# 1999–2000 Ulster Rugby season

The 1999–2000 season was Ulster Rugby's fifth season under professionalism, and Harry Williams's second season as head coach. They competed in the Heineken Cup and the IRFU Interprovincial Championship.
Ahead of the new season, Williams signed Paddy Johns, Simon Best, Niall Malone, Tyrone Howe, Spencer Bromley and Riaz Fredericks to full-time contracts. Mark McCall retired as a player, and was appointed assistant coach.
In the Heineken Cup, Ulster finished bottom of their pool. They came second in the Interprovincial Championship, qualifying for next season's Heineken Cup. Tony McWhirter was Ulster's Player of the Year.
Plans for a Celtic League, featuring the Irish provinces alongside teams from Scotland and Wales, were mooted. This would give the provinces a 12-game league schedule, alongside six Interpros and at least six Heineken Cup matches, and mean contracted players would no longer be available for their All-Ireland League clubs, but play exclusively for their provinces. This plan would not materialise for another few seasons.

## Squad

| Ulster Rugby squad |
| Props Simon Best Justin Fitzpatrick Rab Irwin Lewis Johnston Gary Leslie Joeli Veitayaki Hookers Allen Clarke Richard Weir Locks Mark Blair Paddy Johns Gary Longwell | Back row Stephen McKinty Tony McWhirter Eric Miller Dion O'Cuinneagain Derek Topping Andy Ward Scrum-halves Stephen Bell Mark Edwards Andrew Matchett Fly-halves David Humphreys (c) | Centres Jonny Bell Jan Cunningham Riaz Fredericks Tyrone Howe Niall Malone Wings Spencer Bromley James Topping Sheldon Coulter Fullbacks Simon Mason |
| (c) denotes the team captain, Bold denotes internationally capped players. $^*$ denotes players qualified to play for Ireland on residency or dual nationality. |

## 1999–2000 Heineken Cup
### Pool 3

| Team | P | W | D | L | Tries for | Tries against | Try diff | Points for | Points against | Points diff | Pts |
| Llanelli | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 17 | 8 | 9 | 152 | 86 | 66 | 10 |
| Wasps | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 16 | 9 | 7 | 163 | 99 | 64 | 10 |
| Bourgoin | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 14 | 14 | 0 | 140 | 162 | −22 | 4 |
| Ulster | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 4 | 20 | −16 | 71 | 179 | −108 | 0 |

## 1999–2000 IRFU Interprovincial Championship

1999–00 Munster (21) :
| Team | P | W | D | L | F | A | BP | Pts | Status |
| Munster | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 242 | 103 | 5 | 29 | Champions; qualified for 2000–01 Heineken Cup |
| Ulster | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 186 | 129 | 3 | 15 | Qualified for 2000–01 Heineken Cup |
| Leinster | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 145 | 137 | 2 | 10 | Qualified for 2000–01 Heineken Cup |
| Connacht | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 85 | 289 | 1 | 1 | Qualified for 2000–01 European Challenge Cup |

### Home attendance

| Domestic League | Domestic League | Domestic League | Domestic League | Domestic League | European Cup | European Cup | European Cup | European Cup | European Cup | Total | Total |
| League | Fixtures | Average Attendance | Highest | Lowest | League | Fixtures | Average Attendance | Highest | Lowest | Total Attendance | Average Attendance |
| – | – | – | – | – | 1999–00 Heineken Cup | 3 | 8,667 | 12,000 | 6,000 | 26,000 | 8,667 |

## Ulster Rugby Awards

The Ulster Rugby Awards ceremony was held on 18 May 2000 at the La Mon House Hotel. Winners were:
* Bank of Ireland Ulster player of the year: Tony McWhirter
* Guinness personality of the year: David Humphreys
* Reneault schools player of the year: Matt McCullough
* Calor Gas youth player of the year: Martin Miller, Coleraine
* First Trust club of the year: Ballymena R.F.C.
* Coach of the year: Mark McCall, Ballynahinch RFC
* Dorrie B. Faulkner Award: Jack Lewis, Civil Service Rugby Club