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1997–98 Ulster Rugby Season
The 1997–98 season was Ulster Rugby's third season under professionalism, during which they competed in the European Rugby Champions Cup, Heineken Cup and the IRFU Interprovincial Championship. Ulster Rugby Limited was incorporated as a private company limited by guarantee on 9 May 1997. The IRFU offered new contracts for provincial players for this season. Full-time players would receive a retainer of £25,000, plus a win bonus of £500 for Heineken Cup matches. Part-time players would be paid a retainer of £7,500, plus a match fee of £400 for Interprovincial matches and £800 for the Heineken Cup, and a win bonus of £450 for both competitions."Seventy six players win IRFU contracts", ''Irish Independent'', 17 July 1997 Each province could have a maximum of 30 contracted players. Mark McCall was offered a full-time contract, but turned it down and signed for London Irish, making him unavailable for Ulster this season.Jim Stokes, "Mark off to join Exiles", ''Belfast Telegr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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-final against Saracens F.C., Saracens on 5 April 2014, the capacity of the stadium is now 18,196. The stadium is owned by the Irish Rugby Football Union. History Ravenhill Stadium opened in 1923. It features an ornate arch at the entrance that was erected as a war memorial for those players killed in World War I and World War II. Prior to 1923, both Ulster and Ireland played games at the Royal Ulster Agricultural Society grounds in Belfast. Ravenhill has been the annual venue for the Ulster Schools Cup final since 1924, which is traditionally contested on St Patrick's Day. The stadium is traditionally the venue for the Ulster Towns Cup, played on Easter Monday. Ravenhill has hosted 18 international matches, including pool games in both ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Denis McBride (rugby Union)
(William) Denis McBride is a retired Irish rugby union player. He played as an openside wing-forward and earned 32 caps for the Irish national team between 1988 and 1997. He played for the Ireland national rugby sevens team The Ireland national rugby sevens team competed in several international rugby sevens competitions. The team was governed by the Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU). In May 2025 the IRFU dismantled the programme at the end of the 2024/25 season, i ... at the 1993 Rugby World Cup Sevens, where Ireland reached the semifinals. He played his club rugby for Malone RFC, Malone and provincial rugby for Ulster Rugby, Ulster. He grew up in Merville Garden Village, Whitehouse, County Antrim in a flat above the shops with his parents and brother Ken and attended Belfast High School. He studied Mechanical Engineering at Queen's University of Belfast and is a Chartered Engineer and a governor of Belfast High School. References {{DEFAULTSORT:McBride, Denis Iris ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
1997 Ireland A Rugby Union Tour Of Oceania
The 1997 Ireland rugby union tour of Oceania was a series of matches played in May in June 1997 in New Zealand and Samoa by the Ireland A national rugby union team, while the best Irish players where involved in the 1997 British Lions tour to South Africa. Results ''Scores and results list Ireland's points tally first.'' References {{DEFAULTSORT:Ireland 1997 rugby union tours tour 1997 in New Zealand rugby union 1997 1997 Events January * January 1 – The Emergency Alert System is introduced in the United States. * January 11 – Turkey threatens Cyprus on account of a deal to buy Russian S-300 missiles, prompting the Cypriot Missile Crisis. * January 1 ... 1997 in Oceanian rugby union ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Royal Belfast Academical Institution
The Royal Belfast Academical Institution is an independent grammar school in Belfast, Northern Ireland. With the support of Belfast's leading reformers and democrats, it opened its doors in 1814. Until 1849, when it was superseded by what today is Queen's University, the institution pioneered Belfast's first programme of collegiate education. Locally referred to as Inst, the modern school educates boys from ages 11 to 18. It is one of the eight Northern Irish schools represented on the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference. The school occupies an 18-acre site in the centre of the city on which its first buildings were erected. History Dissident foundation In 1806, writing in the Belfast '' News Letter'', William Bruce dismissed "visionary notions" of new "academical institution". The town, he reminded his readers, already had "an excellent plan of school education for which it is indebted to the Belfast Academy funded in 1786". What was to become "Inst" was not the firs ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Clive Griffiths (rugby)
Clive Ronald Griffiths (born 2 April 1954), also known by the nickname of "Griff", is a Welsh former dual-code international rugby union and professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1970s and 1980s, and coached rugby union and rugby league in the 1990s, 2000s and 2010s. He played representative level rugby union (RU) for Wales, at invitational level for the Barbarian F.C., and at club level for Llanelli RFC, as a full-back, and representative level rugby league (RL) for Wales, and at club level for St. Helens and Salford, as a or , and coached representative level rugby union (RU) for Wales (Defence Coach), and at club level for Newcastle Emlyn RFC, London Welsh RFC (assistant coach), Swansea RFC (assistant coach), Newport Gwent Dragons (assistant coach), Doncaster Knights (two spells), Worcester Warriors and RGC 1404 (in Colwyn Bay), and representative level rugby league (RL) for Wales, and at club level for the South Wales and the North Wales Crusaders, and a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ballynahinch RFC
