Ulster welcome fellow Conference A side Ospreys to Kingspan Stadium on Friday night for the opening round of the 2019/20 Guinness PRO14 Championship.
For Dan McFarland’s team, they will be hoping to build on a positive season last year which saw the Ulster Men qualify for the knockout stages of both the Guinness PRO14 and Heineken Champions Cup.
For Ospreys, they will be hoping to lay down a marker of their own ambitions with a positive opening performance.
Here is everything you need to know about the game…
Match Details
- Date: Friday 27th September 2019
- Kick-Off: 7.35pm
- Venue: Kingspan Stadium
- Competition: Guinness PRO14
- Referee: Marius Mitrea (FIR, 91st Championship game), AR1: Sean Gallagher (IRFU), AR2: Andrea Piardi (FIR), TMO: Stefano Penne (FIR)
Team News
Summer signings Jack McGrath, Sam Carter and Matt Faddes will all earn their first Ulster caps on Friday evening, while it will be a first competitive appearance in over 11 months for fan favourite Craig Gilroy, following his return from injury. Ulster team: (15-9): Matt Faddes; Craig Gilroy, Luke Marshall, James Hume, Rob Lyttle; Billy Burns, John Cooney; (1-8): Jack McGrath, Rob Herring (Capt), Tom O’Toole, Kieran Treadwell, Sam Carter, Matthew Rea, Jordi Murphy, Sean Reidy. Replacements: John Andrew, Eric O’Sullivan, Ross Kane, Alan O’Connor, Greg Jones, David Shanahan, Michael Lowry, Louis Ludik. Ospreys team: (15-9): Dan Evans; Luke Morgan, Cory Allen, Scott Williams, Keelan Giles; Luke Price, Matthew Aubrey; (1-8): Rhodri Jones, Sam Parry, Tom Botha, Lloyd Ashley, James King, Dan Lydiate (Capt), Olly Cracknell, Gareth Evans. Replacements: Scott Otten, Gareth Thomas, Gheorghe Gajion, Sam Cross, Dan Baker, Reuben Morgan-Williams, Cai Evans, Tiaan Thomas-Wheeler.
Ticketing
A limited number of tickets are still available, from £17 for adults and £12 for juniors, or £46 for a family of four. To purchase tickets, simply click here or contact the Ulster Rugby Ticket Office for more information – (028) 9049 3222 (option 2). Tickets will be available on the gate from 6.05pm on Friday, but it is recommended to book in advance for best available tickets and to avoid queues. The game is one of 15 included in the Ulster Rugby Season Ticket package. You can find out more at ulsterrugby.com/seasontickets. Please note that Season Tickets will not be available to purchase at Kingspan Stadium on Friday - online sales only.Team Talk
Travel & Security
A number of additional match night transport arrangements are in place for this fixture. Please click here to view. Useful linksEntertainment
There will be live music with David Wright in The Clubhouse Bar, and the Cool FM Street Team will be providing live entertainment in the Fan Zone. Also in the Fan Zone, you can test your skills with the River Rock Passing Challenge and pick up limited edition clappers from the Openreach promo staff. Junior Season Ticket holders can pop along to the ‘OUR Club’ headquarters (located in Players Lounge at corner of Family Stand / Grandstand), where they can take part in fun activities and meet some of their playing heroes. Also in the Players Lounge, you can experience Ulster Rugby’s first virtual reality (VR) project, supported by Bank of Ireland. The 3-minute clip features highlights of the players’ pre-match routine, including the team talk by Rory Best, as well as on-pitch action and reaction from the crowd. View a preview of the VR experience below.Meet the Players
Prior to the game, non-playing squad members will be making appearances at various locations throughout the Fan Zone and and Kukri Shop. After the game, members of the playing squad will meet supporters, sign autographs and pose for photos at the back of the Grandstand approximately 15 minutes after full-time.