Ulster Rugby is one of the four professional provincial

rugby union Rugby union football, commonly known simply as rugby union in English-speaking countries and rugby 15/XV in non-English-speaking world, Anglophone Europe, or often just rugby, is a Contact sport#Terminology, close-contact team sport that orig ...

teams from the island of

Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...

. They compete in the Irish regional pool of the

United Rugby Championship The United Rugby Championship (URC) is an annual rugby union competition involving professional teams from Ireland, Italy, Scotland, South Africa, and Wales. For sponsorship reasons the league is known as the Vodacom United Rugby Championship in ...

and in the

European Rugby Champions Cup The European Rugby Champions Cup (known as the Investec Champions Cup for sponsorship reasons) is an annual rugby union tournament organised by European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR). It is the top-tier competition for clubs who compete in a pr ...

, 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. The team represents the IRFU Ulster Branch, which is one of the four primary branches of the IRFU and is responsible for rugby union throughout the geographical Irish province of

Ulster Ulster (; or ; or ''Ulster'') is one of the four traditional or historic provinces of Ireland, Irish provinces. It is made up of nine Counties of Ireland, counties: six of these constitute Northern Ireland (a part of the United Kingdom); t ...

, comprising

Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ; ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, part of the United Kingdom in the north-east of the island of Ireland. It has been #Descriptions, variously described as a country, province or region. Northern Ireland shares Repub ...

( Antrim,

Armagh Armagh ( ; , , " Macha's height") is a city and the county town of County Armagh, in Northern Ireland, as well as a civil parish. It is the ecclesiastical capital of Ireland – the seat of the Archbishops of Armagh, the Primates of All ...

, Down,

Fermanagh Historically, Fermanagh (), as opposed to the modern County Fermanagh, was a kingdom of Gaelic Ireland, associated geographically with present-day County Fermanagh. ''Fir Manach'' originally referred to a distinct kin group of alleged Laigin or ...

, Londonderry and Tyrone) and three counties in the

Republic of Ireland Ireland ( ), also known as the Republic of Ireland (), is a country in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe consisting of 26 of the 32 Counties of Ireland, counties of the island of Ireland, with a population of about 5.4 million. ...

which are Donegal,

Monaghan Monaghan ( ; ) is the county town of County Monaghan, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It also provides the name of its Civil parishes in Ireland, civil parish and Monaghan (barony), Monaghan barony. The population of the town as of the 2022 cen ...

and

Cavan Cavan ( ; ) is the county town of County Cavan in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. The town lies in Ulster, near the border with County Fermanagh in Northern Ireland. The town is bypassed by the main N3 road (Ireland), N3 road that links Dublin ( ...

. Prior to professionalisation, Ulster were a representative amateur team taking part in the

IRFU Interprovincial Championship The IRFU Interprovincial Championship was a rugby union competition between the four provinces of Ireland – Ulster, Leinster, Munster and Connacht – and, for a brief period the Irish Exiles, run by the Irish Rugby Football Union. History Or ...

. They have also competed in the now defunct Celtic Cup (2003–05). Their development team, Ulster A, formerly known as the Ulster Ravens, have competed in the

British and Irish Cup The British and Irish Cup was an annual rugby union competition for second tier, semi-professional clubs and the reserves or developing teams from professional clubs from Great Britain and Ireland. It took place for the first time in the 2009� ...

(2009–18) and a revived Celtic Cup (2018–20).

History

Foundation (1868–1879)

A number of clubs were operating in Ulster prior to the foundation of the

Irish Rugby Football Union The Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) () is the body managing rugby union in the island of Ireland (both Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland). The IRFU has its head office at 10/12 Lansdowne Road and home ground at Aviva Stadium, where a ...

and the Ulster branch. The

Belfast Belfast (, , , ; from ) is the capital city and principal port of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan and connected to the open sea through Belfast Lough and the North Channel (Great Britain and Ireland), North Channel ...

-based North of Ireland F.C., founded in 1868, was the earliest club to operate in the province. Clubs from this era still in existence include

Dungannon Dungannon (, ) is a town in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It is the second-largest town in the county (after Omagh) and had a population of 16,282 at the United Kingdom Census 2011, 2021 Census. The Dungannon and South Tyrone Borough Counci ...

and Queen's University. The first Irish inter-provincial game took place in 1875 between Ulster and

Leinster Leinster ( ; or ) is one of the four provinces of Ireland, in the southeast of Ireland. The modern province comprises the ancient Kingdoms of Meath, Leinster and Osraige, which existed during Gaelic Ireland. Following the 12th-century ...

, with Ulster being the victors. In 's first international match, which was played in 1875 against , eight Ulster-based players took part. Rugby in Ulster at this time was mostly overseen by the Irish Football Union, with the Northern Football Union of Ireland controlling the game in

. The two unions amalgamated in 1879, with the provincial branches of Ulster, Leinster and

Munster Munster ( or ) is the largest of the four provinces of Ireland, located in the south west of the island. In early Ireland, the Kingdom of Munster was one of the kingdoms of Gaelic Ireland ruled by a "king of over-kings" (). Following the Nor ...

being founded as part of the terms of this arrangement. The final Irish provincial side,

Connacht Connacht or Connaught ( ; or ), is the smallest of the four provinces of Ireland, situated in the west of Ireland. Until the ninth century it consisted of several independent major Gaelic kingdoms (Uí Fiachrach, Uí Briúin, Uí Maine, C ...

, was founded in 1885.

Amateur era (1879–1995)

During the amateur era Irish players primarily played for their respective clubs, with provincial games effectively treated as Irish trial matches. The provincial teams were also used to provide competitive club opposition for touring international sides. Inter-provincial games were played on an irregular basis but starting in the 1946–47 season, the provinces played against each other in the annual Irish Interprovincial Championship. Ulster won this tournament 26 times in total, with eight of these titles being shared. Ulster first appointed a coach in 1969. The first three coaches enjoyed great success in the Interprovincial Championship. Under Ken ArmstrongPeter McMullan, "Ken Armstrong to coach Ulster XV", ''Belfast Telegraph'', 17 June 1969 Ulster won the title unbeaten in 1969 and 1970, and finished second, losing only once, in 1971. He was succeeded by Maurice Crabbe, under whom Ulster shared the title in 1972, came third in 1973, and won it in 1974. George Spotswood then led Ulster to a shared title in 1975, an unbeaten championship in 1976, and another shared title in 1976. Under Cecil Watson, Ulster came third in 1978 and fourth in 1979, and came third in 1980 under Matt Gillen, before form began to return under

Willie John McBride William James McBride CBE, better known as Willie John McBride (born 6 June 1940), is a former rugby union footballer from Northern Ireland who played as a lock for Ireland and the British and Irish Lions. He made 63 appearances for Ireland, ...

