Everything you need to know ahead of Ulster v Ospreys, Friday 7th February, kick off 19.35.
1. TICKETS: Tonight is another Ravenhill sell out. If you purchased tickets for this game that are to be collected, the Ticket Booth will be open from 6pm and is located at the Onslow Parade gate on the Ravenhill Road side of the ground. For more ticket information you can visit the Ticket Office (located behind the Food Village in the reception of Head Office) from 6pm, during the match and 30 minutes after the final whistle.
Tonight the Ticket Office will be selling SPECIAL EDITION calendars signed by Ruan Pienaar, Tommy Bowe, Roger Wilson, Michael Allen and Craig Gilroy especially for Valentine’s Day! Calendars are priced at £10 with proceeds going to our Official Charity Partner, Cancer Research UK.
Match tickets are also still available for home fixtures against Scarlets, Newport Gwent Dragons and Connacht. Get yours tonight to avoid missing out!
2. TRANSPORT: Why not try the bus tonight? For only £3.50 return, you can travel to Ravenhill on Translink’s exclusive - Metro Rugby Bus. The Bus departs Europa Bus Centre one hour before match kick off and picks up at Chichester Street (SS Moore, 55 minutes before) and East Bridge Street (Central Station, 50 minutes before kick-off). Visit translink.co.uk for more information.
Park and Ride facilities are also in operation, located at Pirrie Park on the Ravenhill Road side of the ground and also on Montgomery Road along the Mount Merrion side of the ground (opposite Podium for Sport). There are plenty of car parking spaces available and free buses run constantly along these routes from 90 minutes prior to the game and 90 minutes after the final whistle.
3. PROGRAMME: The Ulster Rugby match programme will be on sale from 6pm in the stadium. The programme contains a special interview with Johann Muller who announced his retirement at the end of the season this week, along with rugby news, team profiles, Lavery’s beer vouchers and entry into a special Valentines competition ran by our Official Communications Partner, BT. Pick up a programme and support your Ulster Rugby team!
DIGITAL PROGRAMME: For those of you who can’t make it to the game and are watching on TV (BBC 2 NI) you can access a digital version of tonight’s match programme by clicking here: http://www.tinyurl.com/UlsterRugbyDigital.
*Buy a digital programme before 5pm tonight and you will be entered into a draw to win a signed Ulster Rugby ball!*
4. TEAM NEWS: Round 13 of the RaboDirect PRO12 kicks off at Ravenhill later - Ulster is currently in fourth position, two points behind tonight’s opponents, Ospreys who are in third. This season Ulster has lost just one game on home soil, against Glasgow in Round 2. A win tonight is crucial and could take the team within the top three.
Darren Cave returns from the Irish Wolfhounds to start at inside-centre, he will be partnered in midfield by Jared Payne who switches from fullback to outside centre. In the back three, Ricky Andrew starts at fullback, Craig Gilroy, who also represented the Wolfhounds, is selected on the right and Michael Allen returns to the starting XV on the left. With Paddy Jackson on international duty, James McKinney is named at outhalf alongside Ruan Pienaar at scrumhalf.
In the pack, Tom Court joins Rob Herring, and John Afoa in the front row, Johann Muller partners Lewis Stevenson in the second row and Robbie Diack, Sean Doyle and Roger Wilson form the back row.
Iain Henderson and Luke Marshall have been released by Ireland and are named on the bench. Ireland Under-20s fullback, Rory Scholes, is also named as a substitute and is in line to make his league debut if called upon.
5. STADIUM UPDATE: The Touch-line bar located at the top of the steps between the Premium Lounge and the Family Stand will be in operation this evening. For those of you with tickets for the West Terrance please note that the internal entrance and exit will not be operational this evening due to on-going construction work on the Grandstand, you may access the Terrace through either steps on the side of the Terrace. Thank you for your patience at this time.
