Ulster announce Pre-Season Games

Ulster will play Harlequins on the 26th August at Ravenhill, and also play an away fixture against Bayonne as part of a five day training camp in France.

http://www.ulsterrugby.com/news/9453.php

Ulster will take on French Top 14 side Bayonne on Wednesday 10th August as part of a five day pre-season training camp in the south of France. The match will be played at Bayonne’s Parc des Sports Jean Dauger with an 8pm kickoff.

Bayonne, who finished in 7th place in the 10/11 Top 14 Championship have recently announced the signing of a host of top names for the 11/12 season including All-Black Joe Rokocoko who they have recruited on a two year deal from the Auckland Blues.

Ulster’s home pre-season friendly will be played against Harlequins at Ravenhill on Friday 26th August with a 7.30pm kick off. The teams met at The Stoop last August and Ulster will be keen to avenge their 24-0 defeat last time out. Harlequins recently defeated Stade Francais in the final of the Amlin Challenge Cup finished in seventh place in the Aviva Premiership last season.

Bayonne vs Ulster, Parc des Sports Jean Dauger, 8pm Wednesday 10th August
Ulster vs Harelquins, Ravenhill, 7.30pm Friday 26th August

Further details on the players pre-season schedule can be found on the Ulster website

http://www.ulsterrugby.com/news/9425.php

Be nice to get the dates confirmed, and also if we can a TOP14 club to come over.

Quins at home will be a good pre-season test. An attractive fixture as well with them being Amlin Cup Winners.

Could this game have been brought somewhere else other than Ravenhill?

MBTGOG wrote:Could this game have been brought somewhere else other than Ravenhill?

Why? It's only a Pre-season friendly and will probably attract about 6-7 thousand spectators. Take it elsewhere then you would be struggling to get 2-3k.

Yeah but you're bringing the game to people who won't get to see it normally. Future investment rather than immediate investment.

I'm all for spreading the gospel Munsty and it might work in a years time after we win some silverware.

I think that this game will be a good indicator of how both teams fare in the HC this year.

I doubt it Hobo considering Ulster especially will be missing their key players due to RWC duty.

Court, Best, Afoa, (Touhy), Ferris, Pienaar, Wallace, Danielli, Trimble plus maybe one or two more who will be injured or involved in the internationals.

Hobo wrote:I think that this game will be a good indicator of how both teams fare in the HC this year.

Pre-season games are never a good indicator as Ulster proved last season. They were well beaten by Bath at home in a pre-season friendly and then beat them home and away in the HC.

No, both sides are likely to put out completely different sides from their HC teams Hobo. Huge numbers of players missing on both sides. Ulster will be missing about nine players from our first choice team. Besides, friendlies are never a good indicator. They're just a way of getting match fitness up. Normally there are a host of substitutions regardless of the scoreline.

Munsty, where would you hold it? There's no rugby stadium outside Belfast that could hold the game, no interest- besides people have paid for it as part of my season ticket. We are a few years away from being able to practically do that. There are not many sports grounds capable of hosting a decent crowd outside Belfast that aren't owned by the GAA. GAA up here are a lot more hardline on 'foreign sports'.

I think they should try and promote the Ravens games more and move them around the province. Usually only get a few hundred fans for those games anyway so they should be played all over Ulster.

Don't see where it could be held if not Ravenhill. Move the British and Irish Cup games maybe.

Notch there are a few Soccer stadiums dotted over the province that could accommodate around 5,000, so it is possible.

B&I Cup games need an atmosphere Stag. I suspect if you took them beyond Greater Belfast the guys would be playing in front of one man and his dog.

There are a few Clubs that are reasonably well supported in the sticks and Ballymoney is one of those. Professional Rugby though, is not all that well supported from within the club.

Ulster v Quins on the Friday followed by Ireland v England on the Saturday. Excellent stuff

Rava, B&I cup isn't a money maker. Its not there to generate cash. Munster hold games in places like Nenagh and Tralee and Wateford. The home crowd isn't exactly bursting to get in but its a cheap game of rugby to go to see and they target the AIL and Junior Rugby clubs in the area.

Have you been to many B&I Cup games Rava? I have. The most people there have been at on I've attended is about 300. And most of those people get in free either via season tickets or they are connected with Ulster Rugby.

Nothing to lose by moving them around the place.

Yes 300 is much better than 30. That is what would happen if they moved the B&I Cup outside of Belfast IMO. I don't think the organisers would take too kindly to that either.

Where in my post did I mention money Stag? I talked about atmosphere. I know if I had the choice of playing in front of 300 or 30 which I would choose. I also suspect the AIL Clubs in Munster attract more fans than the Ulster Clubs.

The season before last Ballymoney in Qualifying 1 (Junior) had consistently better crowds than Ballymena (AIL).

Rava wrote:Yes 300 is much better than 30. That is what would happen if they moved the B&I Cup outside of Belfast IMO. I don't think the organisers would take too kindly to that either.

Where in my post did I mention money Stag? I talked about atmosphere. I know if I had the choice of playing in front of 300 or 30 which I would choose. I also suspect the AIL Clubs in Munster attract more fans than the Ulster Clubs.

The season before last Ballymoney in Qualifying 1 (Junior) had consistently better crowds than Ballymena (AIL).

