Ulster: Province have left 'dark period' behind says CEO Jonny Petrie

Petrie arrived at Ulster at the beginning of 2019

Ulster CEO Jonny Petrie says he believes the club is moving in the right direction on all fronts following a disastrous few years.

Petrie arrived at Ulster at the beginning of 2019 after the province had endured a damaging 2017-18 season.

During that campaign, now former Ulster players Paddy Jackson and Stuart Olding were tried and acquitted for rape.

Two head coaches, Les Kiss and Jono Gibbes, left during the campaign as the team struggled on the field.

But since the arrival of head coach Dan McFarland at the beginning of the 2018-19 campaign, Ulster have enjoyed some tangible improvements on the field while seeing an increase in crowd numbers.

"Looking at the post even before I took the job, there were a number of things that were very difficult for the club and the sport in the province, and it needed to be turned around," Petrie said.

"It is right to refer to it as a dark period. We had the obvious off-field difficulties which have been so divisive over a long period of time.

"We'd seen a lot of change of directors of rugby, of head coaches, senior players retiring.

"There was this huge turnover of things going on and constant negativity around the place, from what it felt.

"With me coming in from the outside and not having any baggage around this, and Dan being fairly fresh into it, you're able to draw a line in that dark period and start to set out a way forward."

'Get on board and follow us'

Petrie succeeded Shane Logan as CEO, who stepped down in August 2018 having faced criticism over attempts to ban news journalists from press conferences after Olding and Jackson's trial.

Since arriving at the Kingspan Stadium Petrie appears to have endeared himself to Ulster's fanbase, and was praised for his swift response to abuse directed at Simon Zebo in a European fixture last year, which resulted in an Ulster spectator receiving a lifetime stadium ban.

Prior to joining the Ulster, former Scotland international Petrie worked as Edinburgh's managing director.

Dan McFarland became Ulster head coach at the start of the 2018-19 season

"Largely people want to see someone standing at front of the organisation that is saying 'this is a good thing to be part of, look at where we're going there's something building here, get on board and follow us'," Petrie said.

"As much as anything people want to see someone who cares about it, and I do.

"I very quickly felt very invested in Ulster Rugby and rugby in Ulster, and Irish Rugby as well, I want to see that succeed personally and professionally."

Home form the catalyst for bigger attendances

Ulster enjoyed three consecutive capacity crowds over the festive period, with full houses for the visits of Munster and Connacht in the Pro14 and Bath in Europe.

The increased attendances are no doubt largely down to Ulster's improved results, with the province undefeated at home since October 2018.

"People want to see a winning product on the field, and we haven't lost at Kingspan Stadium for quite a while now," Petrie said.

Ulster qualified for the Champions Cup quarter-finals with a win over Bath in January

"That gives a kind of consumer confidence that when people are coming along, they might not expect us to win every time, but they know that they're going to get a consistency of performance.

"Making sure we have got the right matchday experience at the stadium, making sure it's a nice place to come to.

Ulster will return to against Ospreys on 15 February after nearly a month of inactivity.

The province reached the European quarter-finals for the second year in a row, and will face a tricky away trip to Toulouse in the last eight in April.