Six New Entrants Confirmed For Ulster Academy
The Abbey Insurance Ulster Rugby Academy squad for the upcoming season has been confirmed, with six new entrants named among the roster of 19 players.
Joining the programme are Malone youngster Matthew Agnew, who played for Ireland at the recent World Rugby Under-20 Championship, and the Ballymena Academy trio of out-half Bruce Houston, centre Stewart Moore and back rower Azur Allison, who captained Ireland Under-19s last season.
A double Ulster Schools Cup winner with RBAI, David McCann will be another familiar face to followers of schools rugby in the province, and the final place in the Academy is awarded to Iwan Hughes, a pace-laden Irish-qualified outside back who joins the Ulster set-up from Bristol.
Robert Baloucoune and Graham Curtis will also both be looking forward to their first full season in the Academy, after joining later in the 2017/18 season.
Baloucoune, who developed his game at Portora Royal School and Enniskillen Rugby Club, was part of the extended Ireland squad that won the Challenge Trophy at the Rugby World Cup Sevens in San Francisco last weekend, while scrum half Curtis will be aiming to follow in the footsteps of his older brother Angus who made his Ulster senior debut last season.
Four players, who have all made notable impressions at GUINNESS PRO14 and Champions Cup level, have been rewarded with upgraded senior contracts – former Ireland Under-20 internationals Greg Jones, Adam McBurney, Jonny Stewart and Nick Timoney.
It has also been confirmed that Rory Butler, Peter Cooper, Alexander Clarke and John McCusker have all departed the full-time Academy programme to pursue other opportunities.
Commenting on the announcement of the Academy squad, Kieran Campbell, Head of the Abbey Insurance Ulster Rugby Academy, said: “It is always an exciting time of the year when we welcome in the new crop of young Academy players and, once again, we are delighted with the level of quality coming in.
“Our player development pathway from Under-16 through to Academy is going from strength to strength, evidenced by 36% of Ulster representation on Ireland National Talent squads and 46 Ulster senior caps won by Academy players last season.
“The quality of players and their level of application is driving competition within the pathway and the current crop are full of enthusiasm and keen to get stuck into the programme, so we’re all really looking forward to seeing how they progress over the season.”
ABBEY INSURANCE ULSTER RUGBY 2018/19 ACADEMY PANEL:
Year Three –
Angus Curtis
Position: Out-Half/Centre
DOB: 26/03/1998
Height: 176cm
Weight: 89kg
Club: Malone
Aaron Hall
Position: Back Rower
DOB: 26/06/1998
Height: 193cm
Weight: 98kg
Club: Ballynahinch
Zack McCall
Position: Hooker
DOB: 10/02/1995
Height: 180cm
Weight: 100kg
Club: Ballynahinch
Marcus Rea
Position: Back Rower
DOB: 08/09/1997
Height: 189cm
Weight: 105cm
Club: Ballymena
Year Two –
Robert Baloucoune
Position: Back-Three
DOB: 19/08/1997
Height: 193cm
Weight: 89kg
Club: Ballymena
Graham Curtis
Position: Scrum Half
DOB: 12/09/1999
Height: 174cm
Weight: 85kg
Club: Malone
Matthew Dalton
Position: Second Row/Flanker
DOB: 16/11/1998
Height: 197cm
Weight: 112kg
Club: Malone
Joe Dunleavy
Position: Flanker
DOB: 22/12/1998
Height: 190cm
Weight: 101kg
Club: Malone
James Hume
Position: Centre
DOB: 07/09/1998
Height: 184cm
Weight: 95kg
Club: Banbridge
Michael Lowry
Position: Out-Half
DOB: 20/08/1998
Height: 170cm
Weight: 81kg
Club: Banbridge
Eric O’Sullivan
Position: Prop
DOB: 30/11/1995
Height: 186cm
Weight: 115kg
Club: Banbridge
Tom O’Toole
Position: Prop
DOB: 23/09/1998
Height: 185cm
Weight: 116kg
Club: Ballynahinch
Jack Regan
Position: Second Row
DOB: 09/05/1997
Height: 197cm
Weight: 112kg
Club: Ballynahinch
Year One –
Matthew Agnew
Position: Back Rower
DOB: 20/11/1998
Height: 180cm
Weight: 95kg
Club: Malone
Azur Allison
Position: Back Rower
DOB: 19/04/1999
Height: 192cm
Weight: 99kg
Club: Ballymena
Bruce Houston
Position: Out-Half
DOB: 26/08/1999
Height: 192cm
Weight: 92kg
Club: Ballymena
Iwan Hughes
Position: Back-Three
DOB: 06/04/1999
Height: 173cm
Weight: 77kg
Club: Ballynahinch
David McCann
Position: Back Rower
DOB: 13/06/2000
Height: 190cm
Weight: 94kg
Club: Banbridge
Stewart Moore
Position: Centre
DOB: 08/08/1999
Height: 183cm
Weight: 91kg
Club: Malone