Dave Clark Appointed as New IRFU Head of Fitness

Posted on May 16, 2012 in Ireland

The Irish Rugby Football Union has announced that they have appointed Dave Clark as the new Head of Fitness to oversee all areas of elite performance in professional and representative teams.

A high performance strength and conditioning scientist with over 20 years experience in team sports, the South African native holds an MSc in Exercise Science and is currently completing a PhD.  He has worked in all areas of his field as a strength and conditioning coach, a high performance manager and a sports scientist in performance research.

He began his career as the fitness coach to the Western Province Rugby Team in 1992 and held the position of strength and conditioning coach to the South African National Team in 1994. In tandem with his role with these teams, he was appointed as the Sports Science Director in the University of Cape Town in 1990 before setting up his own private biokinetics practice in Cape Town.

When the sport turned professional in 1995, he left South Africa to join the Welsh Rugby Union as the National Fitness Coach where he oversaw all aspects of sports science.   He then moved north to Scotland where he took up a position with the Scottish Institute of Sport and has been the Head of Strength and Conditioning for the Sportscotland Institute of Sport since 2001.

His role with Sportscotland has seen him work with a variety of sports and he will be working with several athletes in the London Olympic games before he fully takes up his position with the IRFU in September.    All strength and conditioning programmes and coaches in the provincial teams are centrally managed by the IRFU and Clark will be working closely with the provinces to continue to reinforce the elite fitness pathways.

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Bowe returns to Ireland

Posted on Mar 6, 2012 in Irish Rugby, Ospreys, Ulster, Welsh Rugby

The Irish Rugby Football Union has announced the signing of International wing Tommy Bowe who will return to play in Ireland with Ulster next season until 2015.

Following agreement from his current club Ospreys, Bowe has been given early release from his contract with the club to allow him to take up a new contract with the IRFU and to play in Ulster for the next three seasons.

Schooled at Royal School Armagh, Bowe began his professional career with Ulster, making a try scoring debut for the province in the 2003/04 season. His elevation to the senior Ulster team followed selection for the Ulster schools team and also playing at full back and wing for the Ireland U21 team in 2004, being part of the squad that reached the final of the IRB under 21 World Cup, but was ruled out of the semi final and final due to injury.

Bowe won his first cap for Ireland against the USA in the old Lansdowne Road the following season, scoring a try on his debut in November 2004. He continued to play for Ulster for the following three seasons, amassing 91 appearances and scoring 34 tries. During that time, he was part of the Ulster team that won the 2004/05 Celtic League.

At the end of the 2007/08 seasons he moved to the Ospreys club in Wales and continued to represent Ireland, being part of the Ireland team that won the Six Nations Championship in 2009 and was also selected to tour South Africa with the British & Irish Lions, playing in six games including all three test matches.

The 2010 season was a particularly good year for the Monaghan man, being named as the RBS Player of the Championship for the 2010 RBS 6 Nations as well as the IRUPA Player of the Year 2010 and the Guinness Rugby Writers of Ireland Player of the Year.

He was selected in the Ireland squad for the 2011 Rugby World Cup, scoring two tries against the USA in New Plymouth and has continued that form by scoring five tries so far in the RBS Six Nations Championship for Ireland.

Bowe, a Ravenhill favourite, has enjoyed his spell in Wales, but is looking forward to returning to Belfast and said: “Obviously, I have mixed emotions. I’m sad to be leaving a club and a region that I have been proud to call my home for the last three years and that has improved me immeasurably both as a rugby player and as a person. I am indebted to the staff, coaches, management, team mates and fans of the Ospreys, for welcoming me so warmly and making my time here so special.

"That said, I am also delighted to be returning to Ulster, the Province I grew up wanting to play for and where my family live. David Humphreys was a mentor of mine in my early playing days and we have remained friends during my time at the Ospreys. His vision for Ulster is impressive, with Ulster born players at the core of this vision. I hope to repay the IRFU and Ulster’s faith in me by contributing to a team that is already delivering. The vibe at Ulster is undeniably positive. I’ve been training and playing with some of the Ulster boys during the Six Nations and there is a real energy and sense of anticipation as to what lies ahead for this Ulster team".