, who led them to second place in 1981 and a shared title in 1982. Their most sustained period of success began under Jimmy Davidson. In his first season, 1983, Ulster finished third, before he led them to three straight undefeated championships in 1984–86. Harry Williams succeeded him, and under him Ulster shared the title in 1987 and won three straight undefeated titles in 1988–90. Then Davy McMaster led Ulster to two undefeated titles in 1991 and 1992, and a shared title in 1991. Under these three coaches, Ulster won or shared ten Interprovincial Championships in a row. Brian Bloomfield was the final coach of the amateur era, coming joint second in 1994.

Professional success (1999–2006)

After rugby union was declared open to professionalism in 1995, the IRFU gradually developed the provincial sides as professional teams. The

Heineken Cup The European Rugby Champions Cup (known as the Investec Champions Cup for sponsorship reasons) is an annual rugby union tournament organised by European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR). It is the top-tier competition for clubs who compete in a pre ...

was launched in 1995 to provide a new level of European cross-border competition, and Ulster, coached by Harry Williams and captained by David Humphreys, became the first Irish team to win it in the 1998–99 season, beating beat French side

US Colomiers Union Sportive Colomiers Rugby or Rugby Colomiers is a French rugby union club currently competing in Pro D2, the second level of the French rugby pyramid. They had been relegated from Pro D2 after finishing last in the 2006–07 season, but ...

21–6 in the final at

Lansdowne Road Lansdowne Road Stadium (, ) was a stadium in Dublin owned by the Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) that was primarily used for rugby union and association football matches. The stadium was demolished in 2007 to make way for the Aviva Stadium on ...

Dublin Dublin is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Situated on Dublin Bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, and is bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, pa ...

. The

Celtic League The Celtic League is a pan-Celtic organization, founded in 1961, that aims to promote modern Celtic identity and culture in Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Brittany, Cornwall and the Isle of Man – referred to as the Celtic nations; it places pa ...

, featuring all four Irish provinces plus teams from Scotland and Wales, was launched in 2001. From 2001 to 2004, the Ulster team was coached by Alan Solomons, a former assistant coach of the

Springboks The South Africa national rugby union team, commonly known as the Springboks (colloquially the Boks, Bokke or Amabhokobhoko) is the country's national team governed by the South African Rugby Union. The Springboks play in green and gold jersey ...

and head coach of The Stormers and

Western Province Western Province or West Province may refer to: *Western Province, Cameroon *Western Province, Rwanda *Western Province (Kenya) *Western Province (Papua New Guinea) *Western Province (Solomon Islands) *Western Province, Sri Lanka *Western Provinc ...

in his native

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...

. Solomons coached Ulster to a three-year unbeaten home record in the Heineken Cup. In the 2003–04 season, Ulster finished second in the Celtic League, only overtaken by

Llanelli ; ) is a market town and community (Wales), community in Carmarthenshire and the Preserved counties of Wales, preserved county of Dyfed, Wales. It is on the estuary of the River Loughor and is the largest town in the Principal areas of Wales, ...

on the final day of the campaign. Two of Ulster's most impressive achievements in this period were a 33–0 win over English giants

Leicester Tigers Leicester Tigers (officially Leicester Football Club) are a professional rugby union club based in Leicester, England. They play in Premiership Rugby, England's top division of rugby. The club was founded in 1880 and since 1892 plays its home ...

in the Heineken Cup in January 2004, and winning the inaugural Celtic Cup on 20 December 2003, beating

Edinburgh Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. The city is located in southeast Scotland and is bounded to the north by the Firth of Forth and to the south by the Pentland Hills. Edinburgh ...

in a rain-soaked

Murrayfield Murrayfield is an area to the west of Edinburgh city centre in Scotland. It is to the east of Corstorphine and north of Balgreen, Saughtonhall and Roseburn. The A8 road (Scotland), A8 road runs east–west through the south of the area. Murra ...

final. Solomons was succeeded by

Mark McCall Mark Conn McCall (born 29 November 1967) is an Irish professional rugby union coach and former player, who is the current director of rugby of Premiership Rugby club Saracens. Arriving as an assistant in 2009 and taking charge of the first-team ...

, former captain of the province and a member of Ulster's Heineken Cup winning squad, with former teammate Allen Clarke as his assistant, and Ulster's unbeaten home run in Europe was extended to four years. Dominant forward play by Australian lock

Justin Harrison Justin Harrison (born 20 April 1974) is a former Australian international rugby union player, who played lock forward and is currently the head of the Australian Rugby Union Players Association (RUPA). Career Discovered in 1993 by GoldRats Rugb ...

, New Zealand-born Irish scrum-half

Isaac Boss Isaac Boss (born 9 April 1980, in Tokoroa, New Zealand) is a New Zealand–born Irish rugby union former player. His grandmother was born in Glenarm, County Antrim, thereby qualifying him to play for Ireland. He played scrum-half or ful ...

, and a rapid maturing of a youthful home-grown three-quarter line made Ulster champions of the

2005–06 Celtic League The 2005–06 Celtic League was the fifth Celtic League season, and the third following the introduction of regional rugby in Wales. Eleven teams, from three countries participated. The final table was dominated by the Irish, with the top thre ...

. On the last day of the season, the title came down between Ulster and

, before being decided in Ulster's favour by a 40-metre David Humphreys drop goal against Ospreys.

Decline (2006–2010)

Ulster started the 2006–07 season well, including beating

Toulouse Toulouse (, ; ; ) is a city in southern France, the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Haute-Garonne department and of the Occitania (administrative region), Occitania region. The city is on the banks of the Garonne, River Garonne, from ...

