🤝 Ulster vs Ospreys
🗓 Friday 11 September | Kick-off: 7.45pm
🏟 Affidea Stadium
🏆 Bank of Ireland Pre-Season Friendly
📺 Live on Ulster Rugby Live
Fan Zone
Get ready for game night! The Ulster Rugby Fan Zone opens from 5.45pm at Affidea Stadium.
🍔 Enjoy a bite to eat from a wide range of food outlets while the Cool FM team sets the atmosphere with their pre-match playlist.
👋 Be sure to say hello to Sparky, our much-loved mascot, who’ll be meeting supporters before kick-off and throughout the match.
“The 9 Counties”
Our supporters’ area, The 9 Counties, will once again be open inside the Nevin Spence Memorial Stand. Entry is located to the right-hand side of the Scrum Bar.
What’s on offer in The 9 Counties:
- Premium glassware with locally sourced food and drink
- A comfortable seated supporters’ space
- Priority access for Season Ticket Holders
- Pre- and post-match entertainment, including live coverage
- Exhibits, memorabilia, and stories celebrating Ulster Rugby’s proud heritage
Season Ticket Holders who have claimed tickets will receive priority access from 5.45pm–6.15pm. After this time, the area will be open to all ticket holders until capacity is reached.
Support the Ulster Rugby Foundation Raffle
Show your support for grassroots rugby and inclusive community programmes by entering our match-night raffle, proudly run by the Ulster Rugby Foundation.
🎟 Raffle tickets will be on sale in the Fan Zone, with four fantastic prizes up for grabs:
- Signed Ulster Rugby shirt
- Signed Ulster Rugby Ball
- Signed Nathan Doak Print
- 4 x Tickets to Ulster v Edinburgh (Friday 25th September)
🎫 Tickets are available to purchase now via the link below.
🕐 The winners announced in-stadium and shared across our website and social media channels.
There is still time to grab your tickets! 🎟
Can't make it to Affidea Stadium? Stream the match live 📺
Officials
Referee: Max Weston
Assistant Referees: Keane Davison & Ross Whitfield
Team News
Michael Lowry will captain the side, whilst a host of Ulster's Summer signings are set to receive their first taste of rugby at Affidea Stadium.
View both match day squads in the official digital match programme below 👇
Digital Match Programme
Our official digital match programme includes an exclusive interview with James Hume, a Q&A with Jamie Benson and a preview of this evening's opponents Ospreys.
Getting to Affidea Stadium
Affidea Stadium is located in a residential area with parking restrictions and road closures in the immediate area on match-day.
Please do not park in the streets around the stadium, which are required for safe egress and emergency vehicles. Illegal parking will result in ticket fines.
Park & Ride
- A Park & Ride service is provided on match days by Ulster Rugby, operated by Translink, located at Pirrie Park (Methodist College Playing Fields car park) on the Ravenhill Road side of the stadium and also along Montgomery Road on the Mount Merrion side of the stadium (opposite Podium for Sport). In order to ensure quick entry, we strongly encourage all supporters to pre-book their parking. There are plenty of car parking spaces available and buses run constantly along these routes from 90 minutes prior to the game until 90 minutes after the final whistle. The cost is just £5 per car for Pirrie Park which can be pre-booked online, we cannot accept cash at Pirrie Park. Montgomery road parking is free.
Park & Stride
- We also have a secure match day parking facility at Belfast Metropolitan College Castlereagh campus, which is a 10 minute walk from the Mount Merrion Avenue entrance to the stadium. The cost is just £5 per car which can be paid by contactless payment on arrival or you can pre-book online.
City Centre Shuttle Bus
- Free City Centre shuttle buses will also leave from Mount Merrion Avenue after the park and ride shuttle services end, approx. 45-60 minutes after full time.
Public & Special Event Bus
- Translink will be operating Rugby Special buses, traveling to and from the Belfast Grand Central Station. For more information, visit www.translink.co.uk/ulsterrugby.
Fan Zone:
The Affidea Stadium Fan Zone opens from 5.45pm, ready to welcome fans as soon as the gates open.
Inside the Fan Zone, you’ll find a wide range of new and improved food and drink options for the 2026/27 Season to get you set for kick-off. There'll be new food trucks and a wider range of meal deals and family & kids bundles to help make matchnight more affordable
Guinness is back! With the launch of the new partnership with Diageo, supporters will be able to enjoy a wider range of beverages at Affidea Stadium, including Guinness, Guinness 0.0, Rockshore Lager and other favourites from the Diageo portfolio.
Boom Strutt Brass Band will be roaming around Affidea Stadium before kick-off and during the actions, bringing their high-energy mix of brass and percussion directly to supporters. Expect plenty of music, crowd interaction and entertainment as they help build the excitement throughout the game.
The former Lineout Bar has been reimagined as The Supporters Bar, creating a dedicated home for supporters on matchdays.
Hosted by SUFTUM On Tour, the space will offer music, flag collection, fan activities and plenty of pre-match craic, making it the perfect place to meet friends and build the atmosphere before heading to your seat.
The Cool FM crew will be bringing the energy with a pre-match playlist to get you in the mood.
And don’t forget to say hello to Sparky, our mascot, who’ll be meeting fans before kick-off and throughout the game.
Player Entrance Walk:
At 6.30pm, be part of the build-up to kick-off by joining our new Player Entrance Walk. Gather along the route and welcome the Ulster Men as they make their way to the tunnel ahead of the match, accompanied by the sounds of Boom Strutt Brass Band and the support of the Ulster faithful.
From 6.00–6.45pm: Meet the players under the giant stretch tent in the Fan Zone.
Stadium Bars:
Our new and improved Fan Zone will be buzzing with activity under the giant stretch tent, offering fans:
- Two new bars with tables and seating
- A variety of food trucks
- Music from Cool FM
All public bars throughout the stadium will open at 5.45pm, there will also be live music in the Clubhouse Bar before and after the match.
Please note: The Food Village, Castore Shop, and public bars accept contactless payments only.
Also on the Pitch:
At half-time, enjoy an exhibition match between:
- Ballymoney v Dromore at the AbbeyAutoline Family Stand End
- Dungannon v Virginia at the Nevin Spence Memorial Stand End