The 2023–24 season was Ulster Rugby's 30th season since the advent of professionalism in rugby union. They competed in the United Rugby Championship the European Rugby Champions Cup, and the EPCR Challenge Cup. It was Dan McFarland's sixth season as head coach. Despite some good results, including a home win against Racing 92 in the Champions Cup and an away win against Leinster in the URC, Ulster slipped back in the league, and poor performances against Bath, Harlequins and Toulouse dumped them out of the Champions Cup. After an away defeat in the URC against Ospreys in February, McFarland left his position, replaced by former Ireland under-20 head coach Richie Murphy. CEO Jonny Petrie also left, replaced on an interim basis by Hugh McCaughey. Murphy oversaw two away losses in South Africa and a quarter-final exit in the Challenge Cup, but form improved in the league, with four straight wins, including a home win against Leinster, and a losing bonus point away to Munster secured a quarter-final place, losing away to a full-strength Leinster side, and qualification for next season's Champions Cup.

New signings this season included South African prop Steven Kitshoff and Zimbabwean flanker Dave Ewers, both of whom left at the end of the season. Prop Scott Wilson, hooker Zac Solomon, lock Joe Hopes, and flankers Reuben Crothers and Lorcan McLaughlin made their debuts from the academy. Centre Ben Carson and fullback Shea O'Brien also made their debuts. Scrum-half John Cooney was Ulster's leading scorer with 143 in all competitions, and number eight Nick Timoney was leading try scorer with 12.

Events

Sponsorship

Ulster renewed their sponsorship deal with Kingspan in July 2023 for the coming season, despite criticism of the firm emerging from the Grenfell Tower Inquiry. Their stadium naming deal would continue until the end of the season. In January 2024 it was announced that Kingspan would remain as Ulster's principal sponsor until the end of the 2024-25 season, to give the team time to find a new sponsor.

Personnel changes

Signings announced for next season include South African prop Steven Kitshoff, from the Stormers, flanker Dave Ewers, from Exeter Chiefs, and former Munster prop James French. Five academy players joined the senior squad on development contracts: lock Harry Sheridan, scrum-half Conor McKee, hooker James McCormick, back row forward Reuben Crothers and centre Ben Carson. After a successful trial in pre-season, Clontarf tighthead prop Ben Griffin was signed on a development contract in August. Former Leinster, Connacht and Jersey Reds prop Greg McGrath joined as injury cover in October.

Flanker Jordi Murphy and out-half Ian Madigan retired. Lock Frank Bradshaw Ryan left for Montauban. Wings Rob Lyttle and Craig Gilroy announced they would leave at the end of the season. Hooker Declan Moore and scrum-half Michael McDonald moved to Connacht on a season-long loan. Also departing were Sam Carter, Duane Vermeulen, Gareth Milasinovich, Jeffery Toomaga-Allen and Rory Sutherland.

Eleven players joined the academy: props Cameron Doak, Jack Boal and Jacob Boyd; hookers Zac Solomon and Henry Walker; lock Charlie Irvine; back rowers Josh Stevens and Tom Brigg; and outside backs Ethan Graham, Lukas Kenny and Ben McFarlane.

Iain Henderson's central contract with the IRFU was due to expire after the 2023 Rugby World Cup, and there was speculation that he might move abroad. He signed an extension in 2023, keeping him with Ulster and Ireland for a further two seasons.

Centre Angus Curtis retired in mid-season on medical advice after a series of concussions.

3G pitch

In May 2023 Ulster submitted a planning application to install a 3G artificial turf pitch at Ravenhill. Planning permission was granted by Belfast City Council in late June, and work began in late July.

U20 World Championship

Four Ulster players featured for Ireland in the 2023 World Rugby U20 Championship: locks Charlie Irvine and Joe Hopes, flanker James McNabney and fullback Rory Telfer. Ireland made the final, which they lost 50–14 to France.

World Cup

Seven Ulster players were named in Andy Farrell's initial 42-man Ireland squad, to be reduced to 33 for the Rugby World Cup: locks Iain Henderson and Kieran Treadwell, hookers Rob Herring and Tom Stewart, prop Tom O'Toole, centre Stuart McCloskey and wing Jacob Stockdale.

