2009 British and Irish Lions tour to South Africa
Lions squad
Table:
Player

Position

Home union

Club

Notes

Jerry Flannery

Hooker

Ireland

Munster

Originally selected; withdrew before tour due to injury; replaced by Ross Ford

Ross Ford

Hooker

Scotland

Edinburgh

Replacement for Jerry Flannery before tour

Lee Mears

Hooker

England

Bath

Matthew Rees

Hooker

Wales

Scarlets

John Hayes

Prop

Ireland

Munster

Replacement for Euan Murray during tour

Gethin Jenkins

Prop

Wales

Cardiff Blues

Adam Jones

Prop

Wales

Ospreys

Withdrew due to injury during tour

Euan Murray

Prop

Scotland

Northampton Saints

Withdrew due to injury during tour; replaced by John Hayes

Tim Payne

Prop

England

London Wasps

Replacement due to injury to Andrew Sheridan during tour

Andrew Sheridan

Prop

England

Sale Sharks

Phil Vickery

Prop

England

London Wasps

Nathan Hines

Lock

Scotland

Perpignan

Suspended for a week for a dangerous tackle against the Emerging Springboks

Alun Wyn Jones

Lock

Wales

Ospreys

Donncha O'Callaghan

Lock

Ireland

Munster

Paul O'Connell (c)

Lock

Ireland

Munster

Simon Shaw

Lock

England

London Wasps

Tom Croft

Flanker

England

Leicester Tigers

Replacement for Alan Quinlan before tour

Stephen Ferris

Flanker

Ireland

Ulster

Originally selected; withdrew due to injury during tour; replaced by Ryan Jones

Ryan Jones

Flanker

Wales

Ospreys

Replacement for Stephen Ferris; withdrew on arrival in South Africa due to previous injury

Alan Quinlan

Flanker

Ireland

Munster

Originally selected; suspended before tour; replaced by Tom Croft

With reference to the following table and the supporting evidence listed.

Answer the following question: What is the home union for the player whose team plays at Franklin 's Gardens and play in black , green , and gold colours ? Output only the correct answer as {"answer": "YOUR ANSWER"}. Base your answer solely on the given information.