Ballynahinch Rugby Club is an Irish rugby union club based in the County Down town of Ballynahinch. Founded in 1954, the club is affiliated to the Ulster Branch of the Irish Rugby Football Union. The first team plays Senior rugby union in the All-Ireland League, Division 1A and the club also fields six Junior standard adult teams. Youth teams (male and female) compete at under-16, under-14, under-12 and the mini-rugby levels. History At a meeting in the local Royal British Legion Hall in April 1954, a dozen people attended and agreed that a club should be formed. An application was made to enter the Junior League for the 1954–55 season. The application was accepted by the Ulster Branch. Membership for the club grew quickly with players coming from all over County Down, Belfast and the Mournes region. It was at this point that the Club started to gather pace and a pitch was required due to the growing player base. A pitch was rented from a local farmer at Ballykine. Even th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Andy Ward (rugby Union)
Andy Ward (born 8 September 1970) is a New Zealand-born former rugby union player, who played flanker professionally for Ulster and internationally for Ireland. Born in Whangārei, Ward attended Melville High School, where he first played rugby. He represented Ōhaupō at under-19 and senior level, and played for Hautapu for three years. He was selected for Waikato at 'B' level in 1991, and 'A' level in 1993.Gavin Mairs, "Thanks for the golden memories, Wardy...", ''Belfast Telegraph'', 19 January 2005"Andy Ward announces retirement" ESPN, 19 January 2005 before joining Irish club in 1994. He so enjoyed his initial six-month stint that he retur ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bangor RFC (Northern Ireland)
Bangor RFC is a Northern Irish rugby union club from Bangor, County Down, playing in the Ulster domestic Championship 1 league. History The club was founded in 1885 and enjoyed senior status between 1924 and the Second World War. The club returned to junior rugby after the war. Historically having played at Ward Park, leased from Bangor Borough Council, in 1968 the club purchased eleven acres of land on the southern outskirts of Bangor and opened a new ground named Upritchard Park (after chairman Joe Upritchard) in September 1969, coinciding with the regaining of senior status. Over the next 20 years, Bangor became one of the top senior clubs in Ulster, culminating in the 1981-82 season, when it won the treble of Ulster Senior League, Ulster Senior Cup and its own floodlit competition, the Boston Cup. Bangor were inaugural members of the All-Ireland League in 1990, but the club went into decline and were relegated back into junior rugby in 2002. The club did regain senior st ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Portadown RFC
Portadown RFC is an Irish rugby union team based in Portadown, County Armagh. They play in the Kukri Ulster Championship 1, the top level of Junior rugby in Ulster. The club colours are blue and white. History Origins In February 1879, the Irish Rugby Football Union was formed, and listed Portadown as an affiliated club, with Thomas John (TJ) Collen as the honorary secretary. Collen played for the first County Armagh side against Ulster on 27 November 1880. The first recorded captain was Arthur Farrell, who was the son of the proprietor of the '' Portadown News''. The first recorded Portadown match took place at Ormeau on 11 December 1879 against Ulster F.C.; the result favoured the home side with three tries to nil. The team lined out as follows: Back – Patrick, Half back – Wheeler and Whiteside Quarter back – Waddell and Harrison Forwards – Donaldson, Davidson, Lindsay, Harpur, Collen, Shillington, O’Hanlon, Bright, Stanley and Farrel (Captain) The next game was ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bective Rangers
Bective Rangers Football Club is a rugby union club in Dublin, Ireland founded in 1881. The Club is affiliated to the Leinster Branch of the Irish Rugby Football Union and played in Division 1A of the Leinster League until the 2024-25 Season. Having won the All Ireland League Provincial Qualifier in April 2025, the club will return to the Energia All Ireland league Division 2C in the 2025/26 Season. The club plays its games at the Donnybrook Rugby Ground in Donnybrook with a second grounds at Glenamuck. The Club fields teams from Minis, Youth, U20s Juniors, Senior and Vets. History The club origins stem from the establishment of Bective House College by Dr. John Lardner Burke at 15 Rutland Square (now Parnell Square East) in 1834. Bective house was one of a number of houses on the square owned by the Earl of Bective for whom the house was named. The school later moved to North Great George's Street and later again to Clontarf but kept its original name. Notable past pupils o ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bryn Cunningham
Bryn Cunningham (born 30 March 1978) is an Irish rugby union administrator and former player. He played fullback for Ulster, making 150 appearances between 1997 and 2010, and was the team's Player of the Year in 2002–2003. Since 2014 he has been responsible for player recruitment at Ulster, initially as Team Manager, later as Operations Director. Cunningham grew up in Bangor, County Down, where he played soccer, golf, cricket, squash and hockey, and aspired to be a professional tennis player. He played rugby at Bangor Grammar School,David Kelly"Cunningham is the final link in the new Ulster revolution" ''Belfast Telegraph'', 1 December 2014. and represented Ireland at schools level on an unbeaten tour of Australia in 1996.Gavin Cummiskey"Bryn Cunningham guiding Ulster revival after tumultous start" ''The Irish Times'', 11 January 2020 His rugby career continued at Trinity College Dublin, where he studied economics, and Dublin club Bective Rangers.Steaven Beacom"Bryn Cunningham: ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bedford Blues
Bedford Blues are a semi-professional rugby union club in the town of Bedford, England, currently playing in the RFU Championship. History Foundation and 19th century Bedford RUFC was founded in 1886 after an amalgamation between Bedford Rovers (1876) and Bedford Swifts (1882). Both parent clubs had close connections with Bedford School and Bedford Modern School, and both had fixtures with the leading teams of the period. The Bedford colours of dark and light blue are believed to be a reflection of the schoolmasters association with Oxbridge and the full badge colours are based on the strip of Swifts (black) and Rovers (cerise). Under the captaincy of Alfred Parrott, a Bedford Modern School master, the new club made an auspicious start, losing only once in its first season (to Leicester) and again only once in its second (to a composite London XV). The early successes, however, paled before the achievements of 1893–94, when the club's reputation persuaded opponents of the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