30–3 in the Heineken Cup. But this form did not continue, they were eliminated from the competition early, and finished fifth in the Celtic League. Back row forward Roger Wilson was Player of the Year.Gavin Mairs, "Rory heads for World Cup as Personality of the Year", ''Belfast Telegraph'', 18 May 2007 Opreys v Ulster 2008

The team began the 2007-08 season with a poor run of results, and Mark McCall resigned in November following Ulster's embarrassing 32–14 home defeat to Gloucester in the opening round of the

2007–08 Heineken Cup The 2007–08 Heineken Cup was the 13th edition of the Heineken Cup, the annual rugby union European club competition for clubs from the top six nations in European rugby. The start of the tournament was delayed because of the 2007 Rugby World Cup ...

. Assistant coach Steve Williams took temporary charge, and Matt Williams took charge in February, but failed to turn the season around, with Ulster finishing 9th in the 10 team Celtic League. Centre

Darren Cave Darren Cave (born 5 April 1987) is a retired professional Irish rugby union player who played centre for Ulster, sharing the province's appearance record with Andrew Trimble and Rob Herring with 229, and won eleven caps for Ireland. Early care ...

made his debut from the academy. At the end of the season wing

Tommy Bowe Thomas John Bowe (born 22 February 1984) is an Irish television presenter and former rugby union player from County Monaghan, Ireland. He played on the wing for Ulster, Ospreys, Ireland and the British & Irish Lions. After his playing career ...

, who was named Player of the Year,Richard Mulligan, "Humphreys steals the limelight while Monaghan boy Bowe bows out in style", ''News Letter'', 16 May 2008 left for Ospreys. Roger Wilson went to

Northampton Saints Northampton Saints (officially Northampton Rugby Football Club) is a professional rugby union club from Northampton, England. The club plays in Premiership Rugby, England's top division of rugby union. It was formed in 1880 as "Northampton St. ...

. Out-half David Humphreys retired, and was appointed the province's Director of Operations.Richard Mulligan, "New Role in Ulster for Humphreys", ''News Letter'', 5 June 2008 The following season out-half Ian Humphreys, David's younger brother, was signed from

."Ulster’s maverick out half: Ian Humphreys"
The Front Row Union, 6 May 2020 Ulster finished third in their Heineken Cup group and eighth in the Celtic League, and Williams resigned. Hooker

Rory Best Rory David Best (born 15 August 1982) is an Irish former rugby union player who was the captain of the Ireland national team from 2016 to 2019. He played hooker for Ulster and was registered for Banbridge RFC. Best earned 124 caps for Irelan ...

was Player of the Year.Richard Mulligan, "Ferris claims top accolade", ''News Letter'', 15 May 2009 For the 2009-10 season a new management structure was put in place, with David Humphreys as director of rugby and Brian McLaughlin as head coach, assisted by Jeremy Davidson and

Neil Doak Neil George Doak (born 21 June 1972) is a Northern Irish former cricketer and rugby union player. He is currently head coach of the Ireland U20 rugby union team. He has served as attack and backs coach with English club side Worcester Warrior ...

. New signings included lock Dan Tuohy from

Exeter Exeter ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and the county town of Devon in South West England. It is situated on the River Exe, approximately northeast of Plymouth and southwest of Bristol. In Roman Britain, Exeter w ...

. Centre Nevin Spence made his debut from the academy. The season saw an improvement in Ulster's Heineken Cup form, including their first away win in England against

Bath Bath may refer to: * Bathing, immersion in a fluid ** Bathtub, a large open container for water, in which a person may wash their body ** Public bathing, a public place where people bathe * Thermae, ancient Roman public bathing facilities Plac ...

, but they finished eighth in the Celtic League. Flanker Chris Henry was Player of the Year.Richard Mulligan, "Henry hat-trick caps super year", ''News Letter'', 21 May 2010 At the end of the season, scrum-half

left for

, and prop Justin Fitzpatrick retired.

Revival (2010–2014)

The 2010-11 season saw significant improvement. Ulster signed key players including

2007 Rugby World Cup The 2007 Rugby World Cup () was the sixth Rugby World Cup, a quadrennial international rugby union competition organised by the International Rugby Board. Twenty nations competed for the Webb Ellis Cup in the tournament, which was hosted by F ...

winning Springboks Ruan Pienaar and Johann Muller. Out-half

Paddy Jackson David Patrick Lindsay James "Paddy" Jackson (born 5 January 1992) is a professional rugby union player from Northern Ireland who plays for Lyon OU; in the Top 14, in France. He primarily plays at fly-half and previously played for Irish provin ...

. and centre Luke Marshall made their debuts from the academy. Ulster made the semi-finals of the Celtic League and the quarter-finals of the Heineken Cup. Ruan Pienaar was Player of the Year.Niall Crozier, "Boks bag top gongs at awards", ''Belfast Telegraph'', 11 May 2011 New signings for the 2011-12 season included prop

John Afoa Ioane Fitu "John" Afoa (born 16 September 1983) is a New Zealand professional rugby union player. His position of choice is at prop. Afoa currently plays for the Crusaders in Super Rugby. Personal life Afoa was a student at Auckland's Papakura ...

and utility back Jared Payne. Academy lock

Iain Henderson William Iain Henderson (born 21 February 1992) is a professional rugby union player who plays as a lock for United Rugby Championship club Ulster and the Ireland national team, and has been selected for two tours with the British & Irish Lions ...

made his senior debut."Who is Iain Henderson: Ten things you should know about the Ireland lock"
Rugby World, 10 June 2021 Ulster reached the Heineken Cup final, losing to

Twickenham Twickenham ( ) is a suburban district of London, England, on the River Thames southwest of Charing Cross. Historic counties of England, Historically in Middlesex, since 1965 it has formed part of the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, who ...

. The Celtic League had been renamed the

Pro12 The United Rugby Championship (URC) is an annual rugby union competition involving professional teams from Ireland, Italy, Scotland, South Africa, and Wales. For sponsorship reasons the league is known as the Vodacom United Rugby Championship in ...

after the addition of two Italian teams, and Ulster finished sixth. Brian McLaughlin was replaced as head coach by

Mark Anscombe Mark Anscombe (born 1957) is a New Zealand rugby union coach, having played rugby spanning across 15 years. Anscombe (father of Welsh international Gareth Anscombe) has been a rugby union coach since 1994, coaching various ages and styles in bot ...

