Ulster
Ulster (; or ; or ''Ulster'') is one of the four traditional or historic provinces of Ireland, Irish provinces. It is made up of nine Counties of Ireland, counties: six of these constitute Northern Ireland (a part of the United Kingdom); t ...
's 26th season since the advent of professionalism in rugby union, and
Dan McFarland
Dan McFarland (born 10 April 1972) is an English rugby union coach and former player. He was head coach of Ulster Rugby from 2018 to 2024.
He played loosehead prop for Richmond, Stade Français and Connacht, retiring in 2006. He was forwards co ...
's second season as head coach. Lock
Iain Henderson
William Iain Henderson (born 21 February 1992) is a professional rugby union player who plays as a lock for United Rugby Championship club Ulster and the Ireland national team, and has been selected for two tours with the British & Irish Lions ...
was named captain in place of retired hooker
Rory Best
Rory David Best (born 15 August 1982) is an Irish former rugby union player who was the captain of the Ireland national team from 2016 to 2019. He played hooker for Ulster and was registered for Banbridge RFC. Best earned 124 caps for Irelan ...
. They competed in the
Pro14
The United Rugby Championship (URC) is an annual rugby union competition involving professional teams from Ireland, Italy, Scotland, South Africa, and Wales. For sponsorship reasons the league is known as the Vodacom United Rugby Championship in ...
and the
European Rugby Champions Cup
The European Rugby Champions Cup (known as the Investec Champions Cup for sponsorship reasons) is an annual rugby union tournament organised by European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR). It is the top-tier competition for clubs who compete in a pr ...
. Both competitions were disrupted by the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
, he later stages being played in August, September and October 2020. In the Pro14, Ulster finished second in Conference A, making the playoffs and qualifying for next season's Champions Cup. They beat
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. The city is located in southeast Scotland and is bounded to the north by the Firth of Forth and to the south by the Pentland Hills. Edinburgh ...
in the semi-final, but lost to
Leinster
Leinster ( ; or ) is one of the four provinces of Ireland, in the southeast of Ireland.
The modern province comprises the ancient Kingdoms of Meath, Leinster and Osraige, which existed during Gaelic Ireland. Following the 12th-century ...
in the final. They finished second in Pool 3 in the Champions Cup, qualifying for the quarter-finals, where they were beaten by
Toulouse
Toulouse (, ; ; ) is a city in southern France, the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Haute-Garonne department and of the Occitania (administrative region), Occitania region. The city is on the banks of the Garonne, River Garonne, from ...
.
Academy players who made their debuts this season included centre
Stewart Moore
Stewart Moore (born 8 August 1999) is an Irish rugby union player who plays centre for Ulster. Ulster coach Dan McFarland describes him as "a lovely balanced runner who can cause defences problems".Ethan McIlroy. Ulster led the league in defence. Scrum-half John Cooney and centre
Stuart McCloskey
Stuart McCloskey (born 6 August 1992) is a professional rugby union player from Northern Ireland, who plays as a centre for United Rugby Championship club Ulster and the Ireland national team.
He has been Ulster's player of the year twice, an ...
made the Pro14 Dream Team. Cooney and number eight
Marcell Coetzee
Marcell Cornelius Coetzee (born 8 May 1991) is a South African professional rugby union player who is the captain for South African side the in the United Rugby Championship. He plays as a flanker.
South Africa
Coetzee made his debut in Sup ...
were nominated for European Player of the Year. Cooney was leading scorer with 180 and leading try scorer with ten, and was named Ulster's Player of the Year.
Events
Personnel changes
New signings were Australian lock Sam Carter, from the
Brumbies
The ACT Brumbies (known from 2005 to 2022 as simply the Brumbies) is an Australian professional rugby union team based in Canberra, Australian Capital Territory (ACT), The team competes in Super Rugby and named for the feral horses which inh ...
Leinster
Leinster ( ; or ) is one of the four provinces of Ireland, in the southeast of Ireland.
