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Connacht Rugby and Ulster Rugby are two Irish rugby union provincial teams that possess a rivalry that dates back to their IRFU Interprovincial Championship clashes during the amateur era. That rivalry has continued during the professional era and intensified as Connacht have more competitive in the domestic league, winning 2015-16 Pro12 championship. Connacht and Ulster comprise two of the four Irish provincial teams competing in the United Rugby Championship (formerly known as the Celtic League). As such, the two sides regularly face each other during the regular season. Typically, Ulster have had the advantage in the series with Connacht failing to achieve a single victory over Ulster between 1965 and 1982.[1] Following Connacht's victory in 1983, it would not be until the 1997–98 season until they would achieve their next victory over Ulster.[1] Connacht also went 58 years without winning a match in Belfast.[2]

Below are the historical results of the Irish Rugby Football Union teams, Ulster and Connacht, as part of the IRFU Interprovincial Championship, and later the Celtic League, Pro12, Pro14, and United Rugby Championship.[3][4][5]

Overall Summary of Games Since 1946

Played Won by Connacht Won by Ulster Drawn
103 22 77 4

Statistics

Highest scoring match

2013–14: 70 points (Ulster 58 Connacht 12)

Lowest scoring match

1965–66: 6 points (Ulster 3 Connacht 3)

Highest margin of victory

Ulster: 46 points (58–12 in 2013–14)

Connacht: 28 points (44–16 at home in 2017–18)

Most consecutive wins

Ulster: 13 (1966–1979)

Connacht: 3 (1954–1957, 2017–2019)

Amateur Era Results 1946–1995

Season Winner Loser Winner Note(s)
1946–47 Ulster 26 Connacht 5 Ulster (1)
1947–48 Ulster 19 Connacht 0 Ulster (2)
1948–49 Ulster 30 Connacht 6 Ulster (3)
1949–50 Ulster 12 Connacht 3 Ulster (4)
1950–51 Ulster 26 Connacht 3 Ulster (5)
1951–52 Ulster 13 Connacht 0 Ulster (6)
1952–53 Ulster 28 Connacht 3 Ulster (7)
1953–54 Ulster 11 Connacht 3 Ulster (8)
1954–55 Connacht 14 Ulster 6 Connacht (1)
1955–56 Connacht 12 Ulster 9 Connacht (2)
1956–57 Connacht 6 Ulster 3 Connacht (3)
1957–58 Ulster 23 Connacht 12 Ulster (9)
1958–59 Connacht 14 Ulster 5 Connacht (4)
1959–60 Ulster 9 Connacht 3 Ulster (10)
1960–61 Connacht 6 Ulster 3 Connacht (5)
1961–62 Ulster 11 Connacht 0 Ulster (11)
1962–63 Ulster 19 Connacht 6 Ulster (12)
1963–64 Connacht 13 Ulster 3 Connacht (6)
1964–65 Connacht 13 Ulster 3 Connacht (7)
1965–66 Connacht 3 Ulster 3 Draw (1) Lowest scoring match in the history of this fixture
1966–67 Ulster 9 Connacht 8 Ulster (13)
1967–68 Ulster 14 Connacht 12 Ulster (14)
1968–69 Ulster 11 Connacht 9 Ulster (15)
1969–70 Ulster 20 Connacht 0 Ulster (16)
1970–71 Ulster 42 Connacht 0 Ulster (17)
1971–72 Ulster 13 Connacht 0 Ulster (18)
1972–73 Ulster 37 Connacht 6 Ulster (19)
1973–74 Ulster 17 Connacht 14 Ulster (20)
1974–75 Ulster 29 Connacht 6 Ulster (21)
1975–76 Ulster 6 Connacht 3 Ulster (22)
1976–77 Ulster 13 Connacht 3 Ulster (23)
1977–78 Ulster 18 Connacht 3 Ulster (24)
1978–79 Ulster 11 Connacht 4 Ulster (25)
1979–80 Connacht 6 Ulster 6 Draw (2)
1980–81 Ulster 13 Connacht 12 Ulster (26)
1981–82 Ulster 6 Connacht 3 Ulster (27)
1982–83 Ulster 22 Connacht 21 Ulster (28)
1983–84 Connacht 9 Ulster 4 Connacht (8)
1984–85 Ulster 28 Connacht 6 Ulster (29)
1985–86 Ulster 12 Connacht 6 Ulster (30)
1986–87 Ulster 37 Connacht 6 Ulster (31)
1987–88 Ulster 20 Connacht 3 Ulster (32)
1988–89 Ulster 16 Connacht 3 Ulster (33)
1989–90 Ulster 38 Connacht 3 Ulster (34)
1990–91 Ulster 16 Connacht 9 Ulster (35)
1991–92 Connacht 10 Ulster 10 Draw (3)
1992–93 Ulster 19 Connacht 6 Ulster (36)
1993–94 Ulster 39 Connacht 10 Ulster (37)
1994–95 Ulster 20 Connacht 6 Ulster (38)

