Ulster Begin Preparations For Barbarians Clash
Ulster director of rugby Les Kiss has announced his squad that is preparing to take on the Barbarians at Kingspan Stadium on Thursday, June 1 (kick-off 7.30pm).
Featured among the Ulster squad are Ireland internationals Craig Gilroy, Stuart McCloskey and Andrew Trimble, while the game will also give home fans the opportunity to see departing stars such as Ruan Pienaar and Roger Wilson don the Ulster jersey for a final time.
The June 1 fixture will be just the third occasion the world famous Barbarians have played in Belfast, following visits in 1957 when they defeated an Ulster Invitational XV 14-11 and November 2016 when they saw off Fiji 40-7 in a seven-try thriller.
Commenting on the squad announcement, Les Kiss said: “It’s great to have the Barbarians back here in Belfast and it’s a game that the guys are really enthused about. Obviously we will be without the services of the boys on duty with the Lions and Ireland, and we still have a few out injured, but we will be putting out a strong team with a mixture of youth and experience.
“Looking at the squad the Barbarians are putting together, we know this is going to be a really tough challenge so the boys have been training hard in preparation and are looking forward to testing themselves against this top class opposition.
“The Barbarians are known for playing a very entertaining brand of rugby, and that style of play suits our players too so I’m sure it’ll be a great spectacle for the supporters.”
ULSTER Squad (v Barbarians): Backs (10) – Craig Gilroy, Brett Herron, Paul Marshall, Stuart McCloskey, Peter Nelson, Jack Owens, Callum Patterson, Ruan Pienaar, Dave Shanahan, Andrew Trimble.
Forwards (14): Rodney Ah You, John Andrew, Peter Browne, Rob Herring, Ross Kane, Ricky Lutton, Kyle McCall, Stephen Mulholland, Alan O’Connor, Tommy O’Hagan, Matthew Rea, Clive Ross, Andrew Warwick, Roger Wilson.
Barbarians players confirmed so far: Bundee Aki (Connacht), Adam Ashley-Cooper (Bordeaux-Begles/Australia), Yann David (Toulouse/France), Will Genia (Stade Francais/Australia), Patricio Albacete (Toulouse/Argentina), Steffon Armitage (Pau/England), Thierry Dusautoir (Toulouse/France), Corey Flynn (Star/New Zealand), Facundo Isa (Lyon/Argentina), Census Johnston (Toulouse/Samoa), Joe Tekori (Toulouse/Samoa), Jeremy Thrush (Gloucester/New Zealand).
A range of ticketing options for Ulster v Barbarians are available, priced from just £20 for adults and £12 for juniors. Family packages, group booking rates and student concessions are also available, offering savings of more than 20%. Click here to view the full event ticketing details.
Ulster are also pleased to offer a range of Corporate Hospitality packages for this fixture. You and your party can enjoy unrivalled views and hospitality from a private box or alternatively, enjoy a three-course meal in the hospitality lounge (which can be purchased on a per person basis) and soak up the electric atmosphere in style. Click here for more details on available hospitality packages, or call (028) 9049 3222.