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2017–18 Ulster Rugby Season
The 2017–18 season was Ulster's 24th season since the advent of professionalism in rugby union, and Jono Gibbes' only season as head coach. Rory Best was captain. They competed in the inaugural Pro14 (successor competition to the Pro12) and the European Rugby Champions Cup. Events Competitions The Pro12 became the Pro14 with the addition of two teams from South Africa. The fourteen teams were arranged in two conferences. Teams played the teams in their own conference and their regional rivals home and away, the teams in the other conference other than their regional rivals home or away. The first placed team in each conference would qualify for the semi-finals, with the second- and third-placed teams playing quarter-finals for the right to join them. The top three teams in each conference, not including the South African teams, would qualify for next season's Champions Cup, with the fourth-placed teams in each conference playing off for the seventh Champions Cup slot. Pers ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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 of the United Rugby Championship and in the European Rugby Champions Cup, 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, comprising Northern Ireland ( Antrim, Armagh, Down, Fermanagh, Londonderry and Tyrone) and three counties in the Republic of Ireland which are Donegal, Monaghan and Cavan. Prior to professionalisation, Ulster were a representative amateur team taking part in the IRFU Interprovincial Championship. They have also competed in the now defunct Celtic Cup (2003–05). Their development team, Ulster A, formerly known as the Ulster Rav ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Aaron Dundon
Aaron Dundon (born 22 June 1982) is a retired rugby union player from New Zealand. He played for the Irish team Leinster Rugby in the Pro12 and European Rugby Champions Cup. His primary playing position was at hooker. Since retirement, Dundon has become the forwards coach for Top 14 club Grenoble. Dundon, originally from Wellington and having attended Wellington College, started his Irish rugby career with Dublin club Seapoint. He later joined Clontarf, also based in Dublin. His performances with the club led to him joining the provincial team Leinster. Dundon joined Leinster in 2010, and made his debut on 27 December 2010, against Leinster's Irish rivals Ulster. He made a total of four appearances for the season, all from the bench in the Pro 12. Dundon's Heineken Cup debut came in the 2012–13 season. He came off the bench against Welsh side Scarlets The Scarlets () are one of the four professional Welsh rugby union teams and are based in Llanelli, Wales. Their ho ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mark Best (rugby Union)
Mark Best (born 1 April 1994) is an Irish Rugby union player He originally played for Belfast Harlequins in Division 2B in the All Ireland League. Best is a graduate of the Ulster Rugby Academy system and started the 2016/17 season on a development contract with the Ulster senior squad. Best has been part of the Ulster set-up from under 18 level, at which age group he also played for Ireland. He was a regular feature in the Irish province's British and Irish Cup campaigns over two seasons and captaining Ulster 'A'. He played domestic rugby for Ballymena in the All-Ireland League when not used by Ulster. On 3 May 2017, Best left Ireland to join Channel Island based Jersey Reds in the English RFU Championship from the 2017–18 season. He made his first team debut for Jersey against Doncaster Knights Doncaster Knights Rugby Football Club ''(formerly, Doncaster RFC)'' are a professional rugby union club representing the city of Doncaster, England. The club play in the 2n ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Roger Wilson (rugby Union)
Roger Wilson (born 21 September 1981) is an Irish former rugby union player, who played at number eight for Ulster Rugby, Ulster, Northampton Saints and Ireland national rugby union team, Ireland. Since retiring in 2017, he has worked in the United States, coaching American football players in rugby tackling techniques. Career Club Despite a one-time interest in a football career, Wilson played school rugby at RBAI and was a member of the 1998 and 2000 schools cup winning teams. After being spotted during his time at Trinity College, following a third division game, Wilson signed his first professional contract with Ulster. He held down a regular starting spot in the Ulster XV after his debut in September 2003 against the Ospreys, aged 21, and claimed the Ulster Player of the Year Award for the 2003–04 and 2006-07 seasons. Wilson played every game for Ulster in the 2006–07 season and accumulated the most minutes on the pitch (1,591 minutes and 26 caps). On 25 January 2008, No ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sharks (rugby Union)
The Sharks (known as the Hollywoodbets Sharks as they are their title sponsor) is a South African professional rugby union team based in Durban in KwaZulu-Natal. They compete in the United Rugby Championship and are eligible to compete in either the Investec Champions Cup or EPCR Challenge Cup depending on qualification. They previously competed in the Super Rugby competition until 2020. The team also competes in the Currie Cup as the Hollywoodbets Sharks XV The Sharks reached the Super Rugby final on four occasions—once as Natal in 1996, and three times as the Sharks in 2001, 2007, and 2012—though they never won the title. To date, their best performance in the United Rugby Championship is reaching the semi-finals in the 2024-25 URC Season and winning the South African conference shield in the same season. In May 2024, they won their first major competition by winning the 2023–24 EPCR Challenge Cup, becoming the first South African team to win a European trophy. Th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jean Deysel
