1997–98 Ulster Rugby season
| Ground(s) | Ravenhill Stadium (Capacity: 12,500) | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Coach(es) | Davy Haslett | ||
| Captain(s) | Stephen McKinty | ||
| Top scorer | Stuart Laing (115) | ||
| Most tries | Jan Cunningham (2) Stan McDowell (2) | ||
| League(s) | Heineken Cup (4th in pool) IRFU Interprovincial Championship (3rd of 4) | ||
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The 1997–98 season was Ulster Rugby's third season under professionalism, during which they competed in the Heineken Cup and the IRFU Interprovincial Championship. Ulster Rugby Limited was incorporated as a private company limited by guarantee on 9 May 1997.
The IRFU offered new contracts for provincial players for this season. Full-time players would receive a retainer of £25,000, plus a win bonus of £500 for Heineken Cup matches. Part-time players would be paid a retainer of £7,500, plus a match fee of £400 for Interprovincial matches and £800 for the Heineken Cup, and a win bonus of £450 for both competitions. Each province could have a maximum of 30 contracted players.
Mark McCall was offered a full-time contract, but turned it down and signed for London Irish, making him unavailable for Ulster this season. Full-time contracts were also offered to Jan Cunningham and Stephen Bell, and part-time contracts to Sheldon Coulter, Gary Longwell, Andrew Matchett, Dean Macartney and Tony McWhirter (Ballymena), Stuart Duncan, Richard Mackey and Denis McBride (Malone), Gary Leslie and John Patterson (Dungannon), Clem Boyd (Bedford), Bryn Cunningham (Bective), Stuart Laing (Portadown), Stephen McKinty (Bangor), and Andy Ward (Ballynahinch).
After the departure of Tony Russ, Clive Griffiths was lined up to take over as head coach, but withdrew in the summer. Davy Haslett, a geography teacher at RBAI, was offered the position on the eve of the 1997 Ireland A rugby union tour of Oceania, on which he was assistant coach. Between returning from that tour and a pre-booked famility holiday, he only had four weeks to work with the team before the season started. Charlie McAleese was appointed assistant coach, and John Kinnear team manager.: 10–12 Ulster finished third in the Interprovincial Championship, and bottom of their pool in the Heineken Cup.
A representative match against South African side Geuteng Falcons in early 1998, for which Ulster were to be coached by Ballymena coach Nelie Smith, was called off after clubs refused to release their players.
Paddy Johns and Andy Ward were selected for the Ireland squad for the 1998 Five Nations Championship. Johns, Ward and James Topping were selected for the 1998 tour to South Africa.