Jeremiah Paul Flannery ( born 17 October 1978 ) is a former Irish rugby union player who played for Munster and Ireland . He played as a hooker . Flannery retired in March 2012 due to injury problems and went on to join Munster as a coach , before leaving the province in 2019 .
In the game of rugby union , there are 15 players on each team , comprising eight forwards ( wearing jerseys numbered 1-8 ) and seven backs ( numbered 9-15 ) . In addition , there may be up to eight replacement players on the bench , numbered 16-23 . Players are not restricted to a single position , although they generally specialise in just one or two that suit their skills and body types . Players that play multiple positions are called utility players . Forwards compete for the ball in scrums and line-outs and are generally bigger and stronger than the backs . Props push in the scrums , while the hooker tries to secure the ball for their team by hooking it back with their heel . The hooker is also the one who is responsible for throwing the ball in at line-outs , where it is mostly competed for by the locks , who are generally the tallest players on the team . The flankers and number eight are expected to be the first players to arrive at a breakdown and play an important role in securing possession of the ball for their team . The backs play behind the forwards and are usually more lightly built and faster . Successful backs are skilful at passing and kicking . Full-backs need to be good defenders and kickers , and have the ability to catch a kicked ball . The wingers are usually among the fastest players in a team and score many of the tries .
The Irish Rugby Football Union ( IRFU ) ( Irish : Cumann Rugbaí na hÉireann ) is the body managing rugby union in the island of Ireland ( both Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland ) . The IRFU has its head office at 10/12 Lansdowne Road and home ground at Aviva Stadium , where adult men 's Irish rugby union international matches are played . In addition , the Union also owns the Ravenhill Stadium in Belfast , Thomond Park in Limerick and a number of grounds in provincial areas that have been rented to clubs .
Munster Rugby ( Irish : Rugbaí Mumhan ) is one of the four professional provincial rugby teams from the island of Ireland . They compete in the Pro14 and the European Rugby Champions Cup . The team represents the IRFU Munster Branch , which is one of four primary branches of the IRFU , and is responsible for rugby union throughout the geographical Irish province of Munster . The team motto is To the brave and faithful , nothing is impossible . This is derived from the motto of the MacCarthy clan - Forti et Fideli nihil difficile . Their main home ground is Thomond Park , Limerick , though some games are played at Irish Independent Park , Cork .
Ross William Ford ( born 23 April 1984 ) is a Strength and Conditioning coach for the Scottish Rugby Academy . He was previously a Scotland international rugby union player who played as a hooker . He made 110 test appearances for Scotland , their most-capped male player . He has played in three World Cups ; in 2007 , 2011 and 2015 . He played professional rugby for Border Reivers ( 2002-2007 ) and Edinburgh between 2007 and 2019 .
The Scottish Rugby Union ( SRU ; Scottish Gaelic : Aonadh Rugbaidh na h-Alba ) is the governing body of rugby union in Scotland . It is the second oldest Rugby Union , having been founded in 1873 , as the Scottish Football Union . The SRU oversees the national league system , known as the Scottish League Championship , and the Scottish National teams . The SRU is headed by the President ( Dee Bradbury ) and Chairman ( Colin Grassie ) , with Mark Dodson acting as the Chief Executive Officer . Bradbury became the first female president of a Tier 1 rugby nation upon her appointment on 4 August 2018 .
Edinburgh Rugby ( formerly Edinburgh Reivers , Edinburgh Gunners ) is one of the two professional rugby teams from Scotland . The club competes in the Pro14 , along with Glasgow Warriors , its oldest rival . Edinburgh plays most of its home games at Murrayfield Stadium . The original Edinburgh District team played the first ever inter-district match against Glasgow District in 1872 , winning the match 3-0 . The amateur district team was reformed with professionalism , as Edinburgh Rugby , in 1996 to compete in the Heineken Cup , its best performance coming in the 2011-12 season , when the club reached the semi-final but lost narrowly to Ulster , 22-19 . The quarter-final tie against Toulouse attracted a club record crowd of over 38,000 spectators to Murrayfield . In 2003-04 Edinburgh became the first Scottish team to reach the quarter-finals . In 2014-15 Edinburgh became the first Scottish club to reach a major European final , when they met Gloucester Rugby in the European Rugby Challenge Cup showpiece at Twickenham Stoop in London .
Lee Mears ( born 5 March 1979 in Torquay ) is an English former rugby union footballer , who played hooker at Bath . On 28 June 2012 Mears as well as fellow England companion Charlie Hodgson exited the international frame , having been a part of England 's tour to South Africa . On 11 February 2013 , Mears was forced to retire when he was diagnosed with a heart abnormality .
