katie Allen 

3 Christian Ennis 

3 Oliver Gordon 

4 Kaleb Jackson 

4 Matthew Brennan 

Civil Service 

5 Max Patterson 

6 A.J. Large 

Academy RFC 

5 JJ McVeigh 

6 Aidan O'Hara 

Coaches 

7 Rhys Anderson 

Coaches 

7 Alexander Love 

1 Michael Curran 

8 Peter Watson 

1 Jan Cunningham 

8 Zachery Steele 

2 Gareth Lewis 

9 Seth Maurice 

2 Barry O’Hara 

9 Isaac Boone 

3 Stan Cinnamond 

10 Allan Jose 

3 Jonny Allen 

10 Noah Harte 

Club Colours: 

Red / Green 

11 Ollie McBurney 

12 Cameron McConnell 

Club Colours: 

Maroon / Blue 

11 Ryan Pavlovic 

12 Leo Cunningham 

LIVE STATS 

Click Here 

31

Last Time Out 

23 - 29 

Penaud in the corner. After a TMO check, the 

try was awarded to the winger. JJ Hanrahan 

added the conversion. 

Clermont found themselves temporarily 

down to 14 when Wayne Barnes sent 

Jacobus Van Tonder to the bin for a 

tip-tackle on Rob Baloucoune, who 

unfortunately had to go off as a result. 

John Cooney landed the ensuing penalty 

to stretch Ulster’s lead. That was shortly cut 

however, as JJ Hanrahan clocked up three 

points when Ulster were pinged for holding 

on at the stroke of half-time. 

The French side grew into the game in the 

third quarter of the game and had a penalty 

opportunity on 50 minutes but JJ Hanrahan’s 

effort went wide. Six minutes later, Clermont 

struck, with Hanrahan making the break and 

Damian Penaud went over for his second. 

The Irish out-half landed the conversion to 

bring them within two. 

Ulster regained the lead after 68 minutes, 

when Mike Lowry went for the offload 

to Nick Timoney, but Cheik Tiberghien 

made a deliberate knock-on before Nick 

Timoney collected the ball to crash over. 

After consulting with the TMO, Wayne 

Barnes awarded the try and gave a yellow 

card to Tiberghien. 

The game was all but put to bed five minutes 

later, with John Cooney landing a monstrous 

kick from inside Ulster’s own half to make it 

seven kicks from seven from the tee for the 

scrum-half. It meant that Hanrahan’s lastminute 

penalty gave them only a consolation 

losing bonus-point at home, and Ulster left 

having secured their first win at the Stade 

Marcel-Michelin. 

Full-time score: Clermont 23 - 29 Ulster 

Watch 

Highlights 

Ulster claimed a historic victory over ASM 

Clermont Auvergne on Saturday, clinching 

their first-ever win at the Stade Marcel- 

Michelin to get their Heineken Champions 

Cup campaign off to a fantastic start. 

In a game that also saw Duane Vermeulen 

make his debut for the province, and Sean 

Reidy make his 150th Ulster appearance, 

Ulster go into Round 2 of the Heineken 

Champions Cup with four points in the bag. 

The visitors put on the pressure from the 

get-go, and John Cooney duly obliged with 

the penalty to get the first points on the 

board in the first minute of the game. 

up. It wasn’t long though before Ulster got 

another penalty and Cooney notched up a 

further three points. 

Ulster really impressed in attack, finding 

holes in the Clermont defence. Eventually, 

Ulster registered their first try through Stuart 

McCloskey, who powered his way over. John 

Cooney nailed the conversion to put 16 

points between the two sides. 

Just over five minutes from half-time, 

Clermont finally got on the scoreboard after 

Tani Vili made the cross-field kick to Damian 

Clermont’s discipline let them down again in 

the opening minutes, allowing John Cooney 

to step up again for the three points, with 

which he made no mistake. 

Ulster, in their European red jerseys, looked 

set to score after a superb move between 

James Hume, Mike Lowry, John Cooney and 

Marcus Rea to bring them to the Clermont 

line, but the hosts did well to hold them 


33

Behind the Player 

Stacey Sloan 

influences. Stacey-Lea Kennedy is from City of 

Derry RFC and represented Ireland. It’s still an 

ambition of mine to play for Ireland – I’m 31 but 

you see the likes of Lindsay Peat who has just 

finished playing international rugby at 41. She 

is an icon and proves that it’s not necessarily 

a young woman’s game if you look after your 

body, you can play to that level. 

In our series, Behind the Player in association 

with Deloitte, Ulster’s Senior Women 

players share a little bit about themselves 

and their rugby careers. We spoke to 

City of Derry RFC and Ulster back row, 

Stacey Sloan. 