. Flanker Chris Henry was Player of the Year."Ferris lost for words as he scoops top Ulster award", ''News Letter'', 12 May 2012 New signings for the 2012–13 season included back row forward Nick Williams from the now defunct

Aironi Aironi Rugby (, "herons") was an Italian professional rugby union team competing in the Pro12 and the Heineken Cup, representing the Italian regions of Lombardy and Emilia-Romagna. It lost its status as a regional side at the end of the 2011–12 ...

, wing

, returning from his four-year stay at the Ospreys, back row forward Roger Wilson, returning from

, and Irish-qualified South African hooker Rob Herring, initially on a six-month trial. Out-half Ian Humphreys left for

London Irish London Irish RFC is a professional rugby union club that most recently competed in the Premiership Rugby, Premiership, the top division of rugby union in England. The club also participated in the European Rugby Champions Cup, European Champion ...

. Centre Nevin Spence died in an accident at the family farm. Ulster started the season with 13 consecutive wins in all competitions, the longest unbeaten run in their history. They finished top of their group in the Heineken Cup, qualifying for the quarter-finals, where they lost to

. They finished top of the table in the Pro12, earning a home semi-final, in which they defeated

Scarlets The Scarlets () are one of the four professional Welsh rugby union teams and are based in Llanelli, Wales. Their home ground is the Parc y Scarlets stadium. They play in the United Rugby Championship and in European Professional Club Rugby c ...

27–16 in the last match before the old grandstand was demolished. The redevelopment of Ravenhill meant the final against

had to be played at the RDS Arena in Dublin. Leinster won 24–18. Lock Alan O'Connor made his debut from the academy this season. Wing Andrew Trimble was Player of the Year.Richard Mullugan, "Nevin Spence honoured at Ulster Rugby awards", ''News Letter'', 11 May 2013 The 2013–14 season proved trophyless again. For the first time, Ulster won all their Heineken Cup group games, with away victories against

Montpellier Montpellier (; ) is a city in southern France near the Mediterranean Sea. One of the largest urban centres in the region of Occitania (administrative region), Occitania, Montpellier is the prefecture of the Departments of France, department of ...

and

being the highlight. They were knocked out at the quarterfinal stage with a 17–15 home defeat to Saracens. The Pro12 season was racked with inconsistency and Ulster finished the league season in fourth place. This set up an away semi-final with Leinster, and for the fourth time in four seasons the season was ended by their old foes with a 13–9 defeat. Centre

Stuart McCloskey Stuart McCloskey (born 6 August 1992) is a professional rugby union player from Northern Ireland, who plays as a centre for United Rugby Championship club Ulster and the Ireland national team. He has been Ulster's player of the year twice, an ...

Gerry Thornley
"Stuart McCloskey eager to add to his sole Ireland cap"
''The Irish Times'', 28 October 2018 and prop Andrew Warwick made their debuts from the academy. Andrew Trimble was Player of the Year for the second year running.Richard Mulligan, "Trimble celebrates hat-trick", ''News Letter'', 5 May 2014 The season ended with the retirements of captain Johann Muller, centre Paddy Wallace, and flanker

Stephen Ferris Stephen Ferris (born 2 August 1985) is a retired Irish rugby union player who played for Ulster and represented Ireland internationally. Ferris played club rugby with Dungannon. He is from Maghaberry and attended Friends' School Lisburn. He p ...

. Director of Rugby David Humphreys also left the province to take up a similar position at

Gloucester Rugby Gloucester Rugby are a professional rugby union club based in the West Country city of Gloucester, England. They play in Premiership Rugby, England's top division of rugby. The club was formed in 1873 and since 1891 has played its home matches ...

. Following Humphreys' departure, Mark Anscombe was sacked by the province and was replaced by Ireland defence coach

Les Kiss Les Kiss (born 9 December 1964) is an Australian former rugby league coach and player and professional rugby union coach who is the current head coach of Super Rugby Pacific side the Queensland Reds. Prior to this he was head coach of London I ...

on an interim basis.

2014–17 – the Les Kiss years

The 2014–15 season was Ulster's first under director of rugby

and head coach

. The redeveloped Ravenhill, renamed the Kingspan Stadium, now had a capacity of 18,196.

was named captain after the retirement of Johann Muller. New signings included out-half Ian Humphreys, returning from

,David Kelly
"Connacht signings trump rival provinces’ purchases"
''Irish Independent'', 23 August 2013 lock

Franco van der Merwe Franco van der Merwe (born 15 March 1983 in Paarl) is a South African rugby union footballer. His regular playing position is lock, although he can also operate as a flanker. Previous clubs include Irish side Ulster in the Pro12, London Irish ...

from the

Lions The lion (''Panthera leo'') is a large cat of the genus ''Panthera'', native to Sub-Saharan Africa and India. It has a muscular, broad-chested body; a short, rounded head; round ears; and a dark, hairy tuft at the tip of its tail. It is se ...

, outside back

Louis Ludik Louis Ludik (born 8 October 1986) is a South African rugby union player who played for Ulster Rugby Ulster Rugby is one of the four professional provincial rugby union teams from the island of Ireland. They compete in the Irish regional pool ...

from

Agen Agen (, , ) is the prefecture of the Lot-et-Garonne department in Nouvelle-Aquitaine, Southwestern France. It lies on the river Garonne, southeast of Bordeaux. In 2021, the commune had a population of 32,485. Geography The city of Agen l ...

, and flanker

Sean Reidy Sean Reidy (born 10 May 1989) is a New Zealand-born Irish rugby union player who played Flanker (rugby union), flanker for Ulster Rugby from 2014 to 2022, and has two caps for Ireland national rugby union team, Ireland. Born in Auckland, New Ze ...

from Counties Manukau. Ulster were knocked out of the new European Champions Cup at the group stage. They finished fourth in the Pro12 but narrowly lost in the playoff semifinal to eventual champions

Glasgow Warriors The Glasgow Warriors are a professional rugby union side from Scotland. The team plays in the United Rugby Championship league and in the European Professional Club Rugby tournaments. In the 2014–15 season they won the Pro12 title and beca ...