The modern province comprises the ancient Kingdoms of Meath, Leinster and Osraige, which existed during Gaelic Ireland. Following the 12th-century ...
Worcester Warriors
Worcester Warriors are a professional rugby union club based in Worcester, England. They most recently played in Premiership Rugby, the top division of English rugby union, before being suspended by the Rugby Football Union, RFU in September 2 ...
Munster
Munster ( or ) is the largest of the four provinces of Ireland, located in the south west of the island. In early Ireland, the Kingdom of Munster was one of the kingdoms of Gaelic Ireland ruled by a "king of over-kings" (). Following the Nor ...
Alan
Alan may refer to:
People
*Alan (surname), an English and Kurdish surname
* Alan (given name), an English given name
** List of people with given name Alan
''Following are people commonly referred to solely by "Alan" or by a homonymous name.''
* ...
at Ulster on a development contract.
Players leaving included flanker Caleb Montgomery to
Worcester Warriors
Worcester Warriors are a professional rugby union club based in Worcester, England. They most recently played in Premiership Rugby, the top division of English rugby union, before being suspended by the Rugby Football Union, RFU in September 2 ...
Seattle Seawolves
The Seattle Seawolves are an American professional rugby union team based in the Seattle metropolitan area that competes in Major League Rugby (MLR). The team was founded in 2017. The Seawolves won two MLR championships in 2018 and 2019, and los ...
Leicester Tigers
Leicester Tigers (officially Leicester Football Club) are a professional rugby union club based in Leicester, England. They play in Premiership Rugby, England's top division of rugby.
The club was founded in 1880 and since 1892 plays its home ...
, and lock Alex Thompson to
Jersey Reds
Jersey Reds was a rugby union club based in Jersey, Channel Islands. On 28th September 2023, the club ceased trading and shortly thereafter went into liquidation following the withdrawal of financial support from a key investor.
Until seaso ...
Darren Cave
Darren Cave (born 5 April 1987) is a retired professional Irish rugby union player who played centre for Ulster, sharing the province's appearance record with Andrew Trimble and Rob Herring with 229, and won eleven caps for Ireland.
Early care ...
retired, and so did hooker
Rory Best
Rory David Best (born 15 August 1982) is an Irish former rugby union player who was the captain of the Ireland national team from 2016 to 2019. He played hooker for Ulster and was registered for Banbridge RFC. Best earned 124 caps for Irelan ...
after captaining Ireland at the 2019 World Cup.
Iain Henderson
William Iain Henderson (born 21 February 1992) is a professional rugby union player who plays as a lock for United Rugby Championship club Ulster and the Ireland national team, and has been selected for two tours with the British & Irish Lions ...
was named Ulster's new captain in Best's place.
Six new players joined the academy: wing
Aaron Sexton
Aaron Sexton (born 24 August 2000) is an Irish former rugby union player who played wing or fullback for Ulster in the United Rugby Championship. As of December 2024, he was participating in the NFL International Player Pathway Program, to att ...
Campbell College
Campbell College located in Belfast, Northern Ireland and founded in 1894 comprises a preparatory school department (junior age) and a senior Northern Ireland 'Voluntary Grammar' school, the latter meaning, in terms of provision of education, a ...
; hooker Tom Stewart, last seasons' Ulster Schools Player of the Season, from
Belfast Royal Academy
The Belfast Royal Academy (also known as ) is the oldest school in the city of Belfast, Northern Ireland. It is a co-educational, non-denominational voluntary grammar school in north Belfast. The Academy is one of 8 schools in Northern Ireland ...
Banbridge RFC
Banbridge Rugby Football Club is a rugby union club based in Banbridge, County Down, Northern Ireland, in the province of Ulster. It plays in Division 2A of the Energia All-Ireland League since gaining promotion in 2017, and Division 1 of the ...
