The UAFC

The more I think of it, the more important the CEO choice is - and the more infuriating the colossal failure of the IRFU to recruit appropriate candidates for the role over the last decade is. And the more ironic the Irish / NI media narrative of Ulster as bumbling incompetents and IRFU as sage, smo...

Bayern wrote:Ruddock is retiring.

Oh really, and just as his Wales career was about to take off!

Rhys Ruddock’s contract believed to be up, not announced among their renewals, 32 now and nit getting a look in at all, but would be a considerable upgrade on Ewers.. Also in players released in positions of weakness for us, Wyn Jones and Dan Jones of Scarlets, neither of them in the international r...

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=7p7qKt6ATyk&pp=ygUMdWxzdGVyIHJ1Z2J5 18:50 in. Appears we did approach Cruden. Between this and a non commital answer from the new CEO in the interview with Trimble. I take 3 things from them: 1 - we are sniffing around for a 10 for next season 2 - painfully obvious...

Yeah I was expecting a much closer game but QUB hosed them, they looked like they’ve come on a lot since I saw them earlier in the season and they looked awful. I was hoping to see Humphries but looks like he’d injured his wrist - but the little 10 Hunter had a stormer! I saw Bryn Ward there, I was ...

I wouldn't write off Murphy after 5 games. Lucky tonight but let's see if they can build some confidence from this. He walked into a total mess. CEO going, star player going and unlikely to be replaced and a squad where all was not well. When you see what Sheridan is delivering it's a mystery as to...

You can argue we got lucky there, I would say Cardiff got pretty lucky too - poor start let off the hook by two (really uncharacteristic) Doak pen misses to touch. And also yes Adamson’s late show definitely broke for us, but he didn’t give us a thing the rest of the match, and as Cap’n Grumpy says ...

Tight Five Rugby @TightFive_Rugby · 4m [emoji3515] [emoji1181] TRANSFER NEWS: RugbyPass are reporting that Ulster are looking at signing ex All Black Aaron Cruden next year. The 35-year-old fly-half has not played since September 2022 & is currently without a club. Cruden would replace Billy Bu...

I'm finding myself bemused by the narrative that seems to have settled around Ulster / IRFU - namely that the duffers running Ulster have totally screwed up, the wheels have come off and we need the enlightened adults from D4 to step in and rescue the situation. Recall that HQ keeps the provinces on...

I think the appointment of Hugh (all I've heard about Hugh is that he's a sound guy, so I say this with no disrespect to him), even though its in a caretaker capacity, is quite revealing. It is of a piece with the previous hires, none of whom had any notable commercial experience (even Logan only ha...

There was talk of Murphy being offered a Leinster academy contract, but if he’s coming up here that’s quite a coup.. he’s very small but his composure and kicking were exceptional for the 20s, in fact I would say his overall kicking game was as good as I’ve seen at 20s level for Ireland for the last...

Word on the Leinster forum that u20 centres Sam Berman and Wilhelm de Klerk have been offered Ulster academy contracts. 2 quality players but likely means Ellerby won’t be in I think de Klerk played 10 at school, and was drafted in to 13 due to injuries for the 20s, so the intention may be to devel...

(Admittedly an interim CEO but still, lol)

So we have an organisation whose biggest challenge is commercial under-performance and we decide the ideal appointment as CEO is… a civil servant! [emoji23][emoji23][emoji23][emoji23][emoji2357][emoji2357][emoji2357][emoji2357][emoji2357] If ever anything perfectly summed up NI, and indeed the IRFU,...

Good thing, no harm to him - couple of hundred k right there off the cost budget for next year, that doesn’t have to come out of the player cost budget..