### Head Coach - Mike Orchin-McKeever
After a very successful season as head coach of Ballyclare 1XV, seeing them win the AIL Junior Cup and enter the AIL after beating Monkstown in the play-offs, Mike leads up the Ulster Juniors as head coach. Mike has been coaching since he was 18, with stints at RBAI, Instonians and St Gerard’s school. “I’m really looking forward to creating a connection with Ulster’s best junior players whilst challenging to win an Interpro Series. It’s pretty cool to get to work with players from other clubs, and it’s exciting to have the opportunity to take on the other three provinces. My one piece of advice for the players would be to just be yourselves and relax. You’ve been selected as part of the squad as you are a talented player, and have confidence in that.”
### Assistant Coach - Richie McCarter
Richie joins the team as Assistant Coach from City of Derry, where is he leads the charge as Head Coach. Coaching was something he became interested in at the end of his playing career as it felt like a natural progression, and he has worked up his way up to Head Coach, a position he has held for the last two seasons. 'I'm delighted and proud to have been given the opportunity to coach this side, it's a great experience to work within the interprovincial set up. There's so much talent to choose from for our squad, and I'm confident we can really push for the Championship this season. My advice to the players in this year's series would be to just enjoy it, express yourselves, work hard for each other and we will hopefully get what we deserve out of it.
### Assistant Coach - Mark Neilly
Mark joins the pack from Portadown RFC where he is in his third season as head coach. Mark has played rugby at club level for Portadown, Dungannon and UUC as well as representing Ulster at different levels and even the Ulster Juniors. He took up coaching after his playing career ended due to injury, and now enjoys developing individuals' talents and watching players transfer those achievements into a team environment. "I'm honoured to be involved this year, to work with other great coaches, management and the cream of junior rugby's player pool is a privilege. I am looking forward to seeing how the squad develops together and achieve their potential, it's exciting to see how I play a part in bringing out the best in them."
### 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."
### Assistant Manager - Stevie Crawford
Stevie Crawford has been member of Ballyclare RFC since 2000 and prior to that was a a player at Antrim RFC. Stevie spent 5 years as 1st XV team manger working alongside Mike and his coaching team which included Town Cup success and an introduction into AIL Junior Cup Rugby. Alongside other roles in the club which include Commercial and International Ticket Convenor, Stevie was delighted to be part of the 2nd XV management team this season who won the Crawford Cup and league this year. "It's an honour to be involved with the Ulster Juniors set up this year, and I am excited to see what the guys produce in terms of performance. We have a wealth of talent in the squad this year, and it is great to see players from across the province to work so well in a unified team."
### Physiotherapist - Rhea Lambe
Rhea makes up the team as she joins at the Ulster Juniors physiotherapist. Having a wealth of experience as a sports physiotherapist with GAA teams and Omagh Accies, she was delighted to take the opportunity to join the squad. Rhea has been enjoying working with the team and has been on hand at all training sessions and games to ensure all players are staying physically well and addressing all niggles and issues. We caught up with Rhea as part of International Women's Day campaign, which you can read here.