Professional Era Results since 1995/96 season

Season Home Away Winner Report/Note(s)
1995–96 Connacht 9 Ulster 27 Ulster (39)
1996–97 Ulster 32 Connacht 27 Ulster (40)
1997–98 Connacht 27 Ulster 12 Connacht (9)
1998–99 Connacht 21 Ulster 18 Connacht (10)
1998–99 Ulster 36 Connacht 6 Ulster (41)
1999–00 Connacht 9 Ulster 50 Ulster (42) [6]
1999–00 Ulster 44 Connacht 22 Ulster (43) [7]
2000–01 Connacht 15 Ulster 39 Ulster (44) [8]
2000-01 Ulster 36 Connacht 22 Ulster (45) [9]
2001–02 Connacht 17 Ulster 18 Ulster (46)
2002–03 No match held
2003–04 Connacht 31 Ulster 20 Connacht (11)
2003–04 Ulster 42 Connacht 27 Ulster (47)
2004–05 Connacht 13 Ulster 19 Ulster (48)
2004–05 Ulster 23 Connacht 14 Ulster (49)
2005–06 Ulster 36 Connacht 10 Ulster (50)
2005–06 Connacht 22 Ulster 12 Connacht (12)
2006–07 Connacht 17 Ulster 24 Ulster (51)
2006–07 Ulster 20 Connacht 10 Ulster (52)
2007–08 Connacht 13 Ulster 30 Ulster (53)
2007–08 Ulster 18 Connacht 6 Ulster (54)
2008–09 Ulster 53 Connacht 13 Ulster (55)
2008–09 Connacht 12 Ulster 14 Ulster (56)
2009–10 Connacht 6 Ulster 30 Ulster (57)
2009–10 Ulster 41 Connacht 10 Ulster (58)
2010–11 Connacht 15 Ulster 15 Draw (4)
2010–11 Ulster 27 Connacht 16 Ulster (59)
2011–12 Ulster 22 Connacht 3 Ulster (60)
2011–12 Connacht 26 Ulster 21 Connacht (13)
2012–13 Ulster 25 Connacht 0 Ulster (61)
2012–13 Connacht 18 Ulster 34 Ulster (62)
2013–14 Connacht 7 Ulster 18 Ulster (63)
2013–14 Ulster 58 Connacht 12 Ulster (64)
2014–15 Ulster 13 Connacht 10 Ulster (65)
2014–15 Connacht 20 Ulster 27 Ulster (66)
2015–16 Connacht 3 Ulster 10 Ulster (67)
2015–16 Ulster 18 Connacht 10 Ulster (68)
2016–17 Connacht 30 Ulster 25 Connacht (14)
2016–17 Ulster 23 Connacht 7 Ulster (69)
2017–18 Ulster 16 Connacht 8 Ulster (70)
2017–18 Connacht 44 Ulster 16 Connacht (15) Highest margin of victory for Connacht
2018–19 Ulster 15 Connacht 22 Connacht (16)
2018–19 Connacht 21 Ulster 12 Connacht (17)
2018–19 Ulster 21 Connacht 13 Ulster (71)
2019–20 Ulster 35 Connacht 3 Ulster (72)
2019–20 Connacht 26 Ulster 20 Connacht (18)
2020–21 Connacht 19 Ulster 32 Ulster (73)
2020–21 Ulster 24 Connacht 26 Connacht (19) Rainbow Cup fixture
2021–22 Connacht 36 Ulster 11 Connacht (20) Connacht chose the Aviva Stadium in Dublin as its home venue for the match
2021–22 Ulster 32 Connacht 12 Ulster (74) [10]
2022–23 Ulster 36 Connacht 10 Ulster (75) [11]
2022–23 Connacht 20 Ulster 22 Ulster (76) [12]
2022–23 Ulster 10 Connacht 15 Connacht (21) URC quarter-final[13]
2023–24 Connacht 22 Ulster 20 Connacht (22) [14]
2023–24 Ulster 20 Connacht 19 Ulster (77) [15]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "The Gatland years (Part 3)". Connacht Rugby. Retrieved 4 January 2022.
  2. ^ "Preview". Ulster Rugby. Retrieved 4 January 2022.
  3. ^ "Team History Archive". Irishrugby.ie.
  4. ^ "Irish Rugby 1874–1999 — A History". Irish Rugby. Retrieved 4 January 2022.
  5. ^ "Fixtures & Results". Irish Rugby. Retrieved 4 January 2022.
  6. ^ "Smooth Ulster machine sweep Connacht aside". Irish Times. Retrieved 4 January 2022.
  7. ^ "Ulster relax on way to convincing win". Irish Times. Retrieved 4 January 2022.
  8. ^ "McConnell missed as Connacht steamrolled". Irish Times. Retrieved 4 January 2022.
  9. ^ "Ulster make no mistake". Irish Times. Retrieved 4 January 2022.
  10. ^ "Dazzling Baloucoune makes point to Andy Farrell in Ulster victory over Connacht". the42. 4 February 2022. Retrieved 5 February 2022.
  11. ^ "Ulster outscore Connacht five tries to one to get their season off to a flier". the42. 17 September 2022. Retrieved 17 September 2022.
  12. ^ "Ulster survive remarkable Connacht comeback to end disastrous December". the42. Retrieved 24 December 2022.
  13. ^ "Fearless Connacht beat Ulster to reach URC semi-finals". Irish Times. Retrieved 7 May 2023.
  14. ^ "Connacht mount comeback to continue strong start to season". Irish Times. Retrieved 5 November 2023.
  15. ^ "Ulster do just enough against Connacht to win tense interpro". Irish Times. Retrieved 22 December 2023.
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