The Rugby Football Union ( RFU ) is the governing body for rugby union in England . It was founded in 1871 , and was the sport 's international governing body prior to the formation of what is now known as World Rugby ( WR ) in 1886 . It promotes and runs the sport , organises international matches for the England national team , and educates and trains players and officials . The RFU is an industrial and provident society owned by over 2,000 member clubs , representing over 2.5 million registered players , and forms the largest rugby union society in the world , and one of the largest sports organisations in England . It is based at Twickenham Stadium , London . In September 2010 the equivalent women 's rugby body , the Rugby Football Union for Women ( RFUW ) , was able to nominate a member to the RFU Council to represent women and girls rugby . The RFUW was integrated into the RFU in July 2012 .
Bath Rugby ( also known as just Bath ) is an English professional rugby union club in Bath , Somerset . They play in the English Premiership . The club has won England 's domestic competition , the Premiership Rugby Cup , the Heineken Cup , and the European Challenge Cup . The club was founded in 1865 as Bath Football Club . The club plays at the Recreation Ground .
Matthew Rees ( born 9 December 1980 in Tonyrefail , Wales ) is a Wales and British and Irish Lions international rugby union footballer who currently plays for the Cardiff Blues . His usual position is at hooker . Rees is the most capped Hooker for the Wales national team . Rees previously played for Pontypridd , the now defunct Celtic Warriors , and the Scarlets .
The Welsh Rugby Union ( WRU ) ( Welsh : Undeb Rygbi Cymru ) is the governing body of rugby union in the country of Wales , recognised by the sport 's international governing body , World Rugby . The WRU is responsible for the running of rugby in Wales , overseeing 320 member clubs , the Welsh national team and National Leagues and Cups . The WRU is headed by the President ( Gerald Davies ) and chairman ( Gareth Davies ) .
The Scarlets ( Welsh : Y Sgarlets ) are one of the four professional Welsh rugby union teams and are based in Llanelli , Wales . Their home ground is the Parc y Scarlets stadium . They play in the Pro14 and the European Rugby Champions Cup ( which replaced the Heineken Cup from the 2014-15 season ) . The club was originally named the Llanelli Scarlets but was renamed at the start of the 2008-09 rugby season . The Llanelli Scarlets were founded in 2003 , as one of the five ( now four ) regional teams created by the Welsh Rugby Union ( WRU ) . The Scarlets are affiliated with a number of semi-professional and amateur clubs throughout the area , including Welsh Premier Division sides Llanelli RFC , Carmarthen Quins RFC and Llandovery RFC . Through the 2007-08 season , they played most of their games at Stradey Park in Llanelli , but they have also played matches at the Racecourse Ground in Wrexham . The club 's new stadium , Parc y Scarlets ( English : Scarlets Park ) , was constructed in nearby Pemberton , and opened in November 2008 .
John Hayes ( born 2 November 1973 ) is a retired Irish rugby union player who played in the Pro12 and Heineken Cup for Munster . He did n't start playing rugby until he was 18 ; prior to this he played with the local Cappamore GAA club . It was his size ( 6 ft 4 in , 19 stone ) that enabled him to overcome his late start to the sport . He continues to follow GAA in Limerick very much and especially hurling . He first played rugby as a wing forward in a Munster Junior League match for Bruff against Newcastle West R.F.C .
In the game of rugby union , there are 15 players on each team , comprising eight forwards ( wearing jerseys numbered 1-8 ) and seven backs ( numbered 9-15 ) . In addition , there may be up to eight replacement players on the bench , numbered 16-23 . Players are not restricted to a single position , although they generally specialise in just one or two that suit their skills and body types . Players that play multiple positions are called utility players . Forwards compete for the ball in scrums and line-outs and are generally bigger and stronger than the backs . Props push in the scrums , while the hooker tries to secure the ball for their team by hooking it back with their heel . The hooker is also the one who is responsible for throwing the ball in at line-outs , where it is mostly competed for by the locks , who are generally the tallest players on the team . The flankers and number eight are expected to be the first players to arrive at a breakdown and play an important role in securing possession of the ball for their team . The backs play behind the forwards and are usually more lightly built and faster . Successful backs are skilful at passing and kicking . Full-backs need to be good defenders and kickers , and have the ability to catch a kicked ball . The wingers are usually among the fastest players in a team and score many of the tries .
Gethin Jenkins ( born 17 November 1980 ) is a Welsh former rugby union player . He won 129 international caps for Wales and 5 for the British and Irish Lions . Jenkins was the record cap holder for Wales until he was overtaken by Alun Wyn Jones on 29 September 2019 . He is the sixth most-capped player in rugby union history and the most capped front row forward . He is one of a small group of Welsh players to have won three Grand Slams including Gerald Davies , Gareth Edwards , JPR Williams , Ryan Jones , Adam Jones and Alun Wyn Jones . On 31 October 2018 he announced his intention to retire after a final game for the Cardiff Blues against Zebre on Sunday 4 November 2018 .
