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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] |
