Stand Up: An Ulster Rugby Show

Ulster’s recent revival came to a disappointing end as Glasgow Warriors came from behind at half time to snatch victory. It was a game that divided fan opinion. There are those who are talking about the start of another crisis and there’s another camp who think a bonus point loss is not too bad considering Glasgow’s recent run of form. Whatever your opinion, we’ve see Ulster throw away half-time l...

Ulster backed up their famous European win over Sale Sharks with a dominant bonus-point 35-5 win over the Stormers in the united rugby championship on Friday night in fortress Kingspan Nathan Doak, Ben Moxham and Nick Timoney scored first-half tries and Jeff Toomaga-Allen and Mike Lowry scored in the second half. It was a good win and certainly a performance to be happy with albeit the stormers we...

Well, it’s official… Ulster are back! Or at least they are progressing to the next stage. I think we’re definitely right to celebrate as we haven’t had much to celebrate in a while! There wasn’t a huge amount of optimism for this winner-takes it all pool match, having won just one in our last 7 matches. Feelings of relief were palpable at the Kingspan. Ulster were improved but not perfect. We are...

I saw the La Rochelle Ulster game described as ‘a chess match played in a storm’ which is pretty accurate. Ulster fell agonisingly short once again away from home to champions cup holders La Rochelle. Ulster dominated in terms of possession but failed to capitalise in the dreadful conditions. This makes it 6 losses in 7 matches however Dan McFarland and many Ulster fans were somewhat encouraged by...

As you may have seen, Ulster have suffered a deflating 31-29 defeat to Benetton in a dramatic game in Treviso to continue what has what has been a poor run for the province recently. This defeat is Ulster’s fifth loss in six games and the first time the Treviso-based side have beaten an Irish province since 2017. The panel discuss the potential causes of Ulster's loss of form and what they can do...

Brian Moylett is rugby's leading mindset & performance coach for young players, working with players 1:1, teams and coaching groups all over the world. He helps young players overcome setbacks, develop confidence and self belief, and play in the zone. Brian played age grade rugby for Connacht Rugby, Leinster Rugby and Ireland, and having gone through the pathway systems himself, he saw that th...

Welcome to the Red Hand Podcast and happy new year! I want to take this opportunity to thank all of you who listen, read, contribute and join in the chat and debate about all things Ulster Rugby. It is hugely appreciated. The Red Hand is the most popular and, in my humble opinion, the best Ulster Rugby podcast out there. We have another big year ahead so please join us! Anyway, The Red Hand’s traj...

My next guest is Ulster, Ireland and Northampton hooker Paul Shields. Ulster fans will remember Paul well. He got over 100 caps for Ulster and won the Celtic league before moving on to Northampton where he finished his playing career. This is a special podcast for me because Paul was my favourite Ulster player growing up!  It was great to meet a childhood hero and he didn't disappoint - reall...

It felt like we had been flung back two years into the past as Ulster and La Rochelle took to the Aviva, completely devoid of a crowd save for an “official delegation” from La Rochelle. The decision to move the game from Belfast to Dublin was contentious at best. The freezing of Ravenhill not only cost Ulster a critical home advantage against the European champions, but by Jonny Petrie’s estimatio...

This is a very special episode of the podcast for a number of reasons. First of all, for the first time, I am joined by 3 great guests at the same time: former Ulster player Paddy McAllister, Pamela Gilpin of Rugby Players Ireland and Hannah Murtagh, owner and lead trainer/educator with Fithead. We talk about personal and professional development for rugby players and how this has a broader applic...

We’re finally ready to talk about what happened at the weekend... That was a difficult watch. However, on the Red Hand podcast, we try and stay positive. In brief summary, six tries and a clean sheet for sale and one of Ulster’s worst performances in recent memory. Ulster looked jet-lagged in defence and attack. Indeed, preparation for the game was disrupted by the cold weather which meant the squ...

Fourteen-man Leinster produced an outstanding comeback to beat Ulster 38-29 in Dublin, Cian Healy was shown a red card on 21 minutes and Ulster were up 22-3 after a good start with tries from Rob Herring, Kieran Treadwell and Ethan McIlroy. Everything seemed to be going Ulster’s way and we #daredtodream as we approached the break. The second half was a different story: Leinster hit back with five...