Tell us a little about your rugby pathway. 

I started playing mini rugby in England and 

I was the only girl in the entire league! I’ve 

always been very competitive so that was 

the starting point for me. When I got to 

an age when I couldn’t mix with the boys 

anymore, the female participation was very 

weak at the time, so there wasn’t much for 

me then. I ended up taking a long time away 

from rugby and didn’t start playing again 

until I was 23 at City of Derry Rugby Club. I 

played a full season in 2013 and the following 

season, I got my first cap for Ulster which 

was quite a fast progression. 

I have stayed with City of Derry and after my 

second year of Inter-Pros, I did a short stint 

at Queen’s University on dual status, but I 

picked up a couple of injuries. I’m currently 

two months post-ACL reconstruction surgery 

which took me out of rugby for two years. 

I disappeared to a different sport and did 

Brazilian jujitsu and became the European 

Champion. It helped me come back to rugby. 

I got one season with City of Derry when 

COVID-19 hit. When rugby returned, I was 

asked if I wanted to train with Ulster and very 

proudly represented the province, starting 

each game of the Inter-Pros in a brand-new 

position. I used to play centre but now play 

Number Eight which was a big transition! 

That takes me up to now where I’ve had 

surgery and currently not playing but I’ve 

started taking up coaching, assisting Beth 

Cregan at City of Derry RFC, as well as taking 

up a Community Relations position with the 

council. We go out to schools and my job is 

to coach and recruit youth into the club, as 

well as build participation, particularly in the 

women and girls’ game. 

Who have been your main influences in 

your rugby career? 

My mum and dad have been massive 

influences. Not very many people know 

but my mum used to play rugby when she 

was younger. She was a flanker and played 

in England. My dad was also a winger too. 

I have a longstanding sporting background 

and my mum and dad have always 

supported me. Rugby was always the one 

sport that stuck and without them, I would 

never have got to this position. They took me 

to my first minis’ game. I’d give them a lot 

of credit. Mum doesn’t go so much now as 

her nerves are wrecked now so she watches 

from a distance! My first season at Ulster, dad 

travelled to Connacht to come and watch 

without telling me. As soon as I knew where 

he was, I was calm. 

There are a lot of high-profile female rugby 

My own team-mates are a big influence on me 

as well. Without them, I wouldn’t develop as a 

player. We work off each other and they’re the 

people who make you shine. I probably wouldn’t 

have made it into the Ulster squad if they didn’t 

make me stand out in the way I did. There are 

a lot of brilliant women around me and I really 

appreciate them all. 

What have been your proudest moments 

in rugby? 

Representing Ulster. For me, my proudest 

achievements are when I step onto the pitch. 

Getting to start for my province or team 

– not everyone gets that opportunity. 

People can isolate it to one particular 

moment but playing and starting 

for Ulster has been a big one for 

me. It means that I did what 

I needed to do to play; I’m 

fit, healthy and able to do 

it. That is an achievement 

in itself. There are people 

with injuries, or they don’t 

have their health and can’t 

play anymore. That’s why I 

practice my self-gratitude. 

If I had to single one thing 

out, getting to play in 

this year’s Inter-Pros 

were a hugely proud 

experience. It was a 

historic occasion as it 

was broadcast on TV 

and online, which didn’t 

help my nerves, but it 

was a great experience. 

Back Row 

16/02/1990 


35

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Louis Ludik 

Former Ulster back three, Louis Ludik will 

make his return to Kingspan Stadium on 

Friday evening to get a proper send-off 

from Ulster supporters, having retired last 

season when there were no fans in the 

terraces. Ulster Rugby caught up with Louis 

this week to hear how he’s been getting on 

in retirement. 

First of all, Louis, how are you and how is life 

after rugby? 

It’s very good! We’re still in Belfast and are 

busy building our business, Hellbent – I’m 

really enjoying it! It’s very different to playing, 

having to make my own plans, and scheduling 

my own meetings for the first time in fifteen 

years! Not having kit to wear every day is new 

to me as well, but I’m really enjoying it. 

If you can cast your mind back to when you 

retired last season, it wasn’t really how you 

planned to retire? 

No, definitely not! My last game was 2 

November in 2020, so last month it was a 

year since I played against Cardiff Rugby 

when I got injured. Unfortunately, since then I 

couldn’t play and it was not the way I wanted 

to end my career, especially at Ulster. It would 

have been awesome to have a couple of 

games with a capacity crowd with a bit of a 

send-off, but unfortunately it didn’t pan out 

that way. 

Can you tell us a little about what you have 

been up to since retiring? 

