The 2023–24 season was

Ulster Rugby Ulster Rugby is one of the four professional provincial rugby union teams from the island of Ireland. They compete in the Irish regional pool of the United Rugby Championship and in the European Rugby Champions Cup, each of which they have won ...

's 30th season since the advent of professionalism in rugby union. They competed in the

United Rugby Championship 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 ...

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 ...

, and the

EPCR Challenge Cup The EPCR Challenge Cup is an annual rugby union competition organised by European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR). It is the second-tier competition for clubs based in European leagues behind the European Rugby Champions Cup. From its inception i ...

. It was

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 sixth season as head coach. Despite some good results, including a home win against

Racing 92 Racing 92 () is a French professional rugby union club based in the Hauts-de-Seine department, Paris' western inner Banlieue, suburbs that competes in Top 14. The club plays its home matches at the 30,681-capacity Stadium#Types, domed stadium Pa ...

in the Champions Cup and an away win against

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 URC, Ulster slipped back in the league, and poor performances against

Bath Bath may refer to: * Bathing, immersion in a fluid ** Bathtub, a large open container for water, in which a person may wash their body ** Public bathing, a public place where people bathe * Thermae, ancient Roman public bathing facilities Plac ...

, Harlequins and

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 ...

dumped them out of the Champions Cup. After an away defeat in the URC against

Ospreys The osprey (; ''Pandion haliaetus''), historically known as sea hawk, river hawk, and fish hawk, is a diurnal, fish-eating bird of prey with a cosmopolitan range. It is a large raptor, reaching more than in length and a wingspan of . It is ...

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 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 ...

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 David Peter Ewers (born 3 November 1990) is a Zimbabwean rugby union player who is currently contracted to the Stormers. He previously played for Ulster, Exeter Chiefs and Cornish Pirates. He is capable of playing both Flanker and Number 8. E ...

, both of whom left at the end of the season. Prop Scott Wilson, hooker Zac Solomon, lock

Joe Hopes A list of players who have appeared for Ulster Rugby since rugby union was declared open to professionalism on 26 August 1995. Current players Jacob Boyd Loosehead prop. Son of former Ulster prop Clem Boyd. Captained RBAI to the Ulster Schools' ...

, and flankers

Reuben Crothers A list of players who have appeared for Ulster Rugby since rugby union was declared open to professionalism on 26 August 1995. Current players Jacob Boyd Loosehead prop. Son of former Ulster prop Clem Boyd. Captained RBAI to the Ulster Schools' ...

and Lorcan McLaughlin made their debuts from the academy. Centre

Ben Carson Ben Solomon Carson Sr. (born September 18, 1951) is an American retired neurosurgery, neurosurgeon, academic, author, and government official who served as the 17th United States secretary of housing and urban development from 2017 to 2021. A pio ...

and fullback

Shea O'Brien A list of players who have appeared for Ulster Rugby since rugby union was declared open to professionalism on 26 August 1995. Current players Jacob Boyd Loosehead prop. Son of former Ulster prop Clem Boyd. Captained RBAI to the Ulster Schools' ...

also made their debuts. Scrum-half John Cooney was Ulster's leading scorer with 141 points in all competitions, and was named Ulster's supporters club player of the year for the third time, and selected in the URC team of the season for the fifth time. Number eight Nick Timoney was leading try scorer with 12. Flanker David McCann was named Ulster's player of the year and rugby writers' player of the year. Lock Harry Sheridan was young player of the year. Ulster Women won their first interpro since 2012, finishing third in the

IRFU Women's Interprovincial Series The IRFU Women's Interprovincial Series, previously known as the IWRFU Interprovincial Championship, is the top level women's rugby union competition in Ireland. It is organised by the Irish Rugby Football Union. It is the women's equivalent of ...

. Back rower Brittany Hogan was Ulster's women's player of the year, and fellow back rower Sophie Barrett was young women's player of the year. In the All-Ireland League,

Instonians Instonians is a sports club based in Belfast, Northern Ireland, that incorporates rugby union, men's and ladies' hockey and cricket sections. There is also a golf society that plays under the Instonians name. Instonians Rugby Football, Cricket ...

topped Division 2B and were promoted for the second season running. Clogher Valley topped Division 2B and were promoted in their first season in senior rugby.

Malone Malone () is an Irish surname. From the Irish "''Mael Eóin''", the name means a servant or a disciple of Saint John. People * Gilla Críst Ua Máel Eóin (died 1127), historian and Abbot of Clonmacnoise, Ó Maoil Eoin * Adrian Malone (1937 ...

were relegated from Division 2A,

Belfast Harlequins Belfast Harlequins is a multi-sports club located off the Malone Road in south Belfast, Northern Ireland. The club name provides the overall umbrella for rugby union, men's and ladies' field hockey, hockey, and Squash (sport), squash. The club i ...

were relegated from Division 2B, and Bangor dropped into junior rugby after being relegated from Division 2B. Ulster junior champions

Ballyclare Ballyclare () is a small town in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It had a population of 10,850 according to the 2021 United Kingdom census, 2021 census, and is located within the Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council area. It is part of, and ...

were promoted to senior level after winning the provincial playoffs.

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 The Grenfell Tower Inquiry was a British public inquiry into the Grenfell Tower fire, which killed 72 people and destroyed Grenfell Tower on 14 June 2017. It was ordered by Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Prime Minister Theresa May on the ...