You didn;t mention money but I assume that it was what you were on about. It will certainly be more than 30. Players mothers, fathers, pals etc are going to come regardless. Its such a small loss and has the potential to give those away from Belfast a taste of rugby. The loss in terms of money and support is very small, however it has the potential for some growth.

Rava I think you probably would struggle to get crowds outside belfast but the problem is that will always be the case unless Ulster try something like this. Perhaps Stag has a point and this would be a good opportunity to try and grow the game around the province.

[You didn;t mention money but I assume that it was what you were on about.]

You assume wrong then.

Listen my friend, I would love to see it happen. I just know too many people who you assume would go but wouldn't.

Rodders, please don't take what I have said as an indication that I don't want it to happen. I really would love it. Please also note that a home match for me is a 100 mile round trip. I didn't miss any last season. The chance to see top grade Rugby closer than that would be very appealing.

300 MAX. And it doesn't make that big a difference.

Say they go out to Derry and have it played at City of Derry RFC. They offer tickets to the local schools; what is there to lose?

At the very least they could move an interprovincial 'A' fixture. I went to one a year or two ago; Ulster Ravens vs Munster A. Played on Thursday Afternoon at 4pm at Shaw's Bridge. I may well have been the only person there not directly affiliated with either Munster or Ulster Rugby.

Rava wrote: I just know too many people who you assume would go but wouldn't.

Why?

Derry Notch? I that anywhere near Londonderry?

I was at a Ravens match at Shaws bridge this season. T'was Macklin's first match back and I think Gaston was playing as well. Quite a few school kids from Methody and Inst. Potential Market there? It was a Wednesday afternoon I think...

WillyGilly wrote:Derry Notch? I that anywhere near Londonderry?

Oh, come off it Willy. City of Derry rugby club is who I'm speculating could host the game so it's not a stretch to refer to the city as Derry on that basis. There's no rugby club with Londonderry in the name.

I always thought Finn Park, Ballybofey,
County Donegal
(Capacity: 7,500 (400 seats)) or in 2012 Finn Harps new ground a covered 6,600 all-seater stadium just across the River Finn in Stranorlar, would be a good place to have a Friendly each year, or even move the Ulster v Connacht game there eventually to build more riveraly there with less transport.

I know Notch says the GAA are a bit more hardline, but Antrim GAA is pretty progressive, (compared to the others, even outside Ulster). They have set up the GAA community outreach initiative, with the cross community Hurling/Shinty games and working with Ulster rugby for the game of 3 halves etc

I'd like to see some stronger ties between Antrim GAA and Ulster rugby, the benefit would work for both.

Given that former Armagh and Derry fitness coach John McCloskey has been appointed skills coach for London Wasps, you'd have thought Ulster rugby would have been there first after all they both use the same Jordanstown training complex (or maybe they do work together at times and it's not published)

and possibly the use of new Casement park which will be a 40,000 all seat stadium, making it the largest stadium in Northern Ireland for bigger Ulster games instead of having to travel to Dublin. But maybe all this is for a different forum.

All sounds good except for the Connacht game. We haven't lost to Connacht at Ravenhill in about 60 years. Do we really want to give up home advantage?

Seems like a good idea in a sort of 'growing the game' sense and a bad idea in terms of keeping the vast majority of fans happy and getting the biggest possible crowd.

I know what you mean Notch for the Connacht game its a case of weighing up the loss in revenue, with one less game on season tickets, lower attendance, added cost of renting ground, transport for Ulster team plus added cost of advertiseing it verses growing the game and promoting Ulster to a wider fanbase, with hopefully selling more merchandise and growing a bigger following over time.

I think in the long term in may be of benefit, if the game is promoted well in Donegal and Derry the crowd may see it as a chance to watch a local rivally once a year, and hopefully more Connacht fans would make the journey each year, after a few years maybe a crowd of 6000 or more would be achievable. It may make less money than if held in Ravenhill each year, but in terms of promoting Ulster in a different area (Derry/Donegal) and gaining new fans it may make a net gain overall.

I'd also say it would have to be a senior game to have a chance of catching the intrest as a Ravens game wouldn't have the same appeal to try to market, they can be moved around Ulster club grounds.

It would be nice maybe to give our western cousins a Friendly and the Connacht game each year and we keep the rest.

For me, all three inter-provincial games must stay at Ravenhill. They are the big rivalries and playing there gives us an advantage. I don't want to forfeit that advantage for a derby game.

There is absolutely no prospect of a 1st XV game being played away from Ravenhill.

The revenue loss is too much.

B & I Cup on the other hand is a real possibilty

He's back! Welcome to our humble abode Geoff!

I don't think having ML games outside is worth while. But I really think B&I Cup should travel. If that won't nothign will.

Notch wrote:

WillyGilly wrote:Derry Notch? I that anywhere near Londonderry?

Oh, come off it Willy. City of Derry rugby club is who I'm speculating could host the game so it's not a stretch to refer to the city as Derry on that basis. There's no rugby club with Londonderry in the name.

Londonderry YMCA?

Bayonne announced as the second of our friendlies, to be played away. This is a departure from previous years where we played 2 home friendlies and one away. Very odd; can only think it is because of the World Cup and the number of Ulster players who will be involved with the larger RWC squad of 50- any insight Geoff? Will there be another home friendly?

Going to edit the OP.

Maybe get the players used to time on the road. Also Ulster probably have more cash after a good season.

It's not that we're playing an extra away fixture, we're playing one less fixture entirely. Unless there are more announcements to come.