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2000–01 Ulster Rugby Season
The 2000–01 season was Ulster Rugby's sixth since the advent of professionalism, and their third under coach Harry Williams. They competed in the European Rugby Champions Cup, Heineken Cup and the IRFU Interprovincial Championship. Williams announced in August 2000 that he would leave at the end of the season. The Irish Rugby Football Union, IRFU rejected a proposal for a Celtic League (rugby union), Celtic League involving three of the Irish provinces, two Scottish super-districts and seven Welsh clubs, each playing 22 matches. The IRFU argued that the structure proposed would add too many games and leave provincial players unable to play for their clubs, and made a counter-proposal of an eleven-game season, which the Welsh and Scottish unions rejected. Discussions continued, and a format was finally agreed for the following season. They were bottom of their pool in the Heineken Cup, failing to qualify for the knockout stage. They finished second in the Interprovincial Champi ... [...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] |
2001 British & Irish Lions Tour To Australia
The 2001 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia was a series of matches played by the British & Irish Lions rugby union team in Australia. The Lions squad was captain (sport), captained by Martin Johnson (rugby union), Martin Johnson, the first player to lead the Lions on two tours. The head coach was New Zealander Graham Henry. After winning the first of their matches against Australia national rugby union team, Australia, the Lions lost the remaining two matches of the test series. This was the first time that Australia defeated the Lions in a series. The tour was noted for tension between the test squad and the midweek squad as well as controversial newspaper columns written by scrum-halves Matt Dawson and Austin Healey, accusing the coaching staff of poor scheduling and training regimes and lack of team spirit. Squad Results Test series First test Jason Robinson scored the first try of the match, putting the Lions up 5–0. Andrew Walker (rugby), Andrew Walker successf ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Simon Mason (rugby Union)
Simon John Mason (born 22 October 1973) is an English-born former Ireland rugby union international. Mason was born and raised on the Wirral but has Irish grandparents, thus qualifying for Ireland. He attended St Anselm's College in Birkenhead, where he was a teammate of future England player Austin Healey. A fullback, Mason was capped three times for Ireland in 1996, for two Five Nations matches and then the country's first ever Test loss to Samoa. He was one of eight Irish players to be dropped following the Samoa match. Mason played Premiership Rugby for Richmond in 1997–98, then had two seasons at Ulster. He won the 1999 Heineken Cup title with Ulster and accumulated 144 points during the campaign, going on to be named Ulster's "Player of the Year". Following his time in Northern Ireland, Mason signed a three-year contract with Stade Français in the Top 14, but left after one season. He spent the next three seasons in Italy playing for Treviso. See also *List of Irela ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ballymena R
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 seventh largest town in Northern Ireland by population. It is part of the Borough of Mid and East Antrim. The town was built on the Braid River, on land given to the Adair family by King Charles I in 1626, with a right to hold two annual fairs and a Saturday market in perpetuity. Surrounding villages are Cullybackey, Ahoghill, Broughshane, and Kells-Connor. History Early history The recorded history of the Ballymena area dates to the Early Christian period, from the fifth to the seventh centuries. Ringforts are found in the townland of Ballykeel, and a site known as Camphill Fort in the townland of Ballee may also have been of this type. There are a number of souterrains within a radius of the centre of Ballymena. north in the townland of Kirkinriola, the medieval parish church and graveyar ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Shane Stewart (rugby Union)
A list of players who have appeared for Ulster Rugby since rugby union was declared open to professionalism on 26 August 1995. Current players Jacob Boyd Loosehead prop. Son of former Ulster prop Clem Boyd. Captained RBAI to the Ulster Schools' Cup in 2023, and was Boys' Schools Player of the Year in the 2023 Ulster Rugby Awards. Joined the Ulster academy in 2023."Ulster Rugby Academy 2023/24 squad confirmed" Ulster Rugby, 29 June 2023 Made 4 appearances for Ireland under-20 in the 2024 under-20 Six Nations, and 2 in the 2024 under-20 World Championships. Made his senior debut for Ulster against Benetton in February 2025. [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Blue Bulls
The Blue Bulls (), known for sponsorship reasons as the Vodacom Blue Bulls, is a South African rugby union team that participates in the annual Currie Cup tournament and the United Rugby Championship. They are governed by their second team the Vodacom Blue Bulls that participate in the ABSA Currie Cup and are based at Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria, Gauteng province. In 1997 the Northern Transvaal team, representing the Northern Transvaal Rugby Union (NTRU), was renamed, officially taking on their then nickname the Blue Bulls. The NTRU itself became the Blue Bulls Rugby Union and the United Rugby Championship team operated by the union was renamed simply the Bulls. When Vodacom became the team's major sponsor their name was added. Previously the side was sponsored by ExxonMobil and known as the Mobil Blue Bulls. Their main colour is blue and their emblem a bull's head and horns. History Northern Transvaal The team as it is known today has its beginnings in 1938 when ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Russell Nelson (rugby Union)
A list of players who have appeared for Ulster Rugby since rugby union was declared open to professionalism on 26 August 1995. Current players Jacob Boyd Loosehead prop. Son of former Ulster prop Clem Boyd. Captained RBAI to the Ulster Schools' Cup in 2023, and was Boys' Schools Player of the Year in the 2023 Ulster Rugby Awards. Joined the Ulster academy in 2023."Ulster Rugby Academy 2023/24 squad confirmed" Ulster Rugby, 29 June 2023 Made 4 appearances for Ireland under-20 in the 2024 under-20 Six Nations, and 2 in the 2024 under-20 World Championships. Made his senior debut for Ulster against Benetton in February 2025. [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sharks (Currie Cup)
The Sharks (), known as the Hollywoodbets Sharks for sponsorship reasons, are a South African rugby union team that participates in the annual Currie Cup tournament. The Sharks are the current representative team of the KwaZulu-Natal Rugby Union and they draw some of their players from the KwaZulu-Natal Province. For most of their history, the team was known simply as 'Natal', with a nickname of 'The Banana Boys' or in Afrikaans, until the mid-1990s when they were re-branded as the Sharks. The team is the fourth most successful provincial union in the Currie Cup, having won the competition nine times. Natal won its first Currie Cup in 1990, the same year the union celebrated its centenary. Since then the Sharks have won the Currie Cup in 1992, 1995, 1996, 2008, 2010, 2013, 2018 and most recently in 2024. KwaZulu-Natal Rugby are a minority owner of the Sharks franchise who compete in the United Rugby Championship. MVM Holdings are the majority owner of the Sharks franchise. Th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Grant Henderson
A list of players who have appeared for Ulster Rugby since rugby union was declared open to professionalism on 26 August 1995. Current players Jacob Boyd Loosehead prop. Son of former Ulster prop Clem Boyd. Captained RBAI to the Ulster Schools' Cup in 2023, and was Boys' Schools Player of the Year in the 2023 Ulster Rugby Awards. Joined the Ulster academy in 2023."Ulster Rugby Academy 2023/24 squad confirmed" Ulster Rugby, 29 June 2023 Made 4 appearances for Ireland under-20 in the 2024 under-20 Six Nations, and 2 in the 2024 under-20 World Championships. Made his senior debut for Ulster against Benetton in February 2025. [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