I was fortunate that we have the business for 

me to get stuck into. While I was still playing, 

we started to build the company. When I 

retired, I jumped into in to help my wife, 

Chamé, and Schalk van der Merwe and his 

wife, to continue to build the business. That 

is taking up most of my time – we’re very 

busy with that! I’m also Assistant Coach 

with Instonians for their Firsts team. Those 

two things are keeping me quite busy at 

the moment! 

What made you want to stay in Belfast? 

We had the option to do something beyond 

rugby with our business – a lot of guys aren’t 

fortunate to have a business to get their teeth 

stuck into and aren’t able to stay. With the 

help of Ulster and my time here, we qualified 

for our passports and were eligible to stay. 

Having that option made all the difference. 

We decided to stay in Belfast quite a while 

back, so we bought a house here and really 

enjoy it. The people are so friendly, and we’ve 

felt so welcome. Our son is very happy at 

school as well, so everything just made the 

decision an easy one! 

How have you found following Ulster as a 

supporter since retiring? 

It’s been going incredibly well for the guys! 

That win away to Leinster was amazing, and 

last week’s win against Clermont was just as 

fantastic, especially in Stade Marcel-Michelin. 

Both stadiums are hostile and it’s so difficult 

to play there, and to win is incredible. The guys 

are doing so well. As a supporter, I’m loving 

it and really looking forward to being there 

on Friday. With the number of youngsters 

coming through, I just knew the team would 

keep improving. Hopefully, we’ll win some 

trophies soon! I’m not surprised at all at how 

well they’re doing, and I’m so happy for them. 

What will it mean to you to step out at 

Kingspan Stadium on Friday? 

It will be awesome. It’s going to feel a little 

bizarre not playing but I really appreciate 

Ulster giving me that opportunity for a 

send-off. I must say the video Ulster put 

together for my retirement was incredible 

and very humbling. They made it as special 

as they could, which made all the difference 

to my family and me, considering I couldn’t 

share my retirement with the fans. It will feel 

like a send-off at the stadium on Friday, so 

it will be awesome and I’m really looking 

forward to it. 


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41

Seeking Seasonal Cheer in Europe 

If a victory was ever timelier, and best 

designed to lift fans’ spirits, then Ulster’s 

win in France last weekend ranks high. 

The famous 23-29 win at Stade Marcel- 

Michelin over the Gallic giant that is ASM 

Clermont Auvergne offered a wondrous 

Yuletide platform for tonight’s second 

Heineken Champions Cup clash with one of 

England’s finest. 

Northampton arrive in Belfast after a 

comprehensive defeat at Franklin’s Gardens 

by a spellbinding Racing 92, inspired by 

Scottish will ‘o the wisp Finn Russell. 

Ulster supporters will be in holiday mood, 

in celebratory mode, deservedly so as their 

team again promises a European journey to 

remember. And in a week when the news 

has been less than uplifting, this matchup 

under the Kingspan Stadium lights 

offers welcome respite and distraction, the 

opportunity to bathe in a party pool off the 

pitch and on! 

Guest article: 

Rod Nawn 

Ulster Head Coach Dan McFarland allowed 

himself a broad smile after his team showed 

just what he knew it could do to any team 

in club rugby. He had been confident that 

the disappointing defeat at the Ospreys the 

previous weekend did not represent what 

his players could offer. And as critical as 

he was at the performances in the United 

Rugby Championship in Swansea and 

against Connacht, he was properly proud 

of an eighty minutes effort in France which 

will take its place in the club’s list of best 

results. 

Duane Vermeulen, finally, making his debut 

in the back row slotted seamlessly into the 

role the coaches had patiently planned for 

the World Cup winner, and team-mates 

attested to the influence the Springbok had 

in just one full training session and in the 

match itself. 

This evening, home fans will want to 

properly hail their latest South African 

signing, and if he reproduces the irresistible 

form he has shown for his country over the 

busy last eighteen months, Vermeulen will 

etch his name alongside Pienaar, Muller, 

Kempson and others who have attained 

enduring status in Ulster’s history. 

He would be the first to say that the triumph 

at Clermont was genuinely a team effort. 

John Cooney, fit and relishing confirming 

his priceless value to Ulster, produced an allround 

display at scrum-half which will live 

in the memory. His flawless kicking yielded 

points at critical times in the game, but 

he and Billy Burns formed a commanding 

and courageous half-back combination, 

while Stuart McCloskey and James Hume 

flourished as a creative and marvellously 

combative midfield pairing. 

