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Ulster confirm 2 star signing among 43-man squad for 2024/25

286 days ago

Sharks' South African wing Werner Kok celebrates after the European Challenge Cup rugby union final match between Gloucester and the Sharks at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, on May 24, 2024. Sharks won the game 36-22 (Photo by Glyn KIRK / AFP) (Photo by GLYN KIRK/AFP via Getty Images)

Ulster Rugby has announced its squad for the 2024/25 season – confirming it’s two star signing among a 43-man strong squad for the new season.

Among the new additions are New Zealand fly-half Aidan Morgan and winger Sharks winger Werner Kok – both of whose singings were first revealed by RugbyPass.

The squad includes 38 senior and five development players, with 34 developed through the provincial player pathway.

Bulls captain Ruan Nortje on underdogs tag against Leinster

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Bulls captain Ruan Nortje on underdogs tag against Leinster

The club also confirmed contract renewals for seven Senior Men’s players: Ben Carson, Reuben Crothers, Conor McKee, Marty Moore, Eric O’Sullivan, Matty Rea, and David Shanahan. James Humphreys has been promoted from the academy with a new one-year development contract, while James McCormick has received a one-year extension to his current development contract.

Richie Murphy’s squad boasts 42 Irish-Qualified players.

Head of Rugby Operations and Recruitment, Bryn Cunningham, said: “Following the successful completion of our recruitment process, we are confident that we have laid the foundations for what we want to achieve from next season onwards, with the opportunity to further shape and strengthen the squad where required in 2025/26.

“At Ulster Rugby, we have been clear on our focus to bring through young, homegrown talent into the Senior set-up, and compliment this with strategic recruitment, which is clear to see from the 43 players signed-up for 2024/25.

“There is also the opportunity to showcase what we have been building through the Ulster Rugby Player Pathway over a number of years, and I’m looking forward to this hard work and investment paying dividends for the province.”

Head coach Richie Murphy added: “Following a very enjoyable couple of months at Ulster, I’m looking forward to getting stuck into a new season with a strong squad who are ambitious in their goals for the year ahead.

“We have a great crop of young guys coming through into the Senior set-up who will cut their teeth alongside the experienced leaders in the group.

“This is only the beginning for us and, together with the Support Staff, I’m looking forward to the challenges and opportunities that will come our way.”

Ulster Rugby Senior Men’s Squad 2024/25
Iain Henderson
John Andrew
Rob Baloucoune
Ben Carson
John Cooney
Reuben Crothers
Nathan Doak
Jake Flannery
Rob Herring
James Hume
James Humphreys
Cormac Izuchukwu
Werner Kok
Mike Lowry
David McCann
James McCormick
Stuart McCloskey
Michael McDonald
Conor McKee
Ethan McIlroy
Lorcan McLoughlin
James McNabney
Marty Moore
Stewart Moore
Aidan Morgan
Ben Moxham
Alan O’Connor
Eric O’Sullivan
Tom O’Toole
Jude Postlethwaite
Marcus Rea
Matty Rea
Sean Reffell
Callum Reid
Aaron Sexton
David Shanahan
Harry Sheridan
Tom Stewart
Jacob Stockdale
Nick Timoney
Kieran Treadwell
Andrew Warwick
Scott Wilson

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Bina Heller 25 minutes ago

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4 Go to comments

CV 44 minutes ago

'Matches between Les Bleus and the All Blacks are rarely for the faint-hearted.'

You can’t suddenly have a national club game in NZ. Still, our model in NZ is too expensive to run. 26 provincial unions, a Maori union a school union and probably a university union too, all held up by NZR if they make a loss, who would be in dire straits without the Silver Lake money themselves NZR contracts and pays our SR players… And one team has to bring most of the cash in by playing 13 or 14 tests a season. We can’t keep going like that.

French club money hasn’t done much for their test sides because their clubs never cared much for the national team. They got foreign players in all the time (at the expense of home grown players) until they were forced by the FFR to select 15 home grown players for the matchday 23 in 2017. Only then they started to invest in academies. France have been in every U20 WC final since 2019 and only lost one. And the FFR and clubs actually started to work together, which resulted in France sending development sides on their July tours for years now. It’s only just started. French rugby is a beast and it’s awake now.

