The past season saw Ulster secure a semi-final place in the inaugural United Rugby Championship, a number of historic away wins, and the opportunity to battle it out in the Heineken Champions Cup Round of 16.

McFarland, who joined Ulster Rugby in August 2018, said:

“I love my job here, which is only possible because of the good people I get to work with. It is through the growth, competitiveness, and teamwork of the support team and the players that we continue to compete for championships.”

Ulster Rugby CEO, Jonny Petrie, commenting on McFarland’s contract extension, said:

“I couldn’t be more pleased that Dan has chosen to extend his stay with us – I think that it’s really clear the impact that he has had on the club since joining, both on and off the pitch.

“We’ve made some impressive progress as a squad over the past couple of years, with play-off rugby against the best teams in Europe, and beyond, now a regular occurrence.”

The post Dan McFarland signs contract extension until 2025 appeared first on SportsNewsIreland.

The Ulster Rugby Medical Performance team has issued a squad update ahead of Friday’s United Rugby Championship fixture against Benetton at Kingspan Stadium.

The side has no new injury concerns arising out of Saturday’s game against Zebre, a 36-3 win in Parma.

Stuart McCloskey (hamstring) and Jordi Murphy sustained recent injuries in training and are currently unfit for selection.

Jacob Stockdale (ankle) and Rob Lyttle (back) also sustained recent training ground injuries and will have their fitness for selection monitored through the coming week.

Cormac Izuchukwu and Luke Marshall remain out with knee injuries while winger Robert Baloucoune recovers from a groin injury.

Captain Iain Henderson is sidelined with a thumb injury while former Leinster prop Jack McGrath is working his way to full fitness after a hip injury.

Kieran Treadwell is still sidelined with the shoulder injury he picked up during pre-season and is currently working his way back into contention.

Nathan Doak earned his first start for the province against Zebre after coming on in place of Cooney against Glasgow Warriors.

The Ireland international had to leave the field after 30 minutes and has recently had an MRI scan to determine the severity of his injury.

Doak scored one of Ulster’s conversions in the 33-point win over Zebre at the Stade Sergio Lanfranchi.

Dan McFarland’s side scored six tries to get their second win of the season and continue their strong start to the inaugural United Rugby Championship season.

Ethan McIlroy and Nick Timoney both scored braces on Saturday as the visitors blew away their hosts in a clear showcase of the gulf in class between the sides.

Will Addison also got on the scoresheet for the side as well as James Hume but Ulster could only manage to convert half of their kicking opportunities following the tries.

McFarland’s team will hope to go three-from-three against Benetton to maintain their impressive start.

The post Ulster have no new injury concerns from Zebre clash appeared first on SportsNewsIreland.

The province’s patience reaped a fine reward as the 35-year-old World Cup winner became the second player to join the Irish outfit this summer after fellow 35-year-old Mick Kearney, who returned to Ireland two years in the Italian sun.

Vermuelen has signed a contract with the side until 2023 and will join the squad following the completion of his commitments with South Africa for the year.

“It didn’t have to be in any particular aspect,” McFarland said. “We wanted it to be a back-rower, but we wanted it to be an influential back-rower.

“When we first looked at the names of the list, they were really good players, don’t get me wrong, but we’ve got really good players here, so we held our breath and kept our powder dry.”

The high-profile move comes several months after the collapsed move involving former European Player of the Year Leone Nakarawa, who failed his medical.

The side were so certain of the previous deal that they posted a video showcasing highlights of the Fijian lock titled ‘Welcome to Ulster Rugby Leone Nakarawa’.

However, after the Nakarawa transfer did not work out, McFarland and co. did not panic in their search for a replacement for Marcell Coetzee, who the Ulster boss called a “difference-making player.”

“…One day Bryn [Cunningham, Ulster’s Head of Operations and Recruitment] stuck his head into my office and said what about Duane Vermeulen? I said ‘Yes, please!’ and Bryn took it from there.”

Vermuelen joins as a Springbok half-centurion who is one of the most influential figures in Jacques Nienaber’s side – a defensive captain that knows how to translate a game plan into action.

His new club Ulster kick-off their 2021/22 season when they welcome McFarland’s old employers Glasgow Warriors to the Kingspan Stadium under the lights on Friday, September 24 at 7:35 pm.

The post Ulster boss Dan McFarland: “We wanted it to be an influential back-rower.” appeared first on SportsNewsIreland.

The competition involves all 12 teams that took part in the Pro14 last season, as well as four South African sides – the Bulls, Stormers, Sharks and Lions.

All four sides were set to get a taster of the new-look competition during the Rainbow Cup, but coronavirus worries derailed those plans – only the Bulls faced a side in the Pro14; a loss to Benetton Treviso in the final of the competition.

The 25-year-old Irish-capped lock is working on his fitness as he looks to regain the starting berth he had nailed down last season.

He noted that the new rules set to be implemented in the upcoming season also encourage himself and the rest of the Ulster squad to continue improving their fitness.

Former Limerick senior hurling strength and conditioning coach Mikey Kiely will be at the centre of that focus, having joined the province following the Treaty County’s successful Liam McCarthy defence this year.

“He’s a great guy,” Treadwell said. “He’s really knowledgeable and he gives a different perspective.

“His background, it’s very fitness-based and he’s very knowledgeable in what he does and how he delivers it. As a bloke he’s a really, really good guy and I’ve a lot of time for him.

“[Rugby is] similar [to hurling] in that it’s a team sport but the difference is that there’s more continuous play.

“They’re quite transitional is how he put it to me, I’ve spoken to him quite a few times about how it differs.

“He seemed to be saying it was quite similar, but there’s more boys over 100 kilos so it is a bit different.

“We obviously saw that they [Limerick] got to the final and won, obviously the boys were talking about that.

“You see the way that they play, they have serious engines on them, the way they look, they’re big guys.”

Kiely is expected to further improve Dan McFarland’s Ulster setup following the side’s growth under the former Scotland assistant coach.

Ulster begin their season on Friday, September 24 when they play host to McFarland’s former team, Glasgow Warriors at the Kingspan Stadium.

The post Ulster Lock Treadwell Gives Injury Update And Hails Mikey Kiely appeared first on SportsNewsIreland.