. Prop Declan Fitzpatrick retired at the end of the season. Wing Craig Gilroy was named Player of the Year."Best, Gilroy And Cave Among The Ulster Award Winners"
Irish Rugby, 1 May 2015 In 2015–16, Ulster were knocked out of the Champions Cup at the group stage despite a memorable back to back win over Toulouse. They finished fourth in the Pro12 but reached the semi-finals, losing to

. Wing Jacob Stockdale made his debut from the academy.Gerry Thornley
"Jacob Stockdale living the dream playing alongside his boyhood heroes"
''The Irish Times'', 11 November 2017 Centre

was Player of the Year."Nick Williams Wins The Heineken Ulster Rugby Personality of The Year Award"
''Ulster Tatler'', 13 May 2016 Before the 2016–17 season, Nick Williams left for

Cardiff Blues Cardiff Rugby () are one of the four professional Welsh rugby union teams. Based in Cardiff, the team play at Cardiff Arms Park. Originally formed in 1876, from 2003 to 2021 the first team was known as the Cardiff Blues before rebranding back ...

and Dan Tuohy for

Bristol Bears Bristol Bears (officially Bristol Rugby Club or Bristol Rugby) are a professional rugby union club based in Bristol, England. They play in Premiership Rugby, England's top division of rugby. The club was founded as Bristol Football Club in 18 ...

, and Ian Humphreys retired. Ulster signed back row forward

Marcell Coetzee Marcell Cornelius Coetzee (born 8 May 1991) is a South African professional rugby union player who is the captain for South African side the in the United Rugby Championship. He plays as a flanker. South Africa Coetzee made his debut in Sup ...

, fullback Charles Piutau and lock Kieran Treadwell. Academy flanker Nick Timoney made his debut. Ulster finished the season bottom of their pool in the Heineken Cup, and fifth in the Pro12. Charles Piutau was Player of the Year."Departing Duo Receive Ulster Rugby Awards"
Irish Rugby, 7 May 2017

2017–18 - the "basket case" season

For the 2017–18 season, the Pro12 became the Pro14 with the addition of two South African teams. Head coach

's contract was not renewed and he was replaced by Jono Gibbes. Assistant coach Allen Clarke also left, replaced by

Dwayne Peel Dwayne John Peel (born 31 August 1981) is a Welsh rugby union coach and former player. He was the most capped scrum-half for the Wales national rugby union team with 76 caps, until his record was surpassed by Mike Phillips on 16 March 2013. Yo ...

. All-time appearance holder Roger Wilson retired, and scrum-half Ruan Pienaar was blocked by the IRFU from extending his contract. John Cooney was signed from

to replace him. Before the season started, out-half

and centre

Stuart Olding Stuart Olding (born 11 March 1993) is a rugby union rugby player from Northern Ireland. He plays at centre and fullback. Olding played for Ulster from 2011 until 2018. In 2017 Olding was charged with rape, and in 2018 he was tried and acquitted. ...

were charged with rape and suspended from playing pending trial. Both would be acquitted, but have their contracts revoked. Australian out-half Christian Lealiifano was signed on loan. Prop Tom O'Toole made his debut from the academy. After a poor run of form over the Christmas period,

resigned as Director of Rugby, and Gibbes cut his contract short, leaving at the end of the season. Ulster finished third in their Champions Cup pool, and fourth in Conference B of the Pro14, failing to qualify for the playoffs and needing to win a playoff to qualify for the next season's Champions Cup. Former Ireland captain

Brian O'Driscoll Brian Gerard O'Driscoll (born 21 January 1979) is an Irish former professional rugby union player. He played at outside Centre (rugby union), centre for the Irish provincial team Leinster Rugby, Leinster and for Ireland national rugby union te ...

described the province as "a bit of a basket case", facing "Administration issues, senior players retiring, the well documented court case, now no number 10 to build the team around, no coach next year, struggling for Champions Cup rugby next season." Scrum-half John Cooney was named Player of the Year."Cooney scoops three awards at Heineken Ulster Rugby Awards Dinner"
Ulster Rugby, 10 May 2018

2018–24: the Dan McFarland years

For the 2018–19 season

Dan McFarland Dan McFarland (born 10 April 1972) is an English rugby union coach and former player. He was head coach of Ulster Rugby from 2018 to 2024. He played loosehead prop for Richmond, Stade Français and Connacht, retiring in 2006. He was forwards co ...

was brought in as the new head coach. Jared Payne,

, Andrew Trimble and Chris Henry all retired, and Charles Piutau left for

. Out-half Billy Burns was signed from

Gloucester Gloucester ( ) is a cathedral city, non-metropolitan district and the county town of Gloucestershire in the South West England, South West of England. Gloucester lies on the River Severn, between the Cotswolds to the east and the Forest of Dean ...

,Gerry Thornley
"Sibling rivalry driving younger Ulster Burns to aim for next level"
''The Irish Times'', 20 January 2020 prop

Marty Moore William Martin Moore (born March 19, 1971) is a former professional American football linebacker who played eight seasons in the National Football League (NFL) for the New England Patriots and Cleveland Browns. Moore was the first Mr. Irrelev ...

from

Wasps A wasp is any insect of the narrow-waisted suborder Apocrita of the order Hymenoptera which is neither a bee nor an ant; this excludes the broad-waisted sawflies (Symphyta), which look somewhat like wasps, but are in a separate suborder. Th ...

, flanker Jordi Murphy from

, and utility back Will Addison from

Sale Sharks Sale Sharks are a professional rugby union club from Greater Manchester, England, United Kingdom. Its team play in Premiership Rugby, and have been in England's top division of rugby union continuously since 1995. Originally founded in 1861 as ...

. Prop

Eric O'Sullivan Eric O'Sullivan (born 30 November 1995) is an Irish rugby union player who plays loosehead prop for United Rugby Championship and European Rugby Champions Cup side Ulster and internationally for Ireland. Born in Dublin, O'Sullivan attended Tem ...