Methodist College Belfast
Methodist College Belfast (MCB), locally known as Methody, is a co-educational voluntary grammar school in Belfast, located at the foot of the Malone Road, Northern Ireland. It was founded in 1865 by the Methodist Church in Ireland and is one of e ...
Aaron Dundon
Aaron Dundon (born 22 June 1982) is a retired rugby union player from New Zealand. He played for the Irish team Leinster Rugby in the Pro12 and European Rugby Champions Cup. His primary playing position was at hooker. Since retirement, Dundon h ...
, strength and conditioning coach Kevin Geary and GPS analyst Chris Hagan left the province's support staff.
Rugby World Cup
Three Ulster players were named in the initial
Ireland
Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...
squad for the
2019 Rugby World Cup
The 2019 Rugby World Cup () was the ninth edition of the Rugby World Cup, the quadrennial world championship for men's rugby union teams. It was hosted in Japan from 20 September to 2 November in 12 venues all across the country. The opening matc ...
: hooker
Rory Best
Rory David Best (born 15 August 1982) is an Irish former rugby union player who was the captain of the Ireland national team from 2016 to 2019. He played hooker for Ulster and was registered for Banbridge RFC. Best earned 124 caps for Irelan ...
, captaining the team for his last tournament before retiring, lock
Iain Henderson
William Iain Henderson (born 21 February 1992) is a professional rugby union player who plays as a lock for United Rugby Championship club Ulster and the Ireland national team, and has been selected for two tours with the British & Irish Lions ...
Seán Cronin
Seán Cronin (29 August 1922 – 9 March 2011) was a journalist and former Irish Army officer and twice Irish Republican Army chief of staff.Brian Hanley and Scott Millar, ''The Lost Revolution: The Story of the Official IRA and the Workers Pa ...
.
Season
With Iain Henderson away with Ireland at the World Cup, Rob Herring was named stand-in captain. When Herring was called up to the World Cup due to injury, the captaincy went to Billy Burns.
The pool stage of the Champions Cup was completed in January 2020, with Ulster finishing second in Pool 3 and qualifying for the quarter-finals.
The
2020 Six Nations Championship
The 2020 Six Nations Championship (known as the Guinness Six Nations for sponsorship reasons) was the 21st Six Nations Championship, the annual rugby union competition contested by the national teams of England national rugby union team, England ...
began in February 2020. Seven Ulster players, Ian Henderson, Rob Herring, Tom O'Toole, Will Addison, Billy Burns, John Cooney and Jacob Stokdale, were called up for Ireland. Robert Baloucoune included in the training squad as a development player. Stockdale, Henderson, Herring and Cooney appeared in the first three games, before the tournament was suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ulster's away game against Benetton in the Pro14, scheduled for 29 February 2020, was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and later recorded as a 0–0 draw. The rest of the season was suspended on 12 March. The knockout stage of the Champions Cup was also postponed.
The Pro14 season resumed in August, the regular season reduced from 21 games to 15, with matches played behind closed doors.
Scrum-half
Alby Mathewson
Albert Samuel Mathewson (born 13 December 1985) is a New Zealand rugby union player who plays as a scrum-half.
Early life and education
Mathewson was born in Hastings, New Zealand. He first attended Havelock North High School but switched to ...
and out-half
Ian Madigan
Ian Madigan (born 21 March 1989) is an Irish former professional rugby union player for Leinster, Bordeaux, Bristol Bears, Ulster and Ireland. His primary position was at fly-half, although he also played at centre and full-back.
Club career
Mad ...
joined in the summer, and were able to play in these late-season matches, but Ulster were docked a point in the Pro14 table as Madigan played two games before he was properly registered with his new club. Ulster finished second in Conference A and qualified for the playoffs. They beat Edinburgh in the semi-final, but lost to Leinster in the final. The knockout stages of the Champions Cup resumed in September, and Ulster went out in the quarter-finals to Toulouse.
The Six Nations resumed in October. The Ireland squad included four Ulster players, Iain Henderson, Rob Herring, Stuart McCloskey and Jacob Stockdale, and Herring and Stockdale both played in the last two matches.