Cardiff Blues ( Welsh : Gleision Caerdydd ) are one of the four professional Welsh regional rugby union teams . Based in Cardiff , the capital of Wales , the team play at Cardiff Arms Park and are owned by Cardiff Blues Rugby LTD , who also own and run Cardiff Rugby Football Club . Cardiff Blues are responsible for developing rugby in the city of Cardiff , Vale of Glamorgan , Rhondda Cynon Taf , Merthyr Tydfil and south Powys . There are 75 associate clubs within this wider Cardiff Blues region including semi professional Pontypridd RFC and the Cardiff RFC Welsh Premiership side . The Cardiff Blues compete in the Pro14 league , which includes teams from the Celtic nations of Ireland , Scotland and Wales , as well as Italy and South Africa . In addition , Cardiff Blues competed in the Anglo-Welsh Cup and ( for the 2017-18 season ) the European Rugby Challenge Cup which they won by beating Gloucester in the final 31-30 . They previously won the 2008-09 Anglo-Welsh Cup and the 2009-10 European Challenge Cup .
Adam Rhys Jones ( born 8 March 1981 ) is a Welsh former professional international rugby union player for Wales and the British & Irish Lions . He is one of a small group of Welsh players to have won three Grand Slams , including Gerald Davies , Gareth Edwards , JPR Williams , Ryan Jones , Gethin Jenkins and Alun Wyn Jones .
The Ospreys ( Welsh : Y Gweilch ) , formerly the Neath-Swansea Ospreys is one of the four professional rugby union teams from Wales . They compete in the Pro14 and the European Rugby Champions Cup . The team formed as a result of Neath RFC and Swansea RFC combining to create a new merged entity , as part of the new regional structure of Welsh rugby , that began in 2003 . They are also affiliated with a number of local semi-professional and amateur clubs , including Welsh Premier Division sides Aberavon RFC , Bridgend Ravens , and original founding clubs Neath and Swansea . The regional area represented by the team has widely become known for rugby purposes as 'Ospreylia ' . Their main home ground is the Liberty Stadium , Swansea , although some smaller profile games have been played at the Brewery Field , Bridgend . Ospreys currently play in a black home strip , while the away strip is white and orange . The Ospreys logo consists of an image of an Osprey mask . The Ospreys are the most successful Welsh team in the history of the Celtic League or Pro12 tournament , having won the competition four times . They also became the first and only Welsh regional team to beat a major touring side , defeating Australia 24-16 in 2006 .
Euan Murray ( born 7 August 1980 ) is a Scottish rugby union footballer , currently playing for Pau in the French Top 14 . He started his career with Glasgow Warriors before playing for a number of clubs including Northampton Saints , Newcastle Falcons and Worcester Warriors . He also plays for the Scotland national team . His usual position is tighthead prop . He is a fundamentalist Christian and throughout his career has decided not to play on Sundays , a choice that has caused controversy amongst pundits and fans alike . A very strong scrummager , he is regarded as one of the best to have represented Scotland at tighthead .
Northampton Saints ( officially Northampton Rugby Football Club ) is a professional rugby union club from Northampton , England . They play in Premiership Rugby , England 's top division of rugby . They were formed in 1880 as Northampton St. James , which gave them the nickname Saints from the 1880s . The team play their home games at Franklin 's Gardens , in the west of the town , which has a capacity of 15,250 and play in black , green , and gold colours . In the 2018-19 Premiership Rugby season Saints finished 4th and lost in the semi-finals , this entitled them to compete in the 2019-20 European Rugby Champions Cup . The current Director of Rugby is Chris Boyd who was appointed in 2018 . Northampton has won six major titles . They were European Champions in 2000 and English Champions in 2014 , they have also won the secondary European Rugby Challenge Cup twice , in 2009 and 2014 , the Anglo Welsh Cup in 2010 and most recently the inaugural Premiership Rugby Cup in 2019 . They have also won the second division three times ; in 1990 , 1996 and 2008 . Their biggest rivals are Leicester Tigers . The East Midlands Derby is one of the fiercest rivalries in English rugby union .
Timothy Adam North Payne ( born 29 April 1979 in Swindon ) is a former English rugby union footballer who played at prop for London Wasps .
Wasps Rugby Football Club is an English professional rugby union team based in Coventry , England . They play in Premiership Rugby , England 's top division of rugby . Founded in 1867 as Wasps Football Club , now a distinct amateur club , the club was originally London-based , but relocated to Coventry in December 2014 . Wasps now own and play at the Ricoh Arena . Prior to the move to the Midlands , Wasps had several homes ; from 1923 to 1996 they were based at Repton Avenue in Sudbury , London , from 1996 to 2002 they played at Loftus Road in Shepherd 's Bush and from 2002 to 2014 they played at Adams Park in High Wycombe , Buckinghamshire , 30 miles northwest of London . Wasps has won 12 major titles . They were European Champions twice , in 2004 and 2007 ; have won six English Championships including three in a row from 2003-05 ; and won three Anglo-Welsh Cups . They have also won the 2003 European Rugby Challenge Cup . Wasps most recent trophy is the 2008 Premiership . The 2017-18 season marked the 150th anniversary of Wasps Rugby Football Club . In the 2018-19 Premiership Rugby season Wasps finished 8th . This entitles them to compete in the 2019-20 European Rugby Challenge Cup .