I'm joined by Ulster super-fans Ross Barnett and Jack Fogarty as we discuss Ulster's bonus point win over Zebre.

After a short break, welcome back to the Red Hand Podcast. I’m joined by Irish Times Journalist, Nathan Johns and rugby writer Caolan Scully. We’re here to discuss Ireland’s autumn internationals and look ahead to Ulster’s game against Zebre this Friday Night.

My next guest on the podcast is former Ulster Rugby player Mike McComish. You’ll remember Mike from his playing days – starting off on a development contract with Ulster then playing in England for Rotheram and Otley before coming back to Ireland to join Connacht and eventually found his way back to Ulster. The episode title is derived from the fact we could all benefit from being a bit more like...

I'm joined by rugby writer and Munster fan, Caolan Scully, and Ulster fan, Ross Barnett, as we discuss Ulster's first win in Thomond Park in over 8 years. We also look ahead to a weekend of rugby featuring number one in the world, Ireland, take on the current World Cup holders, South Africa.

Welcome to a very special episode of the Red Hand Podcast. Ian McKinley was an international out-half who played rugby at the top level in Ireland and then continued his career in Italy after a transformative experience which threatened to end his career before it had really got going. His path has not been a straightforward one. His story is among the most inspiring I’ve ever heard and was am luc...

I'm joined by Ulster expert and regular contributor to the Red Hand, Ian Frizzell and South African Rugby journalist AP Cronje as we discuss Ulster's 39-37 win over the Lions. We also look ahead to an even tougher test against the Sharks this weekend. 

I am joined by rugby analyst and expert, Evan Kavanagh and Ulster fan and host of the Ulster Rugby Roundup monthly podcast, Nigel Quigley, as we look at Ulster's recent emphatic win over Ospreys in Belfast. We discuss the key players for Ulster, where there is still some room for improvement and what we think of Ulster's season so far.

On a wet and windy night IN Belfast Leinster managed to ride out a late ulster storm with a 20 points to 13 win. Having beaten Leinster at home and away last season ulster will be frustrated by the manner of the defeat – a few critical moments, high penalty count and high number of errors on a difficult evening ultimately cost us against a fully stacked Leinster team. Ulster did fight back, but it...

I chat with Irish Times journalist and Leinster fan, Nathan Johns, about the upcoming interprovincial clash with Leinster. We reflect on the Scarlets game, what Ulster did well and where Ulster need to improve if they hope to beat Leinster. With both sides going full whip, this will be an old-school, feisty interprovincial derby and we can't wait to see how it plays out. We also discuss the names...

Ulster kicked off their BKT United Rugby Championship campaign with a bonus point win over their provincial rivals, Connacht, in Belfast on Saturday night. With both sides afflicted by early season rustiness, it was ultimately the hosts who managed to click into gear and dominate in terms of territory and possession, chalking up five tries to the visitors’ one. Stephen Murphy, Connacht fan and hos...

Delighted to be back! In the first episode of the season, I’m joined by Ulster super-fan and regular contributor to the podcast, Ian Frizzell and rugby journalists Rhys Jones and Nathan Johns. We take a look at last night’s friendly against Exeter, discuss the stand-out performances, new players and familiar faces returning this season. We also discuss Ulster’s strengths and weaknesses and expecta...

Simon Mason is the definition of an Ulster legend. An unflappable presence at fullback and peerless goal-kicker, he hit a playing peak on the province's journey to European triumph in 1999. Simon discusses his journey to playing for Ulster and Ireland, what made the legendary '99 squad so special and his obsession with kicking which made him one of the most faultless goal-kickers in Europe in his...

Paddy McAllister has had a fascinating life and career. In what is perhaps the most important podcast to date, Paddy discusses his remarkable life both on and off the field. Following a rapid rise through the ranks with Ulster and Ireland under 20s, Paddy was then faced with difficult and tragic personal circumstances that would affect his career and life. We discuss the highs, lows and relentless...