Ulster Rugby Tickets

Ulster Rugby: The Pride of Northern Ireland

Ulster is one of four Irish provinces, along with Connacht, Munster and Leinster. Situated at the north of the island and comprising the whole of Northern Ireland, with three of its counties spilling into the Republic of Ireland, the city of Belfast is its capital and home to Ulster Rugby. You can now buy and sell your Ulster Rugby tickets via StubHub, so act fast to see the iconic Irish powerhouses!

Four Teams, Four Rivals

In the mid-to-late 19th century, there were numerous clubs in operation in Ulster before the establishment of the Irish Rugby Football Union. The first ever club formed in Northern Ireland was called the North of Ireland, which was founded in 1868. At this time, the sport was solely being played at an amateur level and inter-provincial games didn't take place until 1875. These games were irregular and effectively trials for a place in the Irish National squad. The first inter-provincial game was between Ulster and Leinster, where Ulster came out on top. That same year, Ireland played their first international match against England, with eight of its players from Ulster. During this period, Rugby was being overseen by the Irish Football Union across Ulster and the Northern Football Union of Ireland in Belfast. In 1879, the two unions combined and the branches of Ulster, Leinster and Munster were formed as part of the arrangement. Games were still being played on an irregular basis, until the Irish Interprovincial Championship began in 1946, where the four teams (the province of Connacht was founded in 1885) battled against each other annually. Ulster won this tournament 26 times (ten times in a row in the 1980s and 90s), becoming a powerhouse of Irish rugby and developing enormous amateur talent. See for yourself, with Ulster Rugby tickets available to buy and sell via StubHub now!

The Professionals: An Unbreakable Home Defence

Ulster burst into the professional limelight and became the first Irish team to win the European Rugby Champions Cup in the 1998-99 season, beating French team US Colomiers 21-6 in the final. A period of success followed under South African coach Alan Solomons, where the Kingspan Stadium became an almost unbreakable fortress. Solomons led Ulster to a three-year unbeaten home record in the European Rugby Champions Cup and a second-place finish in the 2003-04 Celtic League, one of Europe's major professional leagues featuring sides from Italy, Wales, South Africa and Scotland. Despite Solomans leaving for Northampton Saints, his predecessor Mark McCall, former Ulster captain and winner of the European cup, extended the already impressive unbeaten home record in Europe to four years. For you, it's easy to penetrate the Kingspan Stadium. All you need is a ticket! Luckily, Ulster Rugby tickets are available to buy and sell via StubHub now!