Ulster Rugby

The history of Ulster Rugby can be traced all the way back to 1879, when the Irish Football Union and the Northern Football Union of Ireland amalgamated. During the amateur era of Irish rugby, the Ulster Rugby side was highly successful. They won the Irish Inter-Provincial Championship 26 times, including a period where they won 10 titles in a row.

The Ulster Rugby team carried this success into the professional era, too. In 1999, they became the first Irish province to win the Heineken Champions Cup. Following this, the side entered into a golden era. For four years, they went unbeaten at home in the Heineken Champions Cup and they won the inaugural Celtic Cup in 2003. They ended their golden era by capturing the Celtic League title (now known as the PRO14) in the 2005-06 season.

However, the team’s fortunes changed in 2006 and they entered a period of decline between 2006 and 2010. But, following a coaching and management change, the team turned their fortunes around and entered a revival phase. They then finished as runners-up in the Heineken Champions Cup in 2011-12 and the PRO14 (then the PRO12) in 2012-13.

Ever since, the Ulster Rugby team have been in another lean period. However, they are showing signs of a revival. In the 2019-20 season, they once again finished as runners-up in the PRO14 and they’ve competed admirably in European competition. As a result, fans of Ulster Rugby believe the good times are returning to the Ravenhill Stadium.