Michael Lowry, Ethan McIlroy and Robert 

Baloucoune - until his unfortunate early 

departure through injury - completed a 

backline which knew how to impose itself on 

opponents which had been lauded by some 

observers as more physical, more athletic 

and more skilful. How spectacularly was 

that view dismissed, especially as Clermont 

roared back into second half contention 

only for Ulster’s calm, astute management 

of the ball shifted the balance back. 

Rob Herring is much admired in the game 

but the hooker set an example in the set 

piece and in the loose which makes him a 

key part of this Ulster outfit. They say sport 

is about opinions, if so there is a surely a 

growing certainty Herring is the most 

complete No.2 in Ireland. 

His props, Tom O’Toole and the 

undervalued Andrew Warwick, completed 

a focussed and relentless front row, and 

all the replacements played parts of real 

substance. 

Stewart Moore, Nathan Doak, Jack McGrath, 

Ross Kane, Sam Carter, Greg Jones and 

Sean Reidy are players of proven quality, 

and with a host of others in the senior squad 

determined to stake permanent claims, it 

does excite when Ulster produces games of 

such commitment and talent. 

Alan O’Connor and Kieran Treadwell always 

must prove they should be regular choices 

in the second row, and even the revered Iain 

Henderson would have respected the pairing’s 

intelligence in most phases of the action. 

Of Nick Timoney and the increasingly 

impressive Marcus Rea, much could be said, 

their contributions alongside the Springbok 

newcomer in the tight and at the breakdown 

exemplary. 

So, can they, and the players vying for 

selection in every position, cast aside the 

inconsistencies which subverted the team’s 

43

ambitions at the Aviva against Connacht, 

and then again at the Liberty Stadium after 

Leinster had been given a rugby masterclass 

in between those URC defeats? 

Northampton will certainly test the resolve 

and resilience of whatever line-up McFarland 

sends out tonight. In front of a crowd 

which has been galvanised by the French 

performance and will hope, nay demand, 

its favourites reproduce the discipline and 

acuity of skill and mental and physical 

strength to inflict a successive Champions 

Cup defeat on a resurgent giant of the 

English Premiership. 

Kiwi Head Coach Chris Boyd has been 

rebuilding the set-up at Franklin’s Gardens 

since he arrived from the Hurricanes in 2018, 

and last season saw the team threaten to 

break into the top four, only to fall just short. 

Now the Saints lie third in the Gallagher 

Premiership table and have a squad 

overflowing with talent, experience and 

youthful ambition. 

Skipper and back-rower Lewis Ludlum is 

just twenty-six but a regular member of 

Eddie Jones’s English squads, and fullback 

George Furbank, the hugely talented 

Courtney Lawes and flanker Tom Wood are 

players who have played at the highest level. 

If Lawes is available for the visitors, 

his versatility in the lineout and at the 

breakdown, and familiar ball-carrying talents, 

would make for a wondrous matchup with 

Vermeulen, but this tie might come too soon 

for the man entrusted with the England 

captaincy in the autumn. 

This arena has seen some truly memorable 

clashes in Europe’s top tournament, and 

none make an impression like those under 

the floodlights which wash the players and 

fans in a warming spotlight. 

In that miraculous European Cup-winning 

season of 1998/9 the games against a 

feted, star-laden Toulouse at the pool stage 

and then in a tumultuous quarter-final are 

stamped in the memories of those lucky 

– and old! – enough to have packed into a 

much-loved but spartan Ravenhill venue. 

Can tonight provide another magical pre- 

Christmas experience for players, coaches 

and fans alike? In these trying times beyond 

rugby, what a lift that would give the entire 

province. 

Boyd and McFarland are shrewd and 

innovative coaches and each will have pored 

over the displays of their opponents tonight, 

searching for the areas of strength and 

forensically seeking where opportunities 

lie, where their sides can most effectively 

impose themselves. 

The players will be well-prepared, and with 

Dan Soper, Jared Payne, Roddy Grant and 

Craig Newby amongst the Ulster coaching 

team, and Sam Vesty and Phil Dowson 

distinguished members of Boyd’s staff, there 

is a mine of experience and imagination off 

the playing field. 

On the pitch, the visitors will hope Welsh 

fly-half Dan Biggar is fit to control affairs, 

probably in partnership with a scrum-half 

of real adventure in Alex Mitchell, and Boyd 

will hope his wingers Tommy Freeman 

and Courtnall Skosan are healthy after a 

demanding clash with Racing last weekend. 

One Belfast boy would love to get a call 

from Boyd this evening. Tight-head prop 

Conor Carey has plied his trade at Ballymena 

and at Ballynahinch before stints at Ealing, 

Nottingham, Connacht and Worcester, and 

how he would relish his chance to show his 

native province what might have been! 

