Pupils get a tour around Kingspan

Downshire Primary School pupils, got the opportunity to get an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at Ulster Rugby recently as part of a special educational tour of the Kingspan Stadium and Nevin Spence Museum, hosted by Phoenix Natural Gas.
By The Newsroom
Published 1st Jun 2017, 12:28 BST
Updated 4th Jun 2017, 21:32 BST

Around 30 pupils from the Hillsborough school were welcomed by Phoenix Natural Gas and given an exclusive stadium tour including access to the gym and home and away changing rooms. The young sports enthusiasts also had the chance to stand pitch side in the infamous grounds and tour the home of Ulster Rugby.

The educational session also included a tour of the Nevin Spence Museum, an area exclusively reserved for school groups. Pupils were given a briefing on the history of Ulster Rugby and pupils even had a chance to score a try with an interactive simulator and play with the centre’s interactive technology.

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Jonathan Martindale, Sales and Marketing Director at Phoenix Natural Gas said, “Phoenix Natural Gas has been involved in supporting Ulster Rugby for a number of years and the Nevin Spence museum provides a fantastic learning and resource centre for young sports enthusiasts.

“We were delighted to host pupils from Downshire Primary School in County Down and look forward to working with the school on a range of initiatives as we extend the natural gas pipeline in this area.

Commenting on the tour, teacher Gary Graham said, “The behind-the-scenes tour of Ulster Rugby and Kingspan Stadium has been superb. The pupils were given a chance to access exclusive areas and be inspired by the first class facilities of this prestigious sporting ground.

“Through the centre, pupils were able to learn more about the game and be inspired to reach their sporting potential, which is something that we actively encourage as a school. The staff and pupils of Downshire would like to thank Ulster Rugby and Phoenix Natural Gas for this fantastic educational session.”

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In addition to supporting Ulster Rugby, Phoenix Natural Gas is actively involved in nurturing local talent through the company’s sports bursary programme which to date has helped dozens of rising stars achieve their goals.

The Nevin Spence Centre houses the Ulster Rugby museum and tells the story of rugby in Ulster from 1854 to the present day.

The main body of the museum focuses on club and school rugby, Ulster legends and the modern game of rugby.