, wing Robert Baloucoune, centre

James Hume James Hume may refer to: * James Hume (architect) (1798–1868), architect in Sydney, Australia * James Hume (cricketer) (1858–1909), Scottish-born New Zealand cricketer * James Hume (magistrate) (1808–1862), British magistrate and political co ...

, fullback Michael Lowry and flanker

Marcus Rea Marcus Rea (born 8 September 1997) is an Irish rugby union player who plays in the back row for Ulster in the United Rugby Championship and European Rugby Champions Cup. He was captain at Ballymena Academy, and captained the Ulster under-19 te ...

all made their debuts from the academy. Ulster finished the season as quarter-finalists in the Champions Cup, and semi-finalists in the Pro14, losing to

and

retired at the end of the season. Centre

was Player of the Year for the second time.Darren Fullerton
"2019 Ulster Rugby Awards: Retiring captain Rory Best is named Heineken Personality of the Year"
Belfast Live, 9 May 2019 Lock

was named captain for the 2019–20 season. Ulster were again quarter-finalists in the Champions Cup, going out to

, and reached the final of the Pro14, losing to

. Centre

Stewart Moore Stewart Moore (born 8 August 1999) is an Irish rugby union player who plays centre for Ulster. Ulster coach Dan McFarland describes him as "a lovely balanced runner who can cause defences problems".Ethan McIlroy made their debuts from the academy, and scrum-half John Cooney was Player of the Year for the second time."John Cooney is named Ulster's Player of the Year as Marcel Coetzee wins hat-trick of awards"
BBC Sport, 20 September 2020 The 2020–21 season was shortened by the COVID-19 pandemic, and games were played behind closed doors. Ulster finished second in Conference A of the Pro14, but failed to make the knockout stages of the Champions Cup and were entered into the

Challenge Cup The Rugby Football League Challenge Cup, commonly known just as the Challenge Cup is a Single-elimination tournament, knockout rugby league cup competition organised by the Rugby Football League, held annually since 1896, it is the world's old ...

. They progressed to the semi-finals, where they were beaten by

. The season's final competition was the

Pro14 Rainbow Cup The Pro14 Rainbow Cup (also known as the Guinness Brewery, Guinness Pro14 Rainbow Cup for sponsorship reasons) was a professional rugby union end-of-season cup competition played in 2021 that consisted of two separate tournaments: the Rainbow C ...

, pitting the Pro14's European teams against the four South African teams who were leaving

Super Rugby Super Rugby is a men's professional rugby union club competition involving teams from Australia, Fiji, New Zealand, and the Pacific Islands. It has previously included teams from Argentina, Japan, and South Africa. Super Rugby started as the S ...

. Ulster's form in this competition was poor, and they finished tenth in the European pool.

cut short his contract and left for the

Bulls Bulls may refer to: *The plural of bull, an adult male bovine * Bulls, New Zealand, a small town in the Rangitikei District Sports *Bucking bull, used in the sport of bull riding *Bulls (rugby union), a South African rugby union franchise operated ...

before the end of the season. Academy players Cormac Izuchukwu,

Nathan Doak Nathan Doak (born 17 December 2001) is a ginger Irish rugby union player who plays scrum-half and out-half for Ulster in the United Rugby Championship and the European Rugby Champions Cup. The son of the former Ulster scrum-half and head co ...

, David McCann, Callum Reid and

Aaron Sexton Aaron Sexton (born 24 August 2000) is an Irish former rugby union player who played wing or fullback for Ulster in the United Rugby Championship. As of December 2024, he was participating in the NFL International Player Pathway Program, to att ...

all made their senior debuts this season.Ulster 2020-21 - Who Did What?
The Front Row Union, 12 August 2021 Lock Alan O'Connor was Player of the Year."Henderson Leads The Winners At Ulster Rugby Awards"
IrishRugby.ie, 7 June 2021 In 2021–22 the Pro14 became the

, with the addition of four new South African teams. Ulster made the semi-finals, where they narrowly lost to the

Stormers The Stormers (known for sponsorship reasons as the DHL Stormers) and the academic team DHL Stormers is a South African professional rugby union team based in Cape Town in the Western Cape that competes in the United Rugby Championship, a tra ...

Cape Town Cape Town is the legislature, legislative capital city, capital of South Africa. It is the country's oldest city and the seat of the Parliament of South Africa. Cape Town is the country's List of municipalities in South Africa, second-largest ...

. In the Champions Cup, they made the knockout stage, but went out in a two-legged round of sixteen playoff against

by an aggregate score of 50–49. Centre

was Player of the Year."2021-22 Heineken Ulster Rugby Award winners revealed"
Ulster Rugby, 23 June 2022 New signings for the 2022-23 season included prop Jeffery Toomaga-Allen. Lock Harry Sheridan and centre Jude Postlethwaite made their senior debuts. Despite a poor run of results in mid-season, Ulster made the knockout stage of the Champions Cup, going out in the round of 16 to Leinster. They became the first European team in the URC to win all four league games against South African opposition, and secured a home quarter-final with a home win over the

in March, which they lost to

. Hooker Tom Stewart was named Player of the Year after scoring 16 tries in the URC, a league record, and 17 tries in all competitions, an Ulster record. New signings for the 2023–24 season included prop Steven Kitshoff and flanker

Dave Ewers David Peter Ewers (born 3 November 1990) is a Zimbabwean rugby union player who is currently contracted to the Stormers. He previously played for Ulster, Exeter Chiefs and Cornish Pirates. He is capable of playing both Flanker and Number 8. E ...

. After a difficult first half of the season, McFarland left his position, to be replaced by assistant coach Dan Soper until after the

Six Nations Under 20s Championship The Six Nations Under 20s Championship is an international rugby union tournament. It is the under-20s equivalent of the Six Nations Championship. Originally the tournament was in an under-21 format but changed to under-20s in 2008. England ...

, after which Ireland under-20 coach Richie Murphy would take over until the end of the season."Dan McFarland departs Ulster Rugby"
Ulster Rugby, 21 February 2024 Chief Executive Jonny Petrie left not long after, replaced on an interim basis by Hugh McCaughey. Murphy signed a two-year contract in May. Ulster finished sixth in the URC, going out in the quarter-finals to

, and went out of the Champions Cup at the pool stage, dropping into the Challenge Cup where they made the quarter-finals. Flanker David McCann was Player of the Season."2023-24 Heineken Ulster Rugby Awards , Winners"
Ulster Rugby, 12 June 2024 Prop Scott Wilson made his debut from the academy.

