The Northern Bank Ulster Schools’ squad has been working hard throughout the summer period with coaches, Richard Hedley and John Andrews, working closely with Ulster Rugby staff including Gary Longwell and Brian McLaughlin. The players had their first run out in a four session game against the Ulster Club’s U18 squad at the Mid Ulster Sports Arena in Cookstown on Wednesday 8th August. The U18 Club team provided spirited opposition for the Schools’ squad and gave the Schools’ Management team the opportunity to look at a large number of players in the course of the four sessions. Following this run out a squad of thirty five players has been named by the Management team to continue preparations for the remaining games this season.
The Ulster Schools’ squad will play the Ulster U19 squad at the University of Ulster pitches at Jordanstown on Tuesday 14th August in a game scheduled to kick off at 2-30pm. The team will then play Lancashire Schools’ U18’s on Monday 20th August at Campbell College with a 2-30pm kick off. The Ulster Schools’ team will play Lancashire for the Atkin’s Trophy, a trophy that has been competed for over a long period of time. The Ulster team are current holders of the Atkin’s Trophy and will be keen to maintain their impressive record against the Red Rose County players.
On Friday 24th August the Ulster Schools’ team will play Lanquedoc U18’s in a game which is scheduled to be played in the course of the afternoon at the Queen’s University playing fields at Upper Malone. The exact venue and kick off time will be confirmed closer to the time.
The Ulster Schools’ Management team will see these games as vital in terms of preparation for the Inter Provincial series of game which will take place in September. Ulster will travel to Donnybrook in Dublin to play Leinster Schools on Wednesday 5th September, travel to Galway to play Connacht Schools at the Sports Ground on Wednesday 12th September and will finish their Inter Provincial series with a game against Munster Schools on Saturday 22nd September.
Meanwhile, there are quite a few schoolboy players involved with the Ulster U19 squad who have been working hard over the summer period with the newly appointed Ulster Elite Player Development Officer and former Ulster and Ireland scrum half, Kieram Campbell in charge. Kieran has been able to call upon the expertise of Brian McLaughlin and Allen Clarke to assist him in the preparation of his young charges for their forthcoming Inter Provincial campaign. As well as playing Ulster Schools on Tuesday 14th August at UUJ, the team will travel to play Connacht U19’s in Athlone on Saturday 18th August. The squad will then travel to play Northampton U19’s at Franklin’s Gardens on Tuesday 28th August.
The U19’s will play Munster U19’s on Saturday 8th September at Ravenhill, Leinster U19’s in Dublin (venue TBC) on Saturday 22nd September and will finish their Inter Provincial campaign with play-off games in Dublin on Saturday 29th September.
