1995–96 Ulster Rugby season

The 1995–96 season was Ulster Rugby's first season under professionalism. Brian Bloomfield was in his second season as coach. 35-year-old Malone RFC centre Bill Harbinson, who first played for Ulster in 1986, was captain, in his final season before retirement from the game. They played six representative matches, defeating Griqualand West, New Zealand Federation U23 and New South Wales, and losing to a Côte Basque Select XV, the Combined Services and Edinburgh District. They finished second behind Leinster in the IRFU Interprovincial Championship. They were one of three Irish provinces entered into the inaugural Heineken Cup, losing both their pool matches against Cardiff and Bègles-Bordeaux.

Background
On 26 August, rugby union was declared open to professionalism. At this stage the Irish provinces were still representative teams, not professional clubs. Many involved in the game were concerned that domestic clubs could not afford to pay players, who could be lost to professional teams in England. In September, the IRFU confirmed that, for this season, only senior international players would be paid, with a one-year moratorium on payment for club and provincial players. Up to 35 Ireland players would be offered £26,000 contracts for the 1996 Five Nations Championship. That squad included Ulster players Jonathan Bell, Allen Clarke, Jeremy Davidson, Maurice Field, David Humphreys, Paddy Johns, Denis McBride and Mark McCall. As the situation developed, match fees became available for Heineken Cup and Interprovincial matches, with players who appeared in all six matches in line to receive almost £3,000.

The inaugural Heineken Cup was launched in the summer of 1995 on the initiative of the Five Nations Committee to provide a new level of cross border competition. Twelve sides representing Ireland, Wales, Italy, Romania and France competed in four pools of three with the group winners going directly into the semi-finals. English and Scottish teams did not take part in the inaugural competition. The IRFU confirmed that Ireland would enter provincial teams, as their clubs were unlikely to be strong enough for the competition. They were initially offered two places, but Tom Kiernan, Ireland's representative on the organising committee, was able to secure a third. The three places would go to the top three teams in the 1994 IRFU Interprovincial Championship, Munster, Ulster and Leinster.

Events
Jonathan Bell, who had impressed with Ireland in the World Cup, was offered contracts to play rugby league by both Sheffield and Halifax, but turned them down to remain available for Ireland, with a long-term goal of selection for the British and Irish Lions tour of South Africa in two years' time. The former Ballymena player, now studying at Loughborough University, had signed for Northampton but remained available for Ulster. Other Ulster players who featured for Ireland at the World Cup were Paddy Johns, Denis McBride, Maurice Field and Davy Tweed.

Ulster's campaign started in August with a tour to Capbreton, France, to play a Côte Basque Select XV. The French side picked up Ulster's travel and accommodation expenses, in recompense for a scheduled game which was called off at the last minute the previous season when Côte Basque were unable to field a team. Stephen Blake-Knox, the new chairman of selectors, had a limited panel of players to select from, with twelve regular players declaring themselves unavailable. With Simon Booth on honeymoon, Richard Mackey was selected at tighthead prop, with Gary Leslie at loosehead in place of the injured Gary Bell, and Allen Clarke kept his place at hooker. Jeremy Davidson and Gary Longwell made up the second row. New Zealand-born flanker Bruce Cornelius replaced David Erskine, who missed the tour for a job interview, in the back row alongside Kevin McKee and Roger Wilson. Neil Doak, who had made his Ulster debut in February, was selected at scrum-half, with David Humphreys at out-half. Bill Harbinson captained the side, lining up in the centres with Jonathan Bell. Two new faces on the wings were Jan Cunningham, replacing the injured Tyrone Howe, and James Topping, with Stan McDowell playing fullback.

On 1 October Ulster played touring South African provincial side Griqualand West. Davy Tweed came in to the second row alongside Jeremy Davidson. Paddy Johns was named at number 8, with Stephen McKinty and Denis McBride on the flanks. With David Humphreys unavailable after moving to Oxford University, Mark McCall was selected at out-half. Jonathan Bell was unavailable with a hamstring injury, so Ireland international Maurice Field joined Bill Harbinson in the centres, and former international fullback Colin Wilkinson was drafted into the team, despite having retired from representative rugby two years previously, on the basis of his club form for Malone. James Topping scored three tries and Wilkinson scored two drop goals in a convincing 54–10 win.

They next faced a touring New Zealand Federation under-23 side on 9 November. Although originally scheduled as an Ulster Development match, Ulster decided to field their senior team after their development side was badly beaten by Natal Emerging. Stephen Ritchie came in for his provincial debut at hooker. Gary Longwell returned alongside Jeremy Davidson in the second row, and Bruce Cornelius and Kevin McKee came back into the back row with Stephen McKinty. Michael Rainey started alongside Maurice Field in the centres, with Graham McCluskey and debutant Andy Park on the wings. Park scored the opening try in a scrappy win.