Clubs in Europe are there for themselves, in every sport. Not for the national team. That’s the union’s or federation’s job. EPL clubs don’t care much about the FA either. Most only field 2 or 3 Englsh players every game.

87 Go to comments

CV 1 hour ago

'Matches between Les Bleus and the All Blacks are rarely for the faint-hearted.'

I think we’ll find out in a few months. France will be competitive. Clubs don’t run players into the ground like they used and rest them more. Last weekend, Toulouse rested their test players against Bordeaux. No Ntamack, Mauvaka, Kinghorn, Capuozzo…. Bordeaux played LBB and Penaud, but took them off once they had a good lead.

87 Go to comments

CV 1 hour ago

'Matches between Les Bleus and the All Blacks are rarely for the faint-hearted.'

A strong comp has the best players in it and they’re from everywhere. That doesn’t mean you win a WC… Based on your logic, England or Spain should win every FIFA WC and the US every basketball WC. They don’t. In latest FIFA WC final, only two players that came on the park, played in their domestic league (two Frenchmen), the others didn’t.

5 out of 10 RWCs were won by teams with most of their players in SR, I would even argue 4 out of 10. For the first three SR did not exist, England won one, and of the last two SA won, they had their best players based outside SR with their 2019 win and weren’t even in SR for the last one.

87 Go to comments

J Marc 2 hours ago

'Matches between Les Bleus and the All Blacks are rarely for the faint-hearted.'

Hum, maybe after answering every day to the same questions, players say what the journo wish to hear….

87 Go to comments

Rodrigo N 2 hours ago

Santiago Mare: 'We are the team that everybody wants to beat'

Vamos Toto, vamos Pumas!!!!

1 Go to comments

GP 4 hours ago

Ioane Moananu didn't join the Crusaders 'to wait around'

I will. I have heard a few people mention him.

5 Go to comments

Andrew Nichols 5 hours ago

Aaron Smith and ‘three or four other All Blacks’ keen to play for AUNZ XV

Folau..Genia..Quade C and now Smith…any more pensioners want to front up?

1 Go to comments

Head high tackle 6 hours ago

'Matches between Les Bleus and the All Blacks are rarely for the faint-hearted.'

Oh please!!!! Really????? So with 5mil people how do you expect NZR to suddenly have a club game that makes money? NZR does the best with its reality. And quite frankly its better than every other team in history.

Look at all the French club resourses, English club money, Irish club money… Whats it done for their Test sides? Sweet FA. Money doesnt buy wins unless its heading into Wayne Barnes offshore bank account.

87 Go to comments

Head high tackle 6 hours ago

'Matches between Les Bleus and the All Blacks are rarely for the faint-hearted.'

No doubt we will find out when we have a world club championship. I wonder if it will ever be held in NZ?

So all those superior comps in the NH and they cant win world cups? What can you possibably base your strength of comp on? I base it on results and so far almost every world cup has been won by SR players

87 Go to comments

Head high tackle 6 hours ago

'Matches between Les Bleus and the All Blacks are rarely for the faint-hearted.'

Geez mate if losing means you “didnt bother to look” at the opposition then Ireland didnt “Look” at the opposition in any world cup every. Nor France, Wales, Scotland,etc. At least England can say they “Looked” at the opposition at 1 WC I suppose.

87 Go to comments

Head high tackle 6 hours ago

'Matches between Les Bleus and the All Blacks are rarely for the faint-hearted.'

Our 10s were all injured in that 2007 match. Who was going to take the drop goal? You seem obsessed with 2007. I prefer 1987 and 2011 when we beat France in the final to win world cups. Where was the french drop goal in 2011? Was that arrogance? Did they believe they could outscore NZ? was that arrogance or ignorance? You can bag out NZ all you want over 2007 but we can throw the exact same thing back at France over 2011 where they couldnt win. NZ beat them twice in that tournament.

