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Everyone's a winner!

Ulster take the lineout out outside their 22 and kick clear.

Edinburgh regain possession and head into the hosts' half once more.

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Edinburgh's Alec Hepburn is injured in a ruck, however after some treatment he is on his feet and re-joins the play.

Ulster with another lucky escape on their own line.

This time Mikey Lowry attempts to clear with a kick but it is superbly blocked by Matt Currie.

Lucky for Ulster the ball falls kindly and they can clear to safety.

It has been all Edinburgh so far.

James Grayson can only ping the left-hand upright with his kick and Ulster clear to halfway.

Serious let-off for the hosts.

Penalty to Edinburg just outside the Ulster 22. The home side caught offside.

Kick at goal coming up.

Edinburgh going side-to-side on halfway with the ball, but Ulster defending keenly so far.

James Grayson of Edinburgh gets us under way in Belfast.

Ulster head coach Richie Murphy says he expects centre James Hume to be missing for "a number of weeks" after the centre was ruled out of the province's season opener.

Hume suffered a hamstring injury in training this week before tonight's opener against Edinburgh at Affidea Stadium.

His absence will come as a major blow to Murphy, who is already missing midfield options Jude Postlethwaite and Stewart Moore through injury.

Centre David Hawkshaw arrived during the summer.

"James picked up a muscle injury during the week which was an awful pity because he'd put in a huge amount of work and was probably looking the fittest he'd looked in a number of years," Murphy told BBC Sport NI.

"It's disappointing for James and for us as a team.

"But one man goes down, the next man stands up so it'll be an opportunity for someone else."

The Ulster coach added that the 28-year-old could return to action before the conclusion of the series of matches leading up to the break for Ireland's November internationals.

"He'll be out for a number of weeks. It's hard to say at the moment, it's very early in that injury. There's a possibility he'll be back before the end of the block but we're not sure at the moment."

Image source, Getty Images

New Ulster signing Ben Donnell said a motivating factor in his move to the province was the chance to force his way into the Ireland set-up and play international rugby.

The 26-year-old is Irish-qualified through his Belfast-born father and as well as the chance to discover where his father grew up, he is aiming to catch Ireland head coach Andy Farrell's eye at his new club.

"My dad being from here, I wanted to see what Belfast was like and what it was like for him growing up here, but also I'm Irish-qualified and it gives me the chance to play international rugby," he told BBC Sport NI's Nicola McCarthy.

"At Cardiff I wasn't Welsh-qualified so no matter how well I played I couldn't play international rugby there, so that is what attracted me.

"The club as well, I played here before the 3G pitch was in and it was packed and the atmosphere was amazing so that was another exciting thing that drew me in."

Donnell represented England at U18 and U20 level and had spells at London Irish and Gloucester Rugby, before joining Cardiff in 2023.

He was a regular feature in the United Rugby Championship with the Welsh side, who finished sixth last year, three places ahead of Ulster.

Donnell added that Richie Murphy's side must aim to return to the top eight in the URC this season and try to atone for their Challenge Cup final defeat against Montpellier.

"Top eight is the target as it always is. You want to play finals rugby and when you get top eight you never know what can happen," he added.

"They narrowly missed out last year and it would be good to go one better in Challenge Cup too."

Image source, Inpho

Image source, Inpho

Ulster's Jack Murphy says turning the Affidea Stadium into a "fortress" can help them reach their season's goals.

Last term, Richie Murphy's side won five of their nine home games in the United Rugby Championship [URC], while going five wins from five in Europe's Challenge Cup before losing in the final against Montpellier in Bilbao.

Those dropped points in the league, which included a draw against the Stormers in their penultimate game, would come back to bite as they found themselves two points adrift of the URC play-off places and a spot in this year's Investec Champions Cup.

Maximising points at home is therefore imperative if they are to improve upon what began as a promising campaign last season.

"When I was a young guy, everyone was calling Ulster this fortress," the 22-year-old out-half told BBC Sport NI.

"There are grounds you go to in Europe and the URC that are very tough to play in, so we want Ravenhill to feel like that.

"We want to improve on where we got to last year. We weren't happy with where we finished in the league and were bitterly disappointed with how Europe ended.

"Turning our home games where we can win will make it easier to reach our goals."

Ulster kick-off the new URC campaign tonight against Edinburgh who finished a disappointing 12th last season.

Sean Everitt has brought in new faces to his coaching team at Hive Stadium, but Murphy is expecting a typically tough challenge from the Scottish side.

"They've got a lot of threats across their team and some really good players," he noted.

"Our main focus on Friday is on ourselves and how we can impose ourselves on the game. We know they will be physical and bring a lot of intensity, so we've got to be ready.

"It's a really competitive league and probably got more competitive last season. Everybody is playing at a high level, every game is a battle. You have to keep going as it's relentless, week on week.

"We are going to try to start well on Friday and see where that gets us."

Ulster have handed starts to five of their summer signings for tonight's United Rugby Championship opener against Edinburgh at the Affidea Stadium.

They form part of a total of eight players in the matchday squad who are set to make their competitive debuts for the Irish province.

New forward additions Eduardo Bello, Eli Snyman, Ben Donnell and Martin Moloney are named in the starting team, with another new recruit, Jamie Benson, chosen among the backs.

Ireland wing Robert Baloucoune is back in the starting line-up, while last season's top try-scorer Zac Ward is among the replacements, both players having been involved in Ireland camp over the summer.

Full-back Michael Lowry is named as captain.

After missing all of last season because of a knee injury, James McNabney makes his competitive return, starting at number eight.

Argentine debutant Bello joins Eric O'Sullivan and James McCormick in the front row, with Snyman and Donnell forming the second row.

In the back row, there is a debut for former Exeter Chiefs forward Moloney at open-side flanker, with McCann starting at blind-side.

Conor McKee and Jack Murphy make up the half-back combination, while ex-Harlequins back Benson and Ben Carson team up in midfield.

Baloucoune is selected on the right wing and Development back Aitzol Arenzana-King on the left.

Arenzana-King crossed for four tries in Ulster's pre-season games against Edinburgh and Ospreys.

Development hooker Henry Walker, prop Keynan Knox and scrum-half Matthew Devine are named in a youthful bench.

Forwards Walker, Tom McAllister, Knox, Harry Sheridan and James McKillop, and backs Devine, Jake Flannery and Zac Ward are chosen as replacements.

Ulster: Lowry (capt), Baloucoune, Carson, Benson, Arenzana-King, Murphy, McKee, O'Sullivan, McCormick, Bello, Snyman, Donnell, McCann, Moloney, McNabney.

Replacements: Walker, McAllister, Knox, Sheridan, McKillop, Devine, Flannery, Z Ward

Image source, Inpho

Welcome to tonight’s United Rugby Championship opening round game as Ulster welcome Edinburgh to Affidea Stadium.

Ulster kick off their new campaign looking to lay down an early marker in Belfast after a poor ninth-placed finish last term. However, they face a stern test against an Edinburgh side determined to make a statement of their own on the road and better their 12th-place finish in last season's table.

With dry conditions overhead expect high intensity, sharp physicality and maximum drama as both teams battle for crucial early-season points.

Stick with us for live updates!