For the match against the Combined Services on 14 November, Simon Booth was selected ahead of Richard Mackey at loosehead prop. Tweed and Longwell made up the second row with Conelius, McKee and McKinty making up the back row. Andrew Matchett came in for Neil Doak at scrum-half, Darryl Callaghan made his provincial debut at out-half, with Mark McCall moved to centre alongside Harbinson, and fellow debutant Robin Morrow came in for Wilkinson at fullback. The Services team included former Ulster and Ireland lock Brian McCall, now a major in Britain's UN peacekeeping forces in Bosnia. Ulster were well beaten, with only a late try by Stephen Ritchie making the scoreline look respectable.

Ulster opened their Interprovincial campaign at home against defending champions Munster on 25 November. Richard Mackey and Allen Clarke were restored to the front row. Jeremy Davidson returned to partner Davy Tweed in the second row after making his Ireland debut against Fiji. McBride and Stuart Duncan were on the flanks, with Paddy Johns at number 8. Mark McCall moved back to out-half, with Maurice Field returning to partner Harbinson in the centres, Jan Cunningham and James Topping back on the wings, and Jonathan Bell returning to the team at fullback. Ulster won 14–10 in an uninspiring encounter, with Richard Mackey scoring the winning try 12 minutes from time.

Sale loose forward David Erskine had been declared ineligible for Ulster by the IRFU, as he was not born in Ireland and was no longer resident there. He won his appeal against the decision, and was selected at number 8 for Ulster's opening Heineken Cup match away to Cardiff on 28 November, in place of Paddy Johns. Gary Longwell replaced Davy Tweed, who was unable to get time off from his job with Northern Ireland Railways, in the second row. Ulster were beaten 46–6. Cardiff, in common with other Welsh sides, had adopted the relatively new tactic of lifting in the lineout; Irish teams had not, and Ulster players were unable to deal with it.

The following weekend, they went to Galway to play Connacht in the Interprovincial Championship on 2 December. Paddy Johns returned at number 8, and Davy Tweed was back in the second row alongside Jeremy Davidson. They won 27–9, based on the hard work of Johns, Duncan and McBride in the back row, and Tweed's dominance in the lineout.

On 9 December Ulster made nine changes to the side to play Edinburgh District at home. Stephen Ritchie came in for Allen Clarke at hooker, David Scott for Gary Leslie at tighhead prop, and Gary Longwell for Davy Tweed in the second row. The whole back row was rested, with Kevin McKee, Stephen McKinty and David Erskine replacing Denis McBride, Stuart Duncan and Paddy Johns. Andrew Matchett came in for Neil Doak at scrum-half, Andy Park for Jan Cunningham on the wing, and Colin Wilkinson returned at fullback in place of Jonathan Bell. They lost 23–24, with all of Ulster's points being scored by Mark McCall.

Clarke, Leslie, Davidson, Tweed, McBride, Duncan, Johns, Topping and Bell returned, and Matchett and Park retained their places, for Ulster's second and final match in the Heineken Cup, at home to Bègles-Bordeaux on 13 December. The game was close until the final five minutes, when, at 16–22, McBride was stopped short of the try line. Soon after, Bègles-Bordeaux's Sebastien Loubsens intercepted an Ulster pass, leading to a try by Julien Berthe that put the French side too far ahead to catch. The match finished 16–29. Ulster finished bottom of the pool, failing to make the semi-finals. Toulouse went on to become the first European cup winners, beating Cardiff in extra time in front of a crowd of 21,800 at Cardiff Arms Park.

Jan Cunningham returned for the Interpro against the Irish Exiles on 16 December, which Ulster dominated, winning 29–3, and setting up a championship decider against Leinster on 23 December. Leinster won their first Interprovincial title for twelve years with a 31–3 win at Donnybrook. The starting XV was unchanged. Paul Wallace scored the opening try after fifteen seconds, and Leinster raced to a 22–0 lead in the first twenty minutes. Ulster had plenty of possession, with Paddy Johns coming close to scoring on two occasions before half-time, but Leinster defended strongly, and only conceded one Mark McCall penalty.

Allen Clarke, Davy Tweed, Jeremy Davidson, Denis McBride, Paddy Johns, Jonathan Bell and Maurice Field were selected for Ireland's tour to the USA in January 1996.

David Humphreys, who had now joined London Irish, was recalled for Ulster's home match against New South Wales on 6 February. Bill Harbinson had retired from representative rugby, so Mark McCall moved to centre alongside Maurice Field, Colin Wilkinson returned at fullback, and Davy Tweed came in to the second row in place of the injured Jeremy Davidson. Humphreys led Ulster to a 40–33 victory in front of the Ireland management team.

David Humphreys and Allen Clarke made their Ireland debuts in the 1996 Five Nations Championship. Paddy Johns, Jeremy Davidson, Denis McBride, Jonathan Bell, Maurice Field and Mark McCall also appeared for Ireland in the tournament.

IRFU Interprovincial Championship
Top three provincial teams qualify for next year's Heineken Cup.

Ulster Senior League
The Ulster Senior League, known for sponsorship reasons as the Famous Grouse Ulster Championship, was won by Portadown.