Long-term investment in youth rugby

We have agreed a new sponsorship deal with Ulster Rugby, which will see us continue to support the province’s youth game through to the 2027/28 season.

Building on twelve years of partnership, the Ulster Carpets Club/School Window and Ulster Carpets Community Outreach Programme are set to further develop young players from across the province in the years ahead.

As the Governing Body for the sport in the province, Ulster Rugby introduced the Club/School Window as a participation programme that allows young players, who would normally only play in a school setting, to join in activity at their local club in March and April as a new way to experience the game at the end of the Schools’ season.

Meanwhile, the Ulster Carpets Community Outreach Programme takes the game to new participants, and offers an introduction to the game through a programme of school or community-based coaching sessions.

Ulster Carpets will also have an in-stadium presence at the club’s home ground for all Senior Men’s games.

Group Managing Director of Ulster Carpets, Nick Coburn, said: “We are delighted to be supporting the next generation of rugby players by agreeing this five-year sponsorship of both Ulster Rugby’s Community Outreach Programme and their Club/School Window initiative.

“For over 85 years, we have had an ethos of supporting our local communities and, in particular, we see real value in helping our young people develop important skills such as teamwork.”

Head of Commercial at Ulster Rugby, Keith Shorten, added: “We are grateful to Ulster Carpets for their continued investment in growing our grassroots game across the province, which will see thousands of young people continue to enjoy playing rugby in the seasons ahead.

“As our rugby coaches travel across Ulster to deliver the sponsored participation programmes, it is fitting that it will be with the support of a local partner who understands the importance of a pipeline of talented young players for what we are aiming to achieve as both the Governing Body for the sport and a professional rugby club.”

Pictured at the recent launch of the new sponsorship are Gerry Lafferty, Rugby Participation Officer at Ulster Rugby, Oran Gilbert, CCRO at Randalstown RFC, Dean Talbot, Rugby Participation Officer and CCRO at Rainey RFC, and, from Ulster Carpets, Cara Coburn, Business Development Manager, and Rory Somerville, Group Treasury and Acquisition Manager.