Jean Roy Deysel (born 5 March 1985 in Virginia, Free State, South Africa) is a former professional rugby union player who most recently played for Ulster in the Pro14. Deysel signed a two-year contract to join Japanese side Toyota Verblitz at the conclusion of the 2014 Super Rugby season. On 16 March 2017, it was announced that Deysel had joined Irish Pro12 side Munster on a three-month loan as injury cover for his compatriot Jean Kleyn. On 8 April 2017, Deysel made his debut for Munster when he started against Scottish side Glasgow Warriors in a 2016–17 Pro12 fixture. Munster won 10–7, with Deysel being replaced by Peter O'Mahony in the 42nd minute. On 22 April 2017, Deysel made his European debut when he replaced Tommy O'Donnell in Munster's 2016–17 semi-final defeat at the hands of defending champions Saracens in the Aviva Stadium, Dublin. On 27 May 2017, Deysel made his final appearance for Munster when he came off the bench against Scarlets in the 2017 Pro12 Grand ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Southern Kings
The Southern Kings were a South African professional rugby union team that competed in Super Rugby and Pro14. They were based in Port Elizabeth in the Eastern Cape province and played their home matches at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium. They were created in 2009, and had their first match against the British & Irish Lions during their 2009 tour. After competing in Super Rugby in 2013, 2016 and 2017, they joined Pro14 prior to the 2017–18 season, along with the Cheetahs. For the 2013 season, the Kings' catchment area was made up of the Eastern Cape and parts of the Western Cape, drawing players from 3 provincial unions: namely the , based in Port Elizabeth (representing the southern half of the Eastern Cape), the , based in East London (representing the northern half of the Eastern Cape) and the , based in George (representing the South Western Districts). However, after the South African Rugby Union took over the running of the franchise in November 2015, the franchise ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Schalk Van Der Merwe (rugby Union)
Schalk Willem 'Hond' van der Merwe is a former South African rugby union player who last played for the in the Currie Cup. He previously played for the , the and the in domestic South African rugby, for the and the in Super Rugby, for in the French Top 14 and for Irish Pro14 side Ulster. His usual position is prop. He joined the prior to the 2014 season. He was included in the squad for the 2014 Super Rugby season and made his debut in a 21–20 victory over the in Bloemfontein. He joined Irish Pro14 side 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 ... prior to the 2017–18 season. He was released on 4 December 2018 after making just three Pro14 appearances. References External linksSchalk Van der Merweon ''espnscrum.com''.on ''itsrugby.co.uk''. Living ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Connacht Rugby
Connacht Rugby is one of the four professional provincial men's rugby union, rugby teams from the island of Ireland. Connacht competes in the United Rugby Championship and the European Rugby Champions Cup. The team represents the IRFU Connacht Branch, which is one of four primary branches of the Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU), and is responsible for rugby union throughout the geographical Irish province of Connacht. Connacht plays its home games at The Sportsground, which currently holds 6,126 spectators and can be expanded to 8,129. Connacht play in a predominantly green Rugby shirt, jersey, Rugby shorts, shorts and Rugby socks, socks. The Connacht Rugby crest is a modified version of the provincial flag of Connacht and consists of a dimidiation, dimidiated eagle and an arm wielding a sword. With the province containing just over 8% of the total Irish population, Connacht has a much smaller base of rugby union players to choose from than the other three provinces. This playe ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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 Hérault. At the 2020 census, 299,096 people lived in the city proper, while its Functional area (France), metropolitan area had a population of 813,272. The inhabitants are called ''Montpelliérains''. In the Middle Ages, Montpellier was an important city of the Crown of Aragon (and was the birthplace of James I of Aragon, James I), and then of Kingdom of Majorca, Majorca, before its sale to France in 1349. Established in 1220, the University of Montpellier is one of the List of oldest universities in continuous operation, oldest universities in the world and has the oldest medical school still in operation, with notable alumni such as Petrarch, Nostradamus and François Rabelais. Above the medieval city, the ancient citadel of Montpelli ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ruan Pienaar
Ruan Pienaar (born 10 March 1984) is a retired South African professional rugby union player who played either as a scrum-half or as a fly-half for the in the Currie Cup. Pienaar is the son of former Springbok fullback Gysie Pienaar. Ruan is regarded as a very skilful rugby player. Besides being able to pass well, he can kick with both feet, and his vision and running style moved former Springbok coach Jake White to compare him with Australian fly-half Stephen Larkham. Pienaar has been part of u19 (2003), u21 (2005) and senior Rugby World Cup (2007) winning squads. He also won the Currie Cup in 2008, 2019 and 2023. International career Pienaar made his debut for the Springboks in the 2006 Tri-Nations against New Zealand and was a member of the successful 2007 World Cup squad. As he did not play club rugby in South Africa since June 2010 it seemed unlikely that he would be called up again to play for the national team. SARU has a policy of selecting foreign based p ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Christian Lealiifano
Christian Pharaoh Leali'ifano (born 24 September 1987) is a professional rugby union player who plays as a fly-half for Super Rugby club Moana Pasifika. Born in New Zealand, he represents Samoa at international level after qualifying on ancestry grounds, having previously played over twenty-five times for Australia between 2013 and 2019. Early life Leali'ifano was born in Auckland, New Zealand, and moved with his family to Melbourne, Australia when he was seven years old. He attended Epping Primary School and Peter Lalor Secondary College. He played rugby union for the Australian Schoolboys team in 2004 and 2005. Leali'ifano joined the Brumbies rugby academy program in 2006. Later that year he was selected for the Australian Under 19 and Under 21 rugby teams. He played fly-half for the Australian Under 19 rugby team that won the IRB World Championship in 2006. Club career In 2007, Leali'ifano signed with the Brumbies on a rookie contract. He played for the Australian ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