In Ireland's three warm-up matches, Henderson captained the side against Italy and Samoa; Herring started against Italy and appeared off the bench against England and Samoa, scoring two tries; McCloskey started against Italy and Samoa, and scored a try; Stockdale started against Italy and Samoa and assisted a try; O'Toole started against Italy and came off the bench against Samoa; Stewart made his international debut from the bench against Italy, and his first international start against Samoa. Henderson, Herring, O'Toole and McCloskey were named in the Ireland World Cup squad.

In the World Cup pool stage, Ireland went unbeaten, topped Pool B, and qualified for the quarter-finals. Rob Herring started and scored a try against Romania, and came off the bench against Tonga, scoring another try; Tom O'Toole came off the bench against Romania; Iain Henderson came off the bench against Romania, Tonga and South Africa, and started and scored a try against Scotland; and Stuart McCloskey came off the bench against Scotland. Henderson started in the quarter-final defeat to New Zealand.

Ulster Women

Murray Houston, former head coach of University of Glasgow Women RFC, was appointed head coach of Ulster Women, replacing Neill Alcorn, who had taken up a new post with the IRFU. Assisting him were former Ireland women's internationals Kathryn Dane as contact skills coach, Grace Davitt as backs coach and Amy Davis as technical skills coach, and men's player Eric O'Sullivan as scrum coach.

Ulster Women won their first interprovincial match since December 2012 by defeating Connacht 36–14 in third/fourth place playoff of the Interprovincial Championship.

Pre-season

Ulster's first pre-season friendly was against Leinster at Navan R.F.C. on 22 September, which Leinster won 38–21. They played a second friendly against Benetton in Treviso, which the hosts won 24–22. They faced Glasgow Warriors at GAA ground Breffni Park in Cavan on 7 October, winning 19–14.

First block

Ulster opened the URC season with a close away win against Zebre Parma, with Tom Stewart and Jacob Stockdale scoring two tries each, and flanker Dave Ewers and props Greg McGrath and James French making their Ulster debuts. The following week they won at home against the Bulls, with Ireland international prop Tom O'Toole playing 80 minutes and winning Player of the Match. A spate of injuries saw an experimental side go to Connacht, and flanker Reuben Crothers, centre Ben Carson and academy lock Joe Hopes made their senior debuts in a narrow defeat. The following weekend, Ulster beat Munster at home, with Rob Herring becoming Ulster's most capped player, and academy prop Scott Wilson making his senior debut. On 17 November Ulster defeated the Lions at home in rainy conditions. Prop Marty Moore made his first appearance since sustaining a serious knee injury in January, and flanker Lorcan McLoughlin made his first senior appearance, both from the bench.

There followed three straight defeats, the first away to Glasgow Warriors. Billy Burns made his 100th appearance for the province. Academy back rower James McNabney made his senior debut at number eight, and academy hooker Zac Solomon and new signing Steven Kitshoff made their first appearances from the bench. Nathan Doak unexectedly made his 50th Ulster appearance, being named on the bench at the last minute following the withdrawal of Jake Flannery, then playing most of the game at out-half after Billy Burns' head injury. The following week Steven Kitshoff made his first home appearance and Tom Stewart scored two tries as Ulster gained two losing bonus points at home to Edinburgh. They then started their Champions Cup campaign with an away defeat against Bath.

Fortunes changed with three straight wins, the first a bonus point victory in the Champions Cup against Racing 92, followed by two Interpros in the URC, each won by a single point. First they beat Connacht, at home, with Kieran Treadwell making his 150th appearance for the province. Then, on New Year's Day, a masterful display of attacking kicking by Billy Burns and two tries by Nick Timoney saw Ulster overcome league leaders Leinster in Dublin.

The first block was finished with two heavy defeats in the Champions Cup, at home against Toulouse and away against Harlequins, meaning Ulster failed to qualify for the knockout rounds and were entered into the Challenge Cup round of 16. After an away defeat against the Ospreys in the URC, Dan McFarland left as head coach. Assistant coach Dan Soper would take charge until after the Six Nations Under 20s Championship, after which Ireland under-20 coach Richie Murphy would take over until the end of the season.

Six Nations break

The Ireland squad for the 2024 Six Nations Championship included six Ulster players: Tom Stewart, Tom O'Toole, Iain Henderson, Nick Timoney, Stuart McCloskey and Jacob Stockdale. No Ulster players were selected for the opening match against France. The following week against Italy, McCloskey started, and Henderson and O'Toole came off the bench. McCloskey came off the bench in the home win against Wales in round three.

During the Six Nations rest week, Dan Soper oversaw a 49-26 Ulster home win against Dragons, in which Michael Lowry and David McCann scored two tries each. The Six Nations resumed with Ireland narrowly losing away to England, in which Iain Henderson featured from the bench.

