Fiona Tuite is determined to make up for lost time

It has been nearly a full two years since the team played a fixture due to Covid and in her job as a medical physio Tuite was on the front line at the Ulster Hospital in the battle against the pandemic.

“It has been a incredibly tough year on everyone, there is great pride putting on any jersey but particularly an Ulster jersey, it will be great just to get out and play some rugby in front of a home crowd, it is going to be incredible,” said Tuite.

“I’m excited, I’m really looking forward to it as it has been so long.

“It was an incredibly tough year, I was working on the Covid wards so I was in the thick of it and it was really tough and not to have the outlet of rugby when you when home was really hard on people.

“I definitely missed the club scene, your closest friends are in your team squad, I really missed it but it is great that we have rugby now on the horizon to look forward to.”

Ulster Women last played an interpro at the Kingspan Stadium in December 2016, and with fans being allowed in this evening Tuite is hoping that will inspire the team to a first victory in the competition for nine years.

“It is absolutely massive to play in Kingspan Stadium, I have never played there before but I have come to countless matches to support others, I’m really looking forward to the crowd lifting the atmosphere,” she said.

“Hopefully my whole family will be there, my friends and hopefully a few girls will come up from the club (Old Belvedere) in Dublin which would be great.

“We have set out pretty specific goals for ourselves individually and for the team, this year we are really determined to go out and prove our point as we have been building for the last couple of seasons.

“The main aim this year is to go and win the series and it is very achievable, we have been training incredibly hard so I’m really looking forward to hopefully lifting that trophy come the end of the series.”

Tuite, from Dublin, played Gaelic football for her native country but like many players in the Ulster squad has transferred her skills from one sport to rugby.

“A lot of the skills go across the board, your basics running, catching and kicking it is just a slightly different shaped ball is all,” she said.

“There is a lot of women that have come from the likes of football, hockey and basketball and have really made a name for themselves in rugby and I’m hoping to do the same.”

“A lot of the skills are transferable and it is great you can go from one sport to the other and a lot of our girls here are still playing two if not three sports so it’s fantastic.”

Meanwhile, experienced lock, Michael Kearney, has joined the province from Zebre.

The 30-year-old Dublin native, who is approaching his 150th professional game after spells at Connacht, Leinster and most recently Zebre, will play in Ulster’s second row, having joined up with his new teammates for pre-season training.

He said: “I’m delighted to have signed with Ulster, and to have the opportunity to represent the province in the coming months. I’m now focused on getting stuck into training and putting in the work needed ahead of the new season.”

The Ulster Rugby Premiership starts this afternoon, in Division 1 the last two winners of the Stevenson Shield Ballynahinch (2018) and Rainey (2019) meet at Ballymacarn Park. It will be the first game that former Italian international Ian McKinley will take charge of the Magherafelt club while ex Ulster hooker Nigel Brady is the new forwards coach for the Old Boys.

Queen’s minus their representative players host Banbridge at the Dub while Malone entertain Armagh.

In Division 2, Belfast Harlequins travel to Bangor, there is a Tyrone derby at Stevenson Park as Dungannon meet Omagh while Ballymena have home advantage against City of Derry.