The Hollywoodbets Sharks have returned from a tough three-week tour ahead of their fourth round Vodacom United Rugby Championship clash with Ulster at Hollywoodbets Kings Park on Saturday.
Ulster come to Durban with a two-from-two record, having played one less game, their second round clash with Edinburgh being postponed due to adverse weather following the landfall of Storm Amy in Scotland.
This year has been one of consolidation from the past, the team not showing too much change from last year’s side that finished in a lowly 14th place on the log, but they have already enjoyed a bright start this this year’s campaign, opening their account with a 42-21 victory over the Dragons, and then defeating the Vodacom Bulls 28-7 over the weekend to retain their unbeaten record and finish the round in fifth place, one of three sides boasting a 100% record.
Talking records, Ulster Rugby was founded in 1879 and before that, for 11 years as the North of Ireland FC, the earliest club to operate in the province.
Ulster’s success came early, they were the first Irish side in the professional era to win the Heineken Cup (in 1999)
Celtic Cup and Celtic League success followed in the early 2000s, and following a lull, the team enjoyed a period of revival that coincided with the signing of former Hollywoodbets Sharks stars Ruan Pienaar and Johann Muller, later Louis Ludik and Marcell Coetzee, and more recently, Werner Kok.
This season they have largely promoted from within, bringing in three players from their academy and recruiting South African back-rower Juarno Augustus among another four new signings, while nine players have left, been released or retired.
Ulster (‘Ulaidh’ in Irish, the name is derived from the group of tribes that once lived there) is located in the north of Ireland, one of four historical provinces and the second largest in the country, after Munster.
The biggest city in Ulster is Belfast (occupied since the Bronze Age), the capital of Northern Ireland. and Belfast cities are seen around the world including America (more than 10), Australia, Canada, New Zealand and even South Africa.
Ulster’s history is storied and the scene of many a war and invasion from foreigners. Originally the heart of the Gaelic world, The Normans came in the 12th century and the English followed in the late 16th century.
