Watch: Ulster Rugby’s John Cooney surprises club’s oldest season ticket holder with video call

The video of the chat was shared on YouTube by Ulster Rugby today.

John explained: “We decided to call our oldest season ticket holder Noble Hamilton who was accompanied by his grandson Matthew. He’d been feeling a little bit unwell recently, we felt that a call might lift his spirits.”

On the call Noble, a formidable second row forward in his youth, told John that he had played at Ravenhill a few times.

He said: “I played in a snow storm and the match was stopped three quarters of the way through.”

He complimented John on his place kicking to which the Ulster scrum half said that he used to play a lot of soccer when he was younger which has helped with his kicking, something that he has only begun doing in recent years.

The pair struck up a good rapport with their love of rugby.

“Rugby is in my bones,” said the 96-year-old.

John said the club was going to send him some gifts and also told Noble to let him know the next match he was able to attend so they could meet for a “liquid refreshment” afterwards.