2024 on

Before the 2024–25 season, Richie Murphy's first full season in charge, there were significant changes. Out-half Billy Burns left for

; prop Steven Kitshoff returned to the

, where he was joined by flanker

; utility back Will Addison signed for

; and centre Luke Marshall retired. New signings included wing Werner Kok from the

Sharks Sharks are a group of elasmobranch cartilaginous fish characterized by a ribless endoskeleton, dermal denticles, five to seven gill slits on each side, and pectoral fins that are not fused to the head. Modern sharks are classified within the ...

and Irish-qualified out-half Aidan Morgan from the

Hurricanes A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system with a low-pressure area, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain and squalls. Depending on its locat ...

. Ireland Sevens player of the year Zac Ward, son of former Ulster captain Andy Ward, joined Ulster on a trial basis. Jimmy Duffy replaced Roddy Grant as forwards coach, Sam Dodge joined as head of athletic performance, and skills coach Craig Newby left for Ealing Trailfinders. Ulster qualified for the round of 16 in the Champions Cup, going out to

Bordeaux Bordeaux ( ; ; Gascon language, Gascon ; ) is a city on the river Garonne in the Gironde Departments of France, department, southwestern France. A port city, it is the capital of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, as well as the Prefectures in F ...

, and finished 14th in the URC, failing to qualify for the playoffs or for next season's Champions Cup, being entered into the

EPCR Challenge Cup The EPCR Challenge Cup is an annual rugby union competition organised by European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR). It is the second-tier competition for clubs based in European leagues behind the European Rugby Champions Cup. From its inception i ...

Previous season summaries

Gold background denotes champions
Silver background denotes runner-up
* After dropping into the competition from the Champions Cup/Heineken Cup

Current standings

United Rugby Championship

European Rugby Champions Cup

Pool B

Honours

**''Winners'': 1 ( 1998–99) **''Runners Up'': 1 ( 2011–12) *

PRO14 The United Rugby Championship (URC) is an annual rugby union competition involving professional teams from Ireland, Italy, Scotland, South Africa, and Wales. For sponsorship reasons the league is known as the Vodacom United Rugby Championship in ...

**''Winners'': 1 ( 2005–06) **''Runners Up'': 3 ( 2003-04, 2012-13, 2019-20) * United Rugby Championship Irish Shield **''Runners Up'': 1 ( 2021-22) * Celtic Cup **''Winners'': 1 (2003–04) * Irish Inter-Provincial Championships **''Winners'': 26 (8 shared) (1946–47, 1950–51, 1951–52, 1953–54, 1955–56 (shared), 1956–57 (shared), 1966–67 (shared), 1967–68, 1969–70, 1970–71, 1972–73, 1974–75, 1975–76 (shared), 1976–77, 1977–78 (shared), 1982–83 (shared), 1984–85, 1985–86, 1986–87, 1987–88 (shared), 1988–89, 1989–90, 1990–91, 1991–92, 1992–93, 1993–94 (shared) * Glasgow City Sevens **''Winners'': 1 (2013–14)

Crest

The current crest was introduced in 2003. The new, stylised crest is made specific to Ulster Rugby as it incorporates the red hand from the provincial flag of Ulster with two rugby balls. The Ulster Rugby crest is on all official club merchandise including replica jerseys.

Stadium

The

Ravenhill Stadium Ravenhill Stadium (known as the Kingspan Stadium for sponsorship reasons until June 2025) is a rugby stadium located in Belfast, Northern Ireland. It is the home of Ulster Rugby. With the opening of a new stand for the 2014 Heineken Cup quarter ...

, known for sponsorship reasons as the Kingspan Stadium since 2014, opened in 1923. It has hosted two

Rugby World Cup The Men's Rugby World Cup is a rugby union tournament contested every four years between the top international teams, the winners of which are recognised as the World championship, world champions of the sport. The tournament is administer ...

matches, several Ireland national team matches, the 2015 Pro12 Grand Final and many

2017 Women's Rugby World Cup The 2017 Women's Rugby World Cup was the eighth edition of the Women's Rugby World Cup and was held in Ireland in August 2017. New Zealand became the 2017 champions by beating England 41–32 in the final on 26 August. Matches were held in Du ...

matches, including the

final Final, Finals or The Final may refer to: *Final examination or finals, a test given at the end of a course of study or training *Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which d ...

. The Premium Stand opened in 2009. In 2011, the

Northern Ireland Executive The Northern Ireland Executive (Irish language, Irish: ''Feidhmeannas Thuaisceart Éireann'', Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster Scots: ''Norlin Airlan Executive'') is the devolution, devolved government of Northern Ireland, an administrative branc ...

announced that it had granted £138m for various stadium redevelopment projects throughout Northern Ireland. Ulster Rugby received £14.5m, which was used to redevelop Ravenhill and expand its capacity from 12,000 to 18,000. The rest of the redevelopment took place from 2012 to 2014. In 2012, Ulster Rugby confirmed that three new stands would be built at Ravenhill, with work commencing in late 2012. Two new stands at the Memorial and Aquinas ends of the stadium were completed while the main stand was demolished and rebuilt. The major refurbishment was completed in April 2014. After the rest of the redevelopment was completed, the stadium was renamed the Kingspan Stadium.

Home attendance

''Up to date as of the 2023–24 season.''

Current squad

Academy squad

Staff

Results versus national teams

:''Scores and results list Ulster's points tally first.''

Records against URC and European Cup opponents

''Updated as of 16 May 2025.''

Records against Irish Provinces (1946–present)

''Correct as of 9 May 2025.''

Head coaches (professional era)

:'Original research sourced from https://www.ulsterrugby.com/fixtures-results/

Personnel honours and records

Bold indicates active player

All Competitions

''(correct as of 16 May 2025)''

European Rugby Champions Cup

''Including Heineken Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup'' ''(correct as of 6 April 2024)''

United Rugby Championship

''Including Celtic League, Celtic Cup, Pro12, Pro14 and Pro14 Rainbow Cup'' ''(correct as of 16 May 2025)'' Team of the Year Player of the Year Individual Awards Team Awards *

2012–13 Pro12 The 2012–13 Pro12 League (also known as the ''RaboDirect Pro12'' for sponsorship reasons) was the 12th season of the rugby union competition originally known as the Celtic League, the third with its current 12-team format, and the second with ...