IRFU Chief Executive Philip Browne said: “The policy for the IRFU will continue to have as many Irish qualified players playing here in Ireland to maintain both the competiveness of the provinces and to allow the players to be managed for the benefit of the Ireland team. I am delighted that Tommy Bowe has chosen to return to Ulster to play and it speaks volumes for both the system we have here in Ireland and the building momentum in Ulster that a player of his standing in the game has committed himself long term to his home province.”

Ulster Director of Rugby David Humphreys commented: “We are delighted to be in a position to finally confirm that Tommy will be playing his rugby with Ulster next season and I’d like to thank the IRFU for their assistance in bringing him home. The speculation around his return over the past number of weeks is testament to the level of regard that the Ulster Rugby public have for him and rightly so. Skilful, physical, and a proven finisher with a knack of being in the right place at the right time, there’s no doubt that Tommy has consistently been one of European rugby’s best players over the past few seasons and he’ll bring a lot of experience and flair to our backline.”

Tommy Bowe Career Details

Born: 22nd February 1984

Ireland Career
Debut: V USA 20/11/2004
Caps: 47
Points: 120 (24 tries)

Ulster Career
Debut: V Connacht 16/04/2004
Caps: 91
Points: 170 (34 tries)

Ospreys Career
Debut: Connacht 05/09/2008
Caps: 77
Points: 180 (36 tries)

British & Irish Lions
Debut: V Royal XV 30/05/2009 (Tour to South Africa)
Appearances: 6
Points: 20 (4 Tries)

IRFU and Ulster sign up Court and Wallace

Posted on Dec 16, 2011 in Irish Rugby, Ulster

The Irish Rugby Football Union and Ulster Rugby announced today that centre Paddy Wallace and prop Tom Court have each agreed new contracts to remain playing in Ireland.

Paddy Wallace has signed a one year deal which will see him contracted to the IRFU and Ulster Rugby until June 2013 while Tom Court has agreed a two year term which will see him wear Ulster colours until June 2014.

Both players were part of the Ireland Squad that reached the quarter-final stage of this year’s Rugby World Cup in New Zealand.

Paddy Wallace, currently the longest serving member of the Ulster squad made his debut against Swansea in August 2001. Educated at Campbell College Belfast, Paddy was part of Ireland’s U19 Rugby World Cup winning side in 1999 and represented Ireland at U21, A and Sevens level before winning his first senior cap  when he came on a replacement against South Africa in November 2006. He was a member of Irish squad who won the Six Nations Grand Slam in 2009.

Tom Court joined Ulster Rugby from Australia at the start of the 2006-07 season. Irish qualified through ancestry, he was one of the best shot-putters in Australia and was a late convert to rugby union, taking up the game at the University of Queensland. From there he was invited to join the Queensland Reds Rugby Academy and played for New Zealand Province Manawatu, before returning to Australia to feature in the Reds Super 14 squad. No sooner had he arrived in Belfast than he was taken to the USA and Canada as part of the Ireland A Churchill Cup Squad and having won his first full Irish cap in the 2009 Six Nations Championships he is now a regular member of Ireland’s match day squad.

“I’ve had a great run here so far and Belfast is very much home now for my young family, so I’m delighted to have signed a new contract with Ulster.” commented Court. “I think we’ve made some real progress over the past 2-3 seasons, the Ulster team is as tight as ever and it’s a brilliant boost for me to sign a new deal and ensure that I’m part of that set-up.”

“It’s great to get the contract agreed early, and to have the certainty about where I’m going to be for the foreseeable future. Now I can just concentrate on the rugby.  Winning silverware with Ulster will be my main goal, and if things go well with Ulster then hopefully Ireland will fall into place.”

IRFU and Ulster Bank Announce New Community Rugby Partnership

Posted on Jan 10, 2011 in Rugby News

The Irish Rugby Football Union and Ulster Bank have today announced a new partnership that will see Ulster Bank become the Official Community Rugby Partner to the IRFU, which includes title sponsorship of the All Ireland League and the Irish Club International team until 2014. The announcement also introduces a new club volunteer initiative, Ulster Bank RugbyForce, where selected clubs will receive funding to renovate their facilities.

Ulster Bank has increased its considerable support to Irish Rugby through this new partnership which also exists through the sponsorship of the 6 Nations Championship by Royal Bank of Scotland, the parent company of Ulster Bank.