There has long been a strong link between 

tonight’s clubs. A precocious Jonny Bell lit 

up the English scene before returning home 

to be at the core of a developing Ulster. 

Allen Clarke was Northampton and Ireland’s 

hooker before he was tempted back, and 

Roger Wilson and Neil Best thrived in teams 

created by the fabled Jim Mallinder. 

Tonight’s match generates expectation 

amongst home supporters, and offers the 

prospect of some redemption for the Saints. 

It promises to be a high-class affair, one fit to 

decorate any time in the rugby year. 

As all fans soak up a return to Kingspan 

Stadium, the partisan, colourfully bedecked 

home crowd will have only one response to 

the occasion. 

All they want for Christmas is a win! 


45

Ulster Rugby Academy 

Azur 

Allison 

Back Row 

19/04/1999 

191cm 

106kg 

1 

Ben 

Carson 

Centre 

24/02/2002 

183cm 

100kg 

- 

Reuben 

Crothers 

Flanker 

29/01/2001 

185cm 

96kg 

- 

Lewis 

Finlay 

Scrum Half 

19/01/2000 

168cm 

74kg 

- 

James 

Humphreys 

Fly Half 

11/04/2001 

185cm 

80kg 

- 

James 

McCormick 

Hooker 

08/01/2002 

180cm 

103kg 

- 

Conor 

McKee 

Scrum Half 

20/03/2001 

183cm 

87kg 

- 

CADEMY ACADEMY ACADEMY 



CADEMY Jude ACADEMY Conor ACADEMY 

George 

Postlethwaite Rankin Saunderson 

CADEMY Centre 

ACADEMY Full Back ACADEMY 

Prop 

03/04/2002 27/05/2001 

11/01/2001 

CADEMY 193cm ACADEMY 185cm 

ACADEMY 

191cm 

101kg 

89kg 

118kg 

CADEMY - ACADEMY - ACADEMY 

- 




Ben 

Moxham 

Wing 

06/09/2001 

191cm 

97kg 

8 

Harry 

Sheridan 

Lock/Back Row 

21/09/2001 

196cm 

111kg 

-

Cheslin Kolbe last season, Juan Imhoff in 2019/20 

and Maxime Médard in 2018/19. Consider the 

star quality of the last three overall winners of 

the Champions Try of the Round and you know 

that the competition to find the best try of this 

Heineken Champions Cup season will feature 

some of the biggest names in the world game. 

Kolbe’s was awarded the accolade in 2020/21 

for a breathtaking score against Ulster Rugby in 

Round 1. Taking a pass from Thomas Ramos, the 

former Stade Toulousain wing beat two Ulster 

defenders, kicked over another and collected 

after two bounces to slide over the whitewash in 

remarkable fashion. 

Fans were given the opportunity to vote for 

the best tries selected from Rounds 1 and 2, 

the Round of 16, the quarter-finals, as well as 

Juan Cruz Mallia’s score during the final at 

Twickenham, before Kolbe emerged as the 

overall winner. 

Last season, the Champions Try of the Round 

competition was largely dominated by players 

from TOP 14 clubs. What will happen this 

season? Which outstanding players will make 

the difference? Which tries will get the fans’ vote 

along with the verdict of a panel of renowned 

rugby experts. 

Each Monday following match weekends, a 

shortlist of five tries will be selected by EPCR 

and opened to public vote with fans having the 

chance to win some great prizes. 

This will be the perfect opportunity to watch 

the best Heineken Champions Cup tries over 

and over again and to vote for The One to Win. 

CHAMPIONS TRY OF THE ROUND 

WINNERS 2020/21 

Round 1/Champions Try of the Season: 

Cheslin Kolbe 

Stade Toulousain v Ulster Rugby 

Round 2: Alivereti Raka 

ASM Clermont Auvergne v Munster Rugby 

Round of 16: Antoine Dupont 

Stade Toulousain v Munster Rugby 

Quarter-Final: Grégory Alldritt 

Stade Rochelais v Sale Sharks 

EPCRUGBY.COM/TOTR 

49

Kieran Treadwell 

The second row was delighted with 

Ulster’s Heineken Champions Cup victory 

over Clermont last weekend, but he 

knows they will need to back it up this 

Friday when Northampton Saints come to 

Kingspan Stadium. 

How is the mood in the squad this week 

after your win against Clermont? 

It was a massive win and we enjoyed it very 

much. We’re carrying on that buzz and using 

it as a momentum-builder to push on this 

week. It brings a massive energy in every 

training session, every meeting we have – 

we’ve had that little taste now and we want 

to keep going. 