Second block

Interim coach Richie Murphy took charge ahead of Ulster's two-week trip to South Africa to play the Sharks and Stormers. He was joined by Ireland scrum coach John Fogarty on a part-time basis (Dan McFarland had previously coached the scrum for Ulster).

After Ulster lost to the Sharks, losing Billy Burns to injury, the departure of Jonny Petrie as Chief Executive was announced by the IRFU. Hugh McCaughey, former Chief Executive of the South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust and a former rugby coach at under-age level, was announced as his interim replacement. With Nathan Doak named at out-half, they then lost narrowly to the Stormers. The following week, they won their round of 16 tie against Montpellier in the Challenge Cup, aided by their opponents' poor discipline, being down to 12 players at one point. This earned them a quarter-final against Clermont, which they lost. After three straight wins in the URC, over Cardiff, Benetton and Scarlets, Murphy was appointed head coach on a two-year contract. A fourth straight win, at home to Leinster, clinched a quarter final place. A losing bonus point away to table-toppers Munster on the final weekend of the regular season secured sixth place, a quarter-final away to Leinster (which they lost), and a place in next season's Champions Cup.

Next season

Sharks winger Werner Kok will join Ulster for the 2024-25 season. Three academy players, prop Scott Wilson and back row forwards Lorcan McLoughlin and James McNabney, will join the senior squad on development contracts.

Out-half Billy Burns will join Munster in the summer on a one-year contract. Prop Steven Kitshoff will cut short his stay at Ulster and return to the Stormers. Centre Luke Marshall will retire at the end of the season.

Staff

Squad

Senior squad

The below squad reflects the confirmed joiners and leavers for the 2023–24 season. Amendments to the squad will be made as-and-when announcements are confirmed by the province.

Academy squad

Ulster 'A'/Ulster Development

The following players, other than players from the senior squad and academy, appeared for Ulster 'A' and Ulster Development this season.

2023–24 European Rugby Champions Cup

Pool B

2023–24 EPCR Challenge Cup

Round of 16

Quarter-final

2023–24 United Rugby Championship

Quarter-final

Friendlies

Ulster 'A'

Ulster Development

Ulster Women

Staff

Squad

2023-24 Women's Interprovincial Series

3rd-4th place playoff

2023–24 Celtic Challenge

Two Irish teams are entered in this year's Celtic Challenge competition - the Wolfhounds, a combined Ulster-Leinster team, and the Clovers, a combined Munster-Connacht team. Ulster players selected for the Wolfhounds are Ella Durkan, Niamh Marley, Kelly McCormill, Sophie Barrett, Maebh Clenaghan, India Daley, Brittany Hogan, Fiona Tuite, Claire Boles and Abby Moyles. One Ulster player, Sadhbh McGrath, was selected for the Clovers. The Wolfhounds finished top of the table with five wins out of five; the Clovers finished third with three wins and two losses.

Fixtures

Playoffs

Senior club rugby

All-Ireland League

Ballynahinch finished 5th and City of Armagh 8th in Division 1A. Queen's University were 9th in Division 1B, and avoided relegation via the playoffs. Banbridge were 4th, Ballymena 7th, and Malone were relegated after finishing 10th in Division 2A. Instonians were promoted for the second season in a row after topping Division 2B, while Dungannon were 5th, Rainey 7th, and Belfast Harlequins were relegated after finishing 10th. Clogher Valley topped Division 2C, achieving promotion in their first AIL season, Omagh Academicals were eighth, and Bangor went into the relegation playoffs after finishing 9th. and losing . Ballyclare were promoted to the AIL for the first time after finishing top the Ulster Championship and winning the playoff final against Leinster League champions Monkstown. Monkstown were also promoted in place of Bangor, who lost the relegation playoff.

Ulster Rugby Premiership

The Ulster Rugby Premiership ran in August and September 2023. Division 1 consisted of eight teams in two pools of four. Teams in each pool played each other once, and the winners of each pool played each other in the final on 16 September. The bottom two teams played in a playoff, the winner of which qualified for the Ulster Senior Cup, along with the other six Division 1 teams. The loser would be entered into the new Senior Shield. Division 2 consisted of five teams who played each other once. The team that finished top also qualified for the Senior Cup.

Final

7th/8th place playoff

Division 2

Ulster Senior Cup

Ulster Senior Shield

References