Fair Play Award *

2013–14 Pro12 The 2013–14 Pro12 (also known as the ''RaboDirect Pro12'' for sponsorship reasons) was the 13th season of the Pro12 rugby union competition originally known as the Celtic League, the fourth with its current 12-team format, and the third with ...

Fair Play Award (joint) * 2015–16 Pro12 Fair Play Award

British & Irish Lions

The following Ulster players, in addition to representing

, have also represented the

British & Irish Lions The British & Irish Lions is a rugby union team selected from players eligible for the national teams of England national rugby union team, England, Ireland national rugby union team, Ireland, Scotland national rugby union team, Scotland, and ...

. * Bold indicates player was tour captain for the year in question Note: Phillip Matthews played for the Lions in their victory against France in Paris. The game formed part of the celebrations of the bi-centennial of the French Revolution, but did not count as a "formal" Lions international.

Ulster Rugby Awards

Club rugby in Ulster

The IRFU Ulster Branch oversees a pyramid of club rugby competitions in Ulster.

Senior level

Ulster currently has thirteen senior rugby clubs, which compete in the All-Ireland League, the Ulster Rugby Premiership, the Ulster Senior Cup and the Ulster Senior Shield. They are: * Ballynahinch (AIL Div 1A) * City of Armagh (AIL Div 1A) * Queen's University (AIL Div 1B) *

Ballymena Ballymena ( ; from , meaning 'the middle townland') is a town in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It had a population of 31,205 people at the 2021 United Kingdom census, making it the List of localities in Northern Ireland by population, seven ...

(AIL Div 2A) *

Banbridge Banbridge ( ) is a town in County Down, Northern Ireland. It lies on the River Bann and the A1 road and is named after a bridge built over the Bann in 1712. It is in the civil parish of Seapatrick and the historic barony of Iveagh Upper ...

(AIL Div 2A) *

Instonians Instonians is a sports club based in Belfast, Northern Ireland, that incorporates rugby union, men's and ladies' hockey and cricket sections. There is also a golf society that plays under the Instonians name. Instonians Rugby Football, Cricket ...

(AIL Div 2A) * Clogher Valley (AIL Div 2B) *

(AIL Div 2B) * Malone (AIL Div 2B) * Rainey (AIL Div 2B) *

Ballyclare Ballyclare () is a small town in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It had a population of 10,850 according to the 2021 United Kingdom census, 2021 census, and is located within the Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council area. It is part of, and ...

(AIL Div 2C *

Belfast Harlequins 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' field hockey, hockey, and Squash (sport), squash. The club i ...

(AIL Div 2C) * Omagh Academicals (AIL Div 2C) Ballynahinch are currently the highest ranked in the All-Ireland League, finishing fifth in Division 1A in 2023–24. They are holders of the 2023-24 Ulster Rugby Premiership, having won it three seasons in a row. Instonians are the holders of the 2023-24 Ulster Senior Cup. Ballyclare were promoted to senior level for the first time in 2023 after finishing top of the 2022-23 Ulster Rugby Championship and winning playoffs against Connacht junior champions Creggs and

Leinster League The Leinster League is the second tier of Rugby union, rugby in Leinster Rugby, Leinster, behind the Leinster Senior League (rugby), Leinster Senior League. It has five divisions. The champions qualify for a round-robin tournament with the champio ...

champions Monkstown.

Junior level

The second tier includes the three divisions of the Ulster Rugby Championship, and the 2nd XV League. Clubs in the Championship Division 1, and some of the clubs in the Second XV league, also compete in the Ulster Junior Cup. Clubs in the Championship Division 2, and some of the clubs in the Second XV league, compete in the Ulster Junior Shield. Clubs in the Championship Division 3 also compete in the Gordon West Cup and Gordon West Plate. Clubs in all the tier 2 divisions also compete in the McCrea Cup and the

Ulster Towns Cup The Ulster Towns Cup is a rugby union competition organized by the Ulster Rugby, Ulster branch of the Irish Rugby Football Union. It is confined to teams outside of Belfast. Since the resumption of play after World War II, where a town is represen ...

. The third tier contains the two divisions of the Ulster Provincial Premiership, the Crawford Cup and the Crawford Plate. The fourth tier consists of three divisions of the Provincial Regional - North, East 1 and East 2. These clubs also compete in the Forster Cup and the Forster Plate. The fifth tier consists of five divisions: Regional North, Regional South divisions 1 and 2, and Regional East divisions 1 and 2. Clubs at this level also compete in the McCambley Cup and the Butler Shield."Want to get up to speed ahead of the 2023/24 Men’s domestic season?"
Ulster Rugby, 25 August 2023

Notes

References

External links

*
The UAFC – Ulster Rugby Supporters site

InTouch Rugby Ulster Rugby Online News

The FRU Ulster Supporters Fanzine

ercrugby Profile
{{Authority control Rugby clubs established in 1879 Rugby union in Ulster Rugby union governing bodies in Ireland Rugby Heineken Cup champions United Rugby Championship teams 1879 establishments in Ireland

History

Foundation (1868–1879)

Amateur era (1879–1995)

Professional success (1999–2006)

Decline (2006–2010)

Revival (2010–2014)

2014–17 – the Les Kiss years

2017–18 - the "basket case" season

2018–24: the Dan McFarland years

2024 on

Previous season summaries

Current standings

United Rugby Championship

European Rugby Champions Cup

Honours

Crest

Stadium

Home attendance

Current squad

Academy squad

Staff

Results versus national teams

Records against URC and European Cup opponents

Records against Irish Provinces (1946–present)

Head coaches (professional era)

Personnel honours and records

All Competitions

European Rugby Champions Cup

United Rugby Championship

British & Irish Lions

Ulster Rugby Awards

Club rugby in Ulster

Senior level

Junior level

See also

Notes

References

External links