Academy players
Stewart Moore
Stewart Moore (born 8 August 1999) is an Irish rugby union player who plays centre for Ulster. Ulster coach Dan McFarland describes him as "a lovely balanced runner who can cause defences problems".Ethan McIlroy made their senior debuts this season.Ulster Rugby: Who Did What 2019-20 The Front Row Union, 1 October 2020
Ulster had the highest home attendance in the Pro14, averaging 15,295, and led the league in defence. They were fourth in attendance in the Champions Cup, averaging 17,024.
Post-season
Inside centre
Stuart McCloskey
Stuart McCloskey (born 6 August 1992) is a professional rugby union player from Northern Ireland, who plays as a centre for United Rugby Championship club Ulster and the Ireland national team.
He has been Ulster's player of the year twice, an ...
and scrum-half John Cooney were named on the Pro14 Dream Team. Cooney and number 8
Marcell Coetzee
Marcell Cornelius Coetzee (born 8 May 1991) is a South African professional rugby union player who is the captain for South African side the in the United Rugby Championship. He plays as a flanker.
South Africa
Coetzee made his debut in Sup ...
made the longlist for EPCR European Player of the Year.
At the Ulster Rugby Awards, John Cooney was named Player of the Year. Marcell Coetzee won Personality of the Year, Supporters' Club Player of the Year, and Rugby Writers' Player of the Year. Tom O'Toole was Young Player of the Year.
Brumbies
The ACT Brumbies (known from 2005 to 2022 as simply the Brumbies) is an Australian professional rugby union team based in Canberra, Australian Capital Territory (ACT), The team competes in Super Rugby and named for the feral horses which inh ...
Munster
Munster ( or ) is the largest of the four provinces of Ireland, located in the south west of the island. In early Ireland, the Kingdom of Munster was one of the kingdoms of Gaelic Ireland ruled by a "king of over-kings" (). Following the Nor ...
*
Ian Madigan
Ian Madigan (born 21 March 1989) is an Irish former professional rugby union player for Leinster, Bordeaux, Bristol Bears, Ulster and Ireland. His primary position was at fly-half, although he also played at centre and full-back.
Club career
Mad ...
from
Bristol Bears
Bristol Bears (officially Bristol Rugby Club or Bristol Rugby) are a professional rugby union club based in Bristol, England. They play in Premiership Rugby, England's top division of rugby.
The club was founded as Bristol Football Club in 18 ...
*
Alby Mathewson
Albert Samuel Mathewson (born 13 December 1985) is a New Zealand rugby union player who plays as a scrum-half.
Early life and education
Mathewson was born in Hastings, New Zealand. He first attended Havelock North High School but switched to ...
Leinster
Leinster ( ; or ) is one of the four provinces of Ireland, in the southeast of Ireland.
The modern province comprises the ancient Kingdoms of Meath, Leinster and Osraige, which existed during Gaelic Ireland. Following the 12th-century ...
Worcester Warriors
Worcester Warriors are a professional rugby union club based in Worcester, England. They most recently played in Premiership Rugby, the top division of English rugby union, before being suspended by the Rugby Football Union, RFU in September 2 ...
James Hume James Hume may refer to:
* James Hume (architect) (1798–1868), architect in Sydney, Australia
* James Hume (cricketer) (1858–1909), Scottish-born New Zealand cricketer
* James Hume (magistrate) (1808–1862), British magistrate and political co ...
Michael Lowry Michael Lowry may refer to:
* Michael Lowry (politician)
Michael Lowry (born 13 March 1953) is an Irish independent politician who has served as a Teachta Dála (TD) since 1987, currently for the Tipperary North constituency. He previously se ...
* Zack McCall
*
Eric O'Sullivan
Eric O'Sullivan (born 30 November 1995) is an Irish rugby union player who plays loosehead prop for United Rugby Championship and European Rugby Champions Cup side Ulster and internationally for Ireland.
