Additional Information
The Irish Rugby Football Union Ulster Branch (also known as Ulster Rugby) is one of four branches of the IRFU, and is responsible for rugby union in the Irish province of Ulster, six counties of which are in Northern Ireland and three in the Republic of Ireland. The branch is also responsible for the Ulster team, which plays in national and international competitions.
The branch was founded in 1879. The home ground for the province's team is at Ravenhill in Belfast, and has a capacity of 12,300. In 2004 the Ulster Squad re-located their training base to Newforge Country Club in South Belfast but the side retains its close links to Ravenhill, the spiritual home of Ulster rugby. The Ulster team traditionally played solely as an Irish province but in recent years, since rugby union became a professional sport in 1995, the Ulster team now plays as a professional club.
|