### Head Coach - Damien Campbell
Damien Campbell, Lurgan's Head Coach and Craigavon Senior High PE teacher leads the charge as Head Coach for this season's campaign. With 18 years of coaching experience, including promotions and league wins with Rainey RFC and a significant Championship 2 victory with Lurgan, he values working with dedicated players and a shared vision. Campbell believes a great coach creates a challenging learning environment by knowing players and building positive relationships, "I was coached by the late Kevin Bowring. He demonstrated the importance of setting high standards on and off the field. Charlie McAleese, my Ulster U21 coach, possessed exceptional knowledge of the game and John Andrews, who had a considerable influence on my coaching style, is a fantastic mentor and role model." Immensely proud to now be the Head Coach for Ulster Juniors, a team he once played for, he appreciates the competitive environment and player camaraderie and is eager for the challenge of becoming back-to-back Interprovincial Champions, advising players to trust their decisions. "
"Personally, this role means a lot to me given I played for Ulster Juniors as an 18-year-old. I had the privilege of being appointed as Assistant Coach for 2 years. Now to be given the opportunity to represent Ulster Juniors as Head Coach is something I am immensely proud of. I am only able to take this opportunity as a coach because I have the support of my wife and family, Lurgan Rugby Club and the players I coach there. As Head Coach I will be representing everyone to my upmost."
"I am looking forward to the challenge of becoming back-to-back Interprovincial Champions. It will be a challenging task, but one that coaches and players alike will be prepared for."
Assistant Coach - Graeme Eastwood
Graeme Eastwood, the current Head Coach at Dromore RFC, is embarking on his fifth interprovincial series with Ulster Rugby, aiming to help the team retain their title. His motivation for coaching stems from a deep love for rugby and its values, allowing him to remain connected to the sport after his playing days. Eastwood believes a great coach prioritises clear communication of expectations, enabling players to understand their roles and how to achieve success. "It’s a huge honour to be able to be involved with my province at interpro level. Any day you pull on an Ulster jersey should make you feel really proud." Looking forward to winning the series, he hopes to cultivate a squad that pushes each other to excel. His advice to players entering the competition is to focus on controllable factors like work rate, mindset, and effort, urging them to concentrate on their responsibilities, support teammates, and maintain discipline.
Assistant Coach - Simon Patterson
Simon Patterson (Patches), transitioned to coaching after playing junior rugby for Omagh Accies and later serving as a player/coach and assistant coach at Lurgan RFC. He enjoys the challenge of game preparation and, more importantly, fostering player development. Patterson believes a great coach combines game knowledge with strong interpersonal skills, emphasising communication, approachability, and creating a positive environment to maximise player potential. "Being part of the coaching team for Ulster Juniors is a huge honour for me. I’ve grown up as a supporter of Ulster Rugby and have been heavily involved in Junior Rugby since the age of 18. To now have the opportunity to work with the best players at this level, build relationships with them, and help unite them as a team is incredibly rewarding and something I take great pride in." His advice to players is to bring energy, maintain a positive attitude, and replicate the consistent high-level performances they've shown for their clubs.
### Team Manager - Jeremy Ogle
Joining us for his third year as Ulster Juniors Manager is Jeremy and with him, he brings a wealth of experience. Having coached minis, U18s and 1XV at Dromore RFC, Jeremy has also spent eight years as DoR before becoming Honorary Secretary. Jeremy's experience also includes playing for the Ulster Juniors himself in the 90s. "Having previously played, it was an absolute honour to be accept the Ulster Juniors Team Manager position and work alongside a great coaching team. I enjoy seeing each coach develop the stand out Junior players and integrate them into a cohesive team, which is not always an easy task after a season where players have been rivals on the pitch! My advice to players coming into this year's Interprovincial Series would just be to enjoy it and soak in the experience, it's great to be able to go up against the other provinces, and I have confidence in the success of this year's squad."
Fixtures