Born in Dublin, O'Sullivan attended Tem ...
*
Marcus Rea
Marcus Rea (born 8 September 1997) is an Irish rugby union player who plays in the back row for Ulster in the United Rugby Championship and European Rugby Champions Cup.
He was captain at Ballymena Academy, and captained the Ulster under-19 te ...
Players out
* Alan Bennie ''released''
*
Rory Best
Rory David Best (born 15 August 1982) is an Irish former rugby union player who was the captain of the Ireland national team from 2016 to 2019. He played hooker for Ulster and was registered for Banbridge RFC. Best earned 124 caps for Irelan ...
Seattle Seawolves
The Seattle Seawolves are an American professional rugby union team based in the Seattle metropolitan area that competes in Major League Rugby (MLR). The team was founded in 2017. The Seawolves won two MLR championships in 2018 and 2019, and los ...
*
Darren Cave
Darren Cave (born 5 April 1987) is a retired professional Irish rugby union player who played centre for Ulster, sharing the province's appearance record with Andrew Trimble and Rob Herring with 229, and won eleven caps for Ireland.
Early care ...
Wiehahn Herbst
Wiehahn Jovan Herbst (born 5 July 1988) is a South African rugby union player for the Tel Aviv Heat in Rugby Europe Super Cup. His regular playing position is prop and he previously played for the in Super Rugby and the Currie Cup, and for Iri ...
to
Bulls
Bulls may refer to:
*The plural of bull, an adult male bovine
* Bulls, New Zealand, a small town in the Rangitikei District
Sports
*Bucking bull, used in the sport of bull riding
*Bulls (rugby union), a South African rugby union franchise operated ...
Leicester Tigers
Leicester Tigers (officially Leicester Football Club) are a professional rugby union club based in Leicester, England. They play in Premiership Rugby, England's top division of rugby.
The club was founded in 1880 and since 1892 plays its home ...
Worcester Warriors
Worcester Warriors are a professional rugby union club based in Worcester, England. They most recently played in Premiership Rugby, the top division of English rugby union, before being suspended by the Rugby Football Union, RFU in September 2 ...
*
Ian Nagle
Ian William Nagle (born 17 October 1988) is a retired Irish rugby union player, who last played for Italian United Rugby Championship side Zebre. Nagle began his career with home province Munster, before stints abroad with English sides Newcast ...
to
Zebre
Zebre Parma (, meaning " Zebras") are an Italian professional rugby union team competing in the United Rugby Championship and EPCR competitions from the 2012–13 season. They are based in Parma (Emilia-Romagna), Italy. They are operated by t ...
Brumbies
The ACT Brumbies (known from 2005 to 2022 as simply the Brumbies) is an Australian professional rugby union team based in Canberra, Australian Capital Territory (ACT), The team competes in Super Rugby and named for the feral horses which inh ...
* Alex Thompson to
Jersey Reds
Jersey Reds was a rugby union club based in Jersey, Channel Islands. On 28th September 2023, the club ceased trading and shortly thereafter went into liquidation following the withdrawal of financial support from a key investor.
Until seaso ...
Methodist College Belfast
Methodist College Belfast (MCB), locally known as Methody, is a co-educational voluntary grammar school in Belfast, located at the foot of the Malone Road, Northern Ireland. It was founded in 1865 by the Methodist Church in Ireland and is one of e ...
Belfast Royal Academy
The Belfast Royal Academy (also known as ) is the oldest school in the city of Belfast, Northern Ireland. It is a co-educational, non-denominational voluntary grammar school in north Belfast. The Academy is one of 8 schools in Northern Ireland ...
*
Aaron Sexton
Aaron Sexton (born 24 August 2000) is an Irish former rugby union player who played wing or fullback for Ulster in the United Rugby Championship. As of December 2024, he was participating in the NFL International Player Pathway Program, to att ...