Andrew Sheridan ( born 1 November 1979 in Petts Wood , Bromley , England ) is a retired English rugby union player who played as a loosehead prop . Sheridan is 1.95 m ( 6 ft 5 in ) tall , which is unusually tall for a prop , and weighs 128 kg ( 20 st 2 lb ; 282 lb ) . He is known for his great physical strength - he is a near-elite class powerlifter and able to bench press 225 kilograms ( 35 st 6 lb ; 496 lb ) and squat 275 kilograms ( 43 st 4 lb ; 606 lb ) .
Sale Sharks is a professional rugby union club from Greater Manchester , England . They play in the Premiership Rugby , England 's top division of rugby . Originally founded in 1861 as Sale Football Club , now a distinct amateur club , they adopted the nickname Sharks in 1999 . Since 2012 they have played their home games at the A.J . Bell Stadium in Barton-upon-Irwell , Eccles . Between 1905 and 2003 they played at Heywood Road in Sale , before moving to Edgeley Park in Stockport where they stayed until 2012 . Their traditional colours are blue and white . Sale have won three major trophies . They were English Champions in 2006 and won the European Rugby Challenge Cup in 2002 and 2005 . They also won the second division in 1994 . In the 2018-19 Premiership Rugby season Sale finished 7th , this entitled them to compete in the 2019-20 European Rugby Champions Cup . The current Director of Rugby is Steve Diamond who was appointed in 2012 .
Philip John Vickery MBE DL ( born 14 March 1976 ) is a former English rugby union tighthead prop and member of the England squad . He was a member of England 's World Cup winning squad in 2003 , playing in all seven matches in the tournament , and is a former England captain . Vickery ended his club rugby career at London Wasps , joining the London side in 2006 after eleven years with Gloucester Rugby . Given the nickname Raging Bull , he played in three Rugby World Cups , including as England captain in the 2007 tournament , and toured Australia and South Africa with the British and Irish Lions .
Nathan Hines ( born 29 November 1976 ) is an Australian-born former rugby union and rugby league footballer . He played representative level rugby league ( RL ) for Scotland , and at club level for the North Sydney Bears in their Presidents Cup side in the NRL .
In the game of rugby union , there are 15 players on each team , comprising eight forwards ( wearing jerseys numbered 1-8 ) and seven backs ( numbered 9-15 ) . In addition , there may be up to eight replacement players on the bench , numbered 16-23 . Players are not restricted to a single position , although they generally specialise in just one or two that suit their skills and body types . Players that play multiple positions are called utility players . Forwards compete for the ball in scrums and line-outs and are generally bigger and stronger than the backs . Props push in the scrums , while the hooker tries to secure the ball for their team by hooking it back with their heel . The hooker is also the one who is responsible for throwing the ball in at line-outs , where it is mostly competed for by the locks , who are generally the tallest players on the team . The flankers and number eight are expected to be the first players to arrive at a breakdown and play an important role in securing possession of the ball for their team . The backs play behind the forwards and are usually more lightly built and faster . Successful backs are skilful at passing and kicking . Full-backs need to be good defenders and kickers , and have the ability to catch a kicked ball . The wingers are usually among the fastest players in a team and score many of the tries .
Union Sportive des Arlequins Perpignanais generally referred to as USA Perpignan , is a French rugby union club that plays in the city of Perpignan in Pyrénées-Orientales in the south of France . The club currently competes in the Rugby Pro D2 , the second level of the French league system , after being relegated from the Top 14 in 2019 . The club was founded in 1902 as AS Perpignan , renamed US Perpignan in 1919 and adopted its present name in 1933 . Perpignan plays at Stade Aimé Giral ( capacity 14,593 ) . The club wears red and gold ( Sang et Or = Blood and Gold ) colours derived from the Catalan Senyera .
Alun Wyn Jones ( born 19 September 1985 ) is a Welsh rugby union player . He is the current captain of the Wales national team , and the former captain of the Ospreys . He is the world 's most-capped lock forward and Wales ' most capped international player . He is one of a small group of Welsh players to have won three Grand Slams including Gerald Davies , Gareth Edwards , JPR Williams , Ryan Jones , Adam Jones and Gethin Jenkins . He was named as the best player of the 2019 Six Nations Championship .
Donncha O'Callaghan ( born 24 March 1979 ) is a retired Irish rugby union player . He began his career with his home province Munster , spending 17 seasons with the province and winning 5 major trophies , before finishing his career with Worcester Warriors in the English Premiership . Internationally , O'Callaghan represented Ireland and was part of the team that won the Six Nations grand slam in 2009 . He also toured with the British and Irish Lions in 2005 and 2009 , winning 4 caps , and was invited the play for the Barbarians twice . Throughout his career , O'Callaghan played primarily as a lock , though he occasionally provided cover at blindside flanker .
Paul Jeremiah O'Connell ( born 20 October 1979 ) is a retired Irish rugby union player . When he stopped playing , he was Ireland 's third most-capped player ( 108 ) and the eighteenth most-capped international player in rugby union history . During his career , O'Connell captained Munster , Ireland and the British and Irish Lions . He is now a rugby pundit and commentator for BBC Sport .