However, the main focus is on ourselves. We 

have a few tweaks here and there for different 

opposition, but the focus is being the best we 

can be and see if other teams can keep up 

with us. Northampton have a big pack and 

they have a good maul, good line-out, and 

good set piece, all-round really. It’s going to 

be a big focus for us again this week. 

What pleased you most about that 

performance in France on Saturday? 

There were loads of things within the game 

that were massive. We started the game 

very well, but our preparation that week was 

second-to-none. We came off the back of 

a loss to Ospreys, so we needed to make a 

change. The preparation was crucial to that 

win. We really pride ourselves on how we 

prepare for a game so we can perform to the 

best of our ability. 

What will you expect from Northampton Saints 

on Friday and what threats do they pose? 

I expect they will respond [after their loss to 

Racing 92 last weekend] and change a few 

things in their preparations. They will want 

to get back to winning ways and we want to 

keep building on what we’ve got going for 

us already. They have a massive pack and 

have good ball-carriers like Lewis Ludlam 

and Courtney Lawes. They have the likes of 

Dan Biggar at ten who’s going to be pulling 

strings and is that link between the backs and 

forwards. We’ve got to be connected and 

switched-on the whole way through. There 

isn’t one part of their game, there are lots of 

facets to their game that we have to watch 

out for. 

This will be our first home game since 15 

October, how important is that big home 

crowd to you as an individual and as a 

playing group? 

It’s absolutely huge. We get a massive 

buzz from the crowd and the noise they 

make. It’s a European game at home - we 

haven’t had one of those with a sizeable 

crowd in a long while. It’s going to be 

fantastic, especially under the Friday night 

lights; you can’t beat it. 

What is it about Heineken Champions Cup 

games that makes them so special? 

I know it sounds so simple but changing to 

the Heineken Champions Cup rugby balls 

in training creates a little bit of a buzz and 

there is a change in camp. You want to be 

the best in Europe, and you play against 

the best in Europe. We’re putting ourselves 

amongst it and that’s where we want to 

be – we want to put ourselves against the 

best and test ourselves to see where we 

are. There is definitely a noticeable shift in 

the squad when it comes to the Heineken 

Champions Cup. 

Lock 

06/11/1995 

198cm 

115kg 

113 


51

As part of our #respectURgame campaign, 

we spoke to Ulster’s Referee Development 

Manager Richard Kerr about issues officials 

have faced this season. 

“I’m one of 130 active referees currently 

in the Ulster Society of Rugby Football 

Referees and from speaking with some of 

my colleagues as we’ve come back to rugby 

in recent months - whilst it isn’t a major 

problem - what we have found is some of 

the stuff being said from player to player, 

maybe spectator to player, and also towards 

the referees, it’s just not really acceptable. I 

suppose through this campaign we want to 

make sure that it’s nipped in the bud and this 

just doesn’t become a wider game issue. 

“Thankfully in my 21 years as a referee I 

have rarely encountered any form of abuse, 

but on the odd occasion it has happened 

it can leave you in a very lonely place. We 

do this as volunteers. We don’t go out on 

a Saturday afternoon to listen to people 

hurling abuse at us and contesting every 

decision we make. It’s really important as 

referees we stamp this out at source and 

we don’t let it develop in our games, as that 

just grows into a wider, bigger problem. 

“There’s no better feeling coming off that 

pitch when you know you’ve had a good 

game and that’s backed up by a few thank 

yous and a few handshakes or fist bumps 

and you can drive home feeling proud. If 

we’ve had a bad game, referees are our own 

worst critics and we don’t need a player, 

a coach. or spectator telling us so. That 

drive home can be quite lonely and quite 

difficult and we go off and reflect, as I’m 

sure players and coaches do when they’ve 

made mistakes during the game. Whilst the 

nature of the job maybe is that we might 

get a little bit of criticism, once that steps 

over the line and becomes abuse, it will 

simply not be tolerated. 

“The game I was brought up with, the game 

I used to go watch my dad play is the very 

game I want my son to be involved with, and 

future generations moving forward. Integral 

to all of that is the core value of respect.” 

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55

Ulster Society of 

Rugby Football Referees’ 

John Adams 

We welcome Andrea Piardi (FIR) and his 

team of officials to Kingspan Stadium this 

evening. As always, we ask that all spectators, 

players and coaching staff respect the match 

officials at all times. 

In tonight’s match programme, we profile 

the current President of the Ulster Society of 

Rugby Football Referees, Mr John Adams. 

When did you decide to take up the whistle 

and why? 