Banbridge RFC
Banbridge Rugby Football Club is a rugby union club based in Banbridge, County Down, Northern Ireland, in the province of Ulster. It plays in Division 2A of the Energia All-Ireland League since gaining promotion in 2017, and Division 1 of the ...
;
* Conor Rankin from
Campbell College
Campbell College located in Belfast, Northern Ireland and founded in 1894 comprises a preparatory school department (junior age) and a senior Northern Ireland 'Voluntary Grammar' school, the latter meaning, in terms of provision of education, a ...
Marcell Coetzee
Marcell Cornelius Coetzee (born 8 May 1991) is a South African professional rugby union player who is the captain for South African side the in the United Rugby Championship. He plays as a flanker.
South Africa
Coetzee made his debut in Sup ...
Sean Reidy
Sean Reidy (born 10 May 1989) is a New Zealand-born Irish rugby union player who played Flanker (rugby union), flanker for Ulster Rugby from 2014 to 2022, and has two caps for Ireland national rugby union team, Ireland.
Born in Auckland, New Ze ...
)
*Personality of the Year:
Marcell Coetzee
Marcell Cornelius Coetzee (born 8 May 1991) is a South African professional rugby union player who is the captain for South African side the in the United Rugby Championship. He plays as a flanker.
South Africa
Coetzee made his debut in Sup ...
*Supporters' Club Player of the Year:
Marcell Coetzee
Marcell Cornelius Coetzee (born 8 May 1991) is a South African professional rugby union player who is the captain for South African side the in the United Rugby Championship. He plays as a flanker.
South Africa
Coetzee made his debut in Sup ...
Stuart McCloskey
Stuart McCloskey (born 6 August 1992) is a professional rugby union player from Northern Ireland, who plays as a centre for United Rugby Championship club Ulster and the Ireland national team.
He has been Ulster's player of the year twice, an ...
)
*Rugby Writers' Player of the Year:
Marcell Coetzee
Marcell Cornelius Coetzee (born 8 May 1991) is a South African professional rugby union player who is the captain for South African side the in the United Rugby Championship. He plays as a flanker.
South Africa
Coetzee made his debut in Sup ...
Stuart McCloskey
Stuart McCloskey (born 6 August 1992) is a professional rugby union player from Northern Ireland, who plays as a centre for United Rugby Championship club Ulster and the Ireland national team.
He has been Ulster's player of the year twice, an ...
James Hume James Hume may refer to:
* James Hume (architect) (1798–1868), architect in Sydney, Australia
* James Hume (cricketer) (1858–1909), Scottish-born New Zealand cricketer
* James Hume (magistrate) (1808–1862), British magistrate and political co ...
,
Michael Lowry Michael Lowry may refer to:
* Michael Lowry (politician)
Michael Lowry (born 13 March 1953) is an Irish independent politician who has served as a Teachta Dála (TD) since 1987, currently for the Tipperary North constituency. He previously se ...
Omagh Academicals RFC
Omagh Academicals RFC is a Northern Irish rugby football club from Omagh, County Tyrone, playing in Division 2C of the All-Ireland League.
History
Omagh Academicals RFC were formed in 1952, drawing many of its players from past pupils of Oma ...
*Youth Player of the Year: Jack Milton, Ballyclare RFC
*U18 Girls' Player of the Year: Ava Fannin, RFC Virginia
*Girls Schools' Player of the Year: Lucy Thompson,
Enniskillen Royal Grammar School
Enniskillen Royal Grammar School, located in Enniskillen, County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland, is an academically selective, co-educational, non-denominational voluntary grammar school. The school opened its doors on 1 September 2016. Two forme ...
*Boys Schools' Player of the Year:
Nathan Doak
Nathan Doak (born 17 December 2001) is a ginger Irish rugby union player who plays scrum-half and out-half for Ulster in the United Rugby Championship and the European Rugby Champions Cup.
The son of the former Ulster scrum-half and head co ...