In team sport , captain is a title given to a member of the team . The title is frequently honorary , but in some cases the captain may have significant responsibility for strategy and teamwork while the game is in progress on the field . In either case , it is a position that indicates honor and respect from one 's teammates - recognition as a leader by one 's peers . In association football and cricket , a captain is also known as a skipper . Various sports have differing roles and responsibilities for team captains . Depending on the sport , team captains may be given the responsibility of interacting with game officials regarding application and interpretation of the rules . In many team sports , the captains represent their respective teams when the match official does the coin toss at the beginning of the game . The team captain , in some sports , is selected by the team coach , who may consider factors ranging from playing ability to leadership to serving as a good moral example to the team . Coaches may also choose to change team captains from time to time , or to have a rotation of team captains . Some of the greatest captains in history are the ones with the most subtle of traits that are required for success . From Sam Walker in his book The Captain Class he states that a captain is the most important factor for a team 's success .
Simon Dalton Shaw MBE ( born 1 September 1973 ) is a former English rugby union player who played at lock . He last played for Toulon and played for England .
Tom Croft ( born 7 November 1985 ) is a retired rugby union player . He played 173 games for Leicester Tigers between 2005-17 winning four Premiership Rugby titles , played 40 times for England between 2008-2015 , was part of the squad for the 2011 Rugby World Cup , and was a tourist with the British and Irish Lions in 2009 to South Africa and 2013 to Australia .
Flanker is a position in the sport of rugby union . Each team of 15 players includes two flankers , who play in the forwards , and are generally classified as either blindside or openside flankers , numbers 6 and 7 respectively . The name comes from their position in a scrum in which they 'flank ' each set of forwards . They compete for the ball - most commonly in rucks and mauls . Flankers also assist in pushing in a scrum , but are expected to detach from the scrum as soon as the ball is out to get to the play before the opposition 's forwards . Flankers also participate in line-outs , either being lifted to contest or win possession , or to lift other players . Flankers are usually the key participants in the tackling process . The flankers , especially the openside , are often the fastest forwards on the team but still relied upon for tackling .
Leicester Tigers ( officially Leicester Football Club ) is an English professional rugby union club based in Leicester , England . They play in Premiership Rugby , England 's top division of rugby . The club was founded in 1880 and since 1892 plays its home matches at Welford Road Stadium in the south of the city . The club has been known by the nickname Tigers since at least 1885 . In the 2018-19 Premiership Rugby season Tigers finished 11th , this entitled them to compete in the 2019-20 European Rugby Challenge Cup . The current head coach is Geordan Murphy who was appointed in September 2018 . Leicester have won 20 major titles . They were European Champions twice , back-to-back in 2001 and 2002 ; have won a record 10 English Championships ; and have won eight Anglo-Welsh Cups , most recently in 2017 . Leicester last won the Premiership Rugby title in the 2013 and appeared in a record nine successive Premiership finals , from 2005 to 2013 . Leicester are one of only four teams never to have been relegated from the top division . Leicester have appeared in five European finals , the joint-second most overall , as well as the two victories they have also lost finals three times , in 1997 , 2007 and 2009 . Three Leicester Tigers players were members of the 2003 Rugby World Cup Final winning England side including captain Martin Johnson .
Stephen Ferris ( born 2 August 1985 ) is a retired Irish rugby union player who played for Ulster and represented Ireland internationally . Ferris played club rugby with Dungannon . He is from Maghaberry and attended Friends ' School Lisburn . He played for Ulster and Ireland in all three backrow positions . Ferris retired for rugby in June 2014 after a long-standing ankle injury ended his career .
Ulster Rugby is one of the four professional provincial rugby teams from the island of Ireland . They compete in the Pro14 and the European Rugby Champions Cup . The team represents the IRFU Ulster Branch , which is one of the four primary branches of the IRFU and is responsible for rugby union throughout the geographical Irish province of Ulster , comprising Northern Ireland ( Antrim , Armagh , Down , Fermanagh , Londonderry and Tyrone ) and three counties in the Republic of Ireland which are Donegal , Monaghan and Cavan .
Ryan Paul Jones ( born 13 March 1981 in Newport ) is a former Wales international rugby union player who played at number eight , blindside flanker or second row . He has been involved in three Grand Slam wins , in 2005 , as captain in 2008 , and 2012 . He is one of a small group of Welsh players to have won three Grand Slams including Gerald Davies , Gareth Edwards , JPR Williams , Adam Jones , Gethin Jenkins and Alun Wyn Jones .
Alan Quinlan ( Irish : Ailín Ó Caoindealbhain , born 13 July 1974 ) is a retired Irish rugby union player . He played for Munster and was registered to All-Ireland League side Shannon . He retired from rugby in May 2011 .