87 Go to comments

Head high tackle 6 hours ago

'Matches between Les Bleus and the All Blacks are rarely for the faint-hearted.'

There was no disrespect because they beat us. Youre making that up. There was a real determination to beat you at the WC. We respected Ireland rugby so much we had a specific plan to beat you at the 1/4 final. As soon as the draw was announced I was very keen to see us play you in that match. Your team showed nothing but disrespect with crass comments, arrogant post SA loss comments and critique of some of our best players. You earned our retaliation. That will forever be on you. Now that match was won by 4 points from memory but it was the best 4 point win Ive ever experienced. There is nothing better than beating the class clown/Bully, and particularly at a major game like a WC 1/4 final.

No doubt you have special memories of Ireland wins and no doubt some of those will be wins against NZ, well this is, so far, my best memory against Ireland and even eclipsed the game where we scored after the siren and your boys charged the conversion way before it was taken. The miss would have meant your first win v NZ but Cruden slotted the second conversion to win the game.

87 Go to comments

Head high tackle 6 hours ago

'Matches between Les Bleus and the All Blacks are rarely for the faint-hearted.'

Yep. Ireland got cocky and then got outcoached. Real pretty to watch after the arrogance they showed and after the BS they put out. Calling Cane a “Sh&T Richie” doesnt get more disrespectful and then YES they claimed they would see SA in the final. Etzebet was forced to retract and back away from his statement publicly. Never privately tho.

Leaving Sexton on when he could hardly walk was funny. Coach didnt back his team. Just a couple of stars. Fell at the same hurdle as every other world cup. Now they are past their window and that makes me laugh because of the way their players and fans acted post winning in NZ.

87 Go to comments

Rugby 101 - Ed Pye 6 hours ago

Kyren Taumoefolau All Blacks stance splits opinions on eligibility

Fair points JW - I just think the commercial value of a draft trumps all of the potential issues. Rugby is very slow when it comes to marketing and that is hurting it financially.

33 Go to comments

JW 6 hours ago

Did innovative England emerge strongest from the Six Nations?

Lawrence had to be growing old on him. He’s like Rieko or Jordie, seems like he has all the potential to play well at that level.

117 Go to comments

Head high tackle 6 hours ago

'Matches between Les Bleus and the All Blacks are rarely for the faint-hearted.'

Yes true but it wont be those players playing a semi or a final at the WC so what they learn is redundant I suppose. I just think their are many ways to prepare for test rugby and then there are differences in preparing for a 6 week world cup campaign. Most nations do this prep by touring together. France avoids their top guys touring together for any longer than a night away in England or Ireland etc.

Yep we have a small pool in NZ so need to develop our players. I note Aus is sending more B teams away these days too.

87 Go to comments

JW 6 hours ago

Did innovative England emerge strongest from the Six Nations?

Huh? Ali is nothing like a pom, where’d that come from? Just half the story?

117 Go to comments

Head high tackle 6 hours ago

'Matches between Les Bleus and the All Blacks are rarely for the faint-hearted.'

Losing 3 finals eh. Only team to do that? Thats because by the time they get to the finals they are argueing with themselves or their coaches. They dont know how to tour together because they DONT tour together. The protected get protected until they get to semi finals or finals then lose it. Ill never forget 2011 when they were even talking about locking the coach out of the dressing room. Perhaps they may have won if they wernt constantly in-fighting.

Constantly made play against the wind? Maybe the “Wind” is of their own making!

87 Go to comments

JW 7 hours ago

Kyren Taumoefolau All Blacks stance splits opinions on eligibility

Again, you’re obviously and factually wrong.

The example of how is even the subject of this article CO LOL!

Commentaries claiming players from this team need to be ignored by the Allblacks

No. The commentary you are critizing is exactly the same as your own. That a play should choose their country and stick with it. Not that criticizing your own view would make any less sense than any of the other points you’ve tried raising here!

Also, you can remove the last sentence of your OP anytime now. It’s making us supporters look bad.

33 Go to comments

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