In 1983, I damaged the ligaments in one of my 

knees playing football. During the recovery 

period I was asked by a work colleague, who 

happened to be an Irish League football 

referee, to consider becoming a football 

referee. I successfully completed several 

weeks of training and became an IFA referee 

in the same year. I got myself fully fit again and 

refereed for the next three years, progressing 

from the Mid Ulster League to the Belfast and 

District League. I had some bad experiences 

with football games and decided to stop 

refereeing. 

So, speaking to some other people that 

I worked with, who played rugby, it was 

suggested I take up refereeing rugby instead 

where the referee was shown a huge amount 

of respect on the pitch by the players. I did the 

‘Orangefield Course’ as it was known then in 

1986 and the rest is history. 

What was the initial process like to become 

a referee and how has this changed over 

the years? 

I mentioned the Orangefield Couse previously. 

This was the initial referees course held in 

Orangefield School running over a Friday 

evening, all day Saturday and finishing with 

a dinner at Collegians Rugby Club (now 

Belfast Harlequins RFC) for the new referees, 

assessors and course instructors. 

Nowadays, new referees attend a one day 

course and follow a very specific induction 

process where they receive a lot of support 

and assistance along the way (more about 

this in the next match programme). 

Who or what has inspired you along 

the way? 

Believe it or not, watching our own Society 

referees like Brian Stirling and Stephen 

Hilditch on the International stage and also 

Alan Lewis (not one of ours but whose style 

of refereeing I admired hugely) led the way in 

my early days. Having said that, they still do 

with the support they provide to the Society 

as our senior members. 

What is your favourite thing about 

refereeing? 

Schools and youth rugby! I have refereed 

age grade rugby for several years since I 

reached the appropriate grade. These games 

usually take place on Wednesday afternoons, 

midweek evenings or Saturday mornings. 

I have achieved huge personal satisfaction 

in watching players who have progressed 

to Senior Ulster, Irish International and even 

Lions level, hoping I have contributed in some 

small way to them reaching the highest level 

of rugby, as I contributed to helping them 

understand the Laws to their benefit. Not 

wanting to name drop but I have refereed the 

likes of Iain Henderson, Paul Marshall, Darren 

Cave, Gary Longwell to name but a few. 

Have you had any setbacks along the way? 

Being downgraded a few years ago caused 

me to question my ability on the pitch but 

I stuck at it and managed to get regraded, 

eventually reaching senior level for a few 

years. Injuries are another setback to any 

referee; I have had a few torn calf muscles 

and pulled hamstrings which can hurt but 

are fixable. 

What one Law would you like to change or 

introduce? 

The Laws of the game have changed 

hugely since I started refereeing; mainly to 

ensure that the game flows and the players 

are kept as safe as possible at all times. 

Scrum Laws, especially at International 

level, need tightened up because what is 

seen on TV hugely influences the domestic 

game. I believe there needs to be more of a 

competition in the front row before it gets 

to replicate the Rugby League scrummage. 

What is happening at the top level of rugby 

is now beginning to filter down to local level 

rugby and needs refereed consistently to 

ensure there is a competition between the 

competing hookers. 

What advice would you give to someone 

thinking about taking up refereeing? 

Do it! The longer you wait the more you will 

regret not taking up the whistle. A referee 

has such an influence on the game of rugby; 

there is a huge amount of satisfaction when 

the game is over and the players shake your 

hand saying ‘thank you Sir/Madam, you made 

the game very enjoyable’. Refereeing can 

improve your communication and decision 

making skills which can be a huge benefit in 

your personal and professional lives as well. 

Tell us a little about the USRFR 

The Ulster Society of Rugby Football 

Referees was established seventy years ago. 

I have refereed for half of that time! From my 

experience, the USRFR has always consisted 

of a very close knit group of rugby enthusiasts 

who give up their spare time to ensure Ulster 

rugby at all levels goes ahead week by week, 

year by year. The Society is affiliated to the 

Ulster Branch and has 234 active and nonactive 

members. The USRFR Council consists 

of myself as the Chair, several members of the 

Society and a representative from the Ulster 

Branch. We oversee the workings of the 

Society to the advancement of the members. 

There are also several committees within the 

Society that oversee various aspects of the 

Society functions. The Society has three Area 

groups - Belfast (BAGS), Mid Ulster (MUGS) 

and North West (NW) at which members 

meet regularly to discuss and debate their 

refereeing experiences. 

The match appointments are recommended 

to the Ulster Branch by the USRFR selectors 

who meet every Thursday night to assign 

referees to their match appointments. 

How has Covid-19 impacted referees and 

how did the USRFR keep members focused 

during the periods of lockdown? 