This new partnership further cements the relationship between rugby in Ireland and Ulster Bank which will be supporting the Ireland Club International team, which allows non professional club players to play for Ireland against similar amateur selections.  The Ulster Bank Club International team will be playing two games this year against a Scotland Clubs team and England Counties XV during the RBS 6 Nations Championship.

A significant component to the new partnership was the desire by the IRFU and Ulster Bank to support and develop community rugby clubs in Ireland and this is something that is highlighted through the Ulster Bank RugbyForce initiative that is designed to help unite club members and local volunteers to improve their club and community rugby facilities.

Ulster Bank RugbyForce encourages rugby supporters, their friends and families to give something back to their local community rugby club by volunteering to undertake renovations to clubhouses and grounds. Four lucky clubs will be selected for a very special makeover winning €5,000 of goods and resources to use toward their planned club development during the Ulster Bank RugbyForce weekend. 

Clubs must register for Ulster Bank RugbyForce online at www.ulsterbank.com/rugby by March 25th, 2011.

IRFU President Caleb Powell said, “This is an exciting new partnership for Irish rugby which will provide much needed support to all clubs and to the wonderful volunteer effort that goes into our community game.  The RugbyForce programme is further development of this effort and a superb way to help further incentivise the passionate work that these rugby people around Ireland already give to their clubs.  I would like to thank Ulster Bank for their decision to pledge their support to Irish Rugby. I warmly welcome the bank further into our rugby family and I look forward to a mutually beneficial partnership over the next three years.”

Ellvena Graham, Director of Business Services Ireland, Ulster Bank,commented, “Ulster Bank is delighted to extend their partnership with the IRFU and rugby throughout the country. We are very proud of our ongoing sponsorship of one of the world’s leading rugby competitions, the RBS 6 Nations, and this new community focused partnership offers an even greater opportunity for Ulster Bank to support its network of branches, business centres, staff and indeed customers throughout the island of Ireland with a number of exciting new initiatives. We are extremely pleased to introduce Ulster Bank RugbyForce and look forward to working with volunteers and improving club facilities in Ireland.”

Cian Healy signs new deal

Posted on Jan 5, 2011 in Rugby News

The Irish Rugby Football Union has announced the signing of another international contract with Cian Healy signing a new deal that will seem him continue to play in Ireland for another two seasons up to 2013.

The IRFU are currently in the process of contracting Ireland based players and Healy’s new contract comes on the back of those recently awarded to Donncha O’Callaghan and Ronan O’Gara with Munster.

Healy has represented Ireland at Schools, under 19, under 20, A and full international level and at only 23 has already won 13 caps for Ireland.  He made his Leinster debut in the Magners League in 2007 and has appeared for his hometown province on 68 occasions.

IRFU Chief Executive Philip Browne said, “We began the process of contracting players as early as the summer and while it is something that can take time to complete, this is nothing new and we are progressing through the majority of those contracts that are coming to an end this season or early next season.  With a fixture list of potentially over 40 matches per season and with even more games in overseas leagues where we would have no influence on the game time for Irish players, it is vital that we continue to work to retain players to play within Ireland in the provinces.  It’s only in this way that we can continue to have a positive influence on their development and in particular to ensure that our international players are best equipped to contribute to the further success of Irish rugby at international level and also at provincial level.”

Cian Healy said, “I am delighted to have my new contract signed as it means I can continue to concentrate on playing for my home province and improving my game further.  It has been a good couple of weeks for us and so I just want to focus on playing well for Leinster to keep me firmly in the plans of Declan and the national team.”

Ireland Coach Declan Kidney said, “For a young player like Cian who has progressed really well over the last 18 months this is good news as it allows him to continue to develop as a player in Ireland. He has approached every challenge with the same hard working attitude and if he continues to do this he can become an even better player."

Leinster Rugby Coach Joe Schmidt said, “Cian is a strong and dynamic ball-carrying loosehead and it was great to see his efforts rewarded with two tries in the recent Heineken Cup win over ASM Clermont Auvergne. Cian has been impressive progressing through the Leinster Academy, into the Leinster Senior Team and onto the Ireland International side. At just 23, there is obviously still plenty of scope for further development which promises real benefit for both Leinster and Irish rugby.”