FACTS, STATS & TRIVIA FROM KINGSPAN TO KINGS PARK, WELCOME TO THE TANK!

Four months since this fixture, originally scheduled for Oc-tober last year, had to be cancelled, Kingspan-based Ulster arrive at Hollywoodbets Kings Park to confront the men in black - for the very first time, in The Shark Tank!

Did you know that…

* Ulster Rugby’s history stretches back as far as 1868, when the Belfastbased Northern Ireland FC started playing rugby in the province. The official provincial branches of Ulster, Leinster and Munster were established 11 years later, in 1879;

* Ulster have, for the past 100 years, played their home games at Ravenhill Stadium, known for sponsorship reasons as Kingspan Stadium;

* In the professional era, Ulster became the first Irish outfit to clinch the Heineken Cup, seeing off French-based US Colomiers 21-6 in the 1999 final at Lansdowne Road, Dublin;

* Ulster were crowned Celtic League champions in 2006;

* Over the past couple of decades a number of South Africans have starred for Ulster, including former Sharks’ icons like Ruan Pienaar, Johann Muller and Marcell Coetzee;

* Pienaar is the third-highest points scorer in Ulster history, with a tally of 877, and was voted Player of the Year for the 2010-11 season;

* Ulster have produced more than 30 British & Irish Lions’ representatives, with their most famous son being the legendary Willie-John McBride, who toured five times with the Lions and captained them on their all-conquering safari of South Africa in 1974.