The pandemic has meant that the current 

cadre of referees have had to focus on 

maintaining their fitness levels and their 

knowledge of Law and the current Global 

Law Trials in other ways. To help with this, 

the USRFR management committee and 

Referee Development Manager organised 

outdoor training sessions during the summer 

along with ‘drop in’ sessions via Zoom to 

keep everyone connected. Because of the 

Covid restrictions, many referees now travel 

to games already changed so that they do 

not have to enter the changing rooms, thus 

reducing the risk of spreading or contracting 

the virus. Back to the good old days of 

changing in the car park! 

If interested in referring, please contact 

Richard Kerr 

Referee Development Manager 

richard.kerr@irfu.ie | 07493 868 388 


57

Important: 

To ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for all supporters, 

Ulster Rugby would ask all supporters to follow the latest public health 

guidance in relation to COVID-19 restrictions. 

Please DO NOT attend Kingspan Stadium if you are 

experiencing any symptoms of COVID-19. 

RAVENHILL PARK GARDENS 

SPIRIT OF ‘99 

THE 1924 

PROMENADE 1 

PROMENADE 2 

ONSLOW PARADE 

TURNSTILES 

We are passionate 

in our support 

We do not tolerate 

abusive or discriminatory 

language 

Clean Hands Keep Distance Wear Face Covering 

When travelling around the Stadium, please wear a face covering, 

make use of hand sanitisation stations, and be distance-aware and 

respectful of other supporters. 

Respect Policy 

We are silent during kicks 

at goal 

We respect opposition 

players, management 

& supporters 

We respect the match 

officials’ decisions 

We are mindful 

of our language 

We drink 

responsibly 

INCIDENT HOTLINE 

07790 

200 200 

ABBEY AUTOLINE FAMILY STAND 

Stadium Facilities 

Catering 

EAST TERRACE 

A&L GOODBODY LOUNGE / VIP BOXES 

The Food Village will be in operation, 

serving a variety of cuisines, while the Cool 

FM Crew will provide the soundtrack for 

the evening. 

A new stretch tent has been added to the 

Fan Zone, where supporters can make use 

of the Express Bar and enjoy a covered, 

well ventilated space. 

All five public bars will also be in operation, 

with live entertainment in the Clubhouse Bar. 

Kukri Store 

The Kukri Store will be open from 6.00pm 

until 30 minutes post-match. 

ISOLATION 

ROOM 

C-19 MEDIC 

FOOD 

VILLAGE 

TURNSTILES 

Audio descriptive match commentary to 

enhance the match experience for people 

affected by sight or hearing loss will be 

available. Earpieces can be collected from 

the admin building reception prior to the 

game, or you can book your equipment by 

calling Jen on (028) 9049 3222. 

OUR Club 

The activity centre for our Junior Season 

Ticket holders will not be in operation for 

this fixture. 

ADMIN’ 

BUILDING 


59

Thank You! 

FIXTURES 

Ulster Rugby wish to thank all of our sponsors 

and partners for their continued support. 

Main Sponsor 

Kit Sponsor 

Official Sponsors 

Domestic Sponsors 

Official Partners 

Official On-kit Sponsors 

H Glasgow Fri 24 Sep W 35-29 URC 

A Zebre Sat 2 Oct W 3-36 URC 

H Benetton Fri 8 Oct W 28-8 URC 

H Emirates Lions Fri 15 Oct W 26-10 URC 

A Connacht Sat 23 Oct L 36-11 URC 

A Leinster Sat 27 Nov W 10-20 URC 

A Ospreys Sat 4 Dec L 19-13 URC 

A Clermont Sat 11 Dec W 23-29 HCC 

H Northampton Saints Fri 17 Dec 8.00pm HCC 

H Connacht Sun 26 Dec 5.15pm URC 

H Leinster Sat 1 Jan 7.35pm URC 

A Munster Sat 8 Jan 7.35pm URC 

A Northampton Saints Sun 16 Jan 3.15pm HCC 

H Clermont Sat 22 Jan 5.30pm HCC 

H Scarlets w/o 28-30 Jan URC 

A Dragons w/o 18-20 Feb URC 

H Cardiff w/o 4-6 Mar URC 

A DHL Stormers w/o 25-27 Mar URC 

A Vodacom Bulls w/o 1-3 Apr URC 

H Munster w/o 22-24 Apr URC 

A Edinburgh w/o 29 Apr-1 May URC 

H Cell C Sharks w/o 20-22 May URC 


RUGBY. 

DELIVERED. 

TEAMWORK. SPEED. DELIVERY. THERE CAN BE ONLY ONE 

OFFICIAL LOGISTICS PARTNER. DHL. 


63

Ulster Rugby, Heineken Champions Cup Match Day Programme - v Northampton Saints

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