. 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 The Stormers (known for sponsorship reasons as the DHL Stormers) and the academic team DHL Stormers is a South African professional rugby union team based in Cape Town in the Western Cape that competes in the United Rugby Championship, a tra ...

,"Ulster sign South Africa prop Steven Kitshoff on a three-year deal"
''Belfast Telegraph'', 9 November 2022 flanker

, from

Exeter Chiefs Exeter Chiefs (officially Exeter Rugby Club) is an England, English professional rugby union club based in Exeter, Devon. They play in Premiership Rugby, England's top division of rugby. The club was founded in 1871 and since 2006 has played i ...

,Adam Kyriacou
"Dave Ewers: Ulster announce signing of Exeter Chiefs stalwart"
Planet Rugby, 17 January 2023 and former

prop James French.Jonathan Bradley
"Ulster Rugby sign former All-Ireland shot put champion"
''Belfast Telegraph'', 18 May 2023 Five academy players joined the senior squad on development contracts: lock Harry Sheridan, scrum-half Conor McKee, hooker James McCormick, back row forward

and centre

."Ulster secure young prospects to new deals"
Ulster Rugby, 12 April 2023 After a successful trial in pre-season, Clontarf tighthead prop Ben Griffin was signed on a development contract in August."Ben Griffin signs Development contract with Ulster Rugby"
Ulster Rugby, 17 August 2023 Former

Connacht Connacht or Connaught ( ; or ), is the smallest of the four provinces of Ireland, situated in the west of Ireland. Until the ninth century it consisted of several independent major Gaelic kingdoms (Uí Fiachrach, Uí Briúin, Uí Maine, C ...

and

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 ...

prop Greg McGrath joined as injury cover in October.Jonathan Bradley
"Jacob Stockdale makes his return as Ulster prepare for historic match at the home of Cavan GAA"
''Belfast Telegraph'', 6 October 2023 Flanker

Jordi Murphy Jordi Murphy (born 22 April 1991) is a former Irish international rugby player. He played for provincial and United Rugby Championship side Ulster as a loose forward, and played for the Ireland national rugby union team. Early life Murphy wa ...

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 ...

"Ian Madigan: Former Ireland fly-half, 34, announces retirement"
BBC Sport, 20 September 2023 retired. Lock Frank Bradshaw Ryan left for

Montauban Montauban (, ; ) is a commune in the southern French department of Tarn-et-Garonne. It is the capital of the department and lies north of Toulouse. Montauban is the most populated town in Tarn-et-Garonne, and the sixth most populated of Oc ...

. Wings

Rob Lyttle Rob Lyttle (born 28 January 1997) is a rugby union player from Donaghcloney, County Down, Northern Ireland. He plays wing for Banbridge RFC and Ulster. Born in Donaghcloney, County Down, he played mini rugby at Dromore RFC as a child. He atten ...

Jonathan Bradley
"I'm sad to be leaving Ulster at end of the season, admits winger Rob Lyttle"
''Belfast Telegraph'', 11 April 2023 and Craig Gilroy"Craig Gilroy: Former Ireland wing to leave Ulster at the end of this season"
BBC Sport, 18 April 2023 announced they would leave at the end of the season. Hooker Declan Moore and scrum-half Michael McDonald moved to

on a season-long loan."Declan Moore & Michael McDonald join Connacht"
Connacht Rugby, 27 April 2023 Also departing were Sam Carter,

Duane Vermeulen Daniel Johannes "Duane" Vermeulen (born 3 July 1986) is a former South African professional rugby union player who previously played for the South Africa national team. He also previously played for Ulster Rugby in the United Rugby Championsh ...

Gareth Milasinovich Gareth Richard Milasinovich ( ; born 15 December 1992) is a South African rugby union player, who plays for Valence Romans Drôme Rugby. He can play as a loosehead or tighthead prop. Rugby career Youth and Varsity Cup rugby Milasinovich w ...

Jeffery Toomaga-Allen Jeffery Latu Toomaga-Allen (born 19 November 1990) is a rugby union footballer who previously played as a tighthead prop for Samoa, and for Ulster in the United Rugby Championship. He also previously played for Wellington Lions in the ITM Cup and ...

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 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 ...

's central contract with the

IRFU IRFU or Irfu may refer to: * Irish Rugby Football Union, The Irish rugby football union (IRFU), is the national rugby association of Ireland *Interprovincial Rugby Football Union, a four-team league that merged with the Westerm Interprovincial Rugb ...

was due to expire after the

2023 Rugby World Cup The 2023 Rugby World Cup () was the tenth men's Rugby World Cup, the quadrennial world championship for national rugby union teams. It took place in France from 8 September to 28 October 2023 in nine venues across the country. The opening game ...

, 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."Ulster Rugby confirms Angus Curtis’ retirement"
Ulster Rugby, 26 January 2024

3G pitch

In May 2023 Ulster submitted a planning application to install a 3G

artificial turf Artificial turf is a surface of synthetic fibers made to look like natural grass, used in sports arenas, residential lawns and commercial applications that traditionally use grass. It is much more durable than grass and easily maintained wi ...

pitch at Ravenhill. Planning permission was granted by

Belfast City Council Belfast City Council () is the Local government in Northern Ireland, local authority with responsibility for part of Belfast, the largest city of Northern Ireland. The council serves an estimated population of (), the largest of any district c ...

in late June, and work began in late July.

U20 World Championship

Four Ulster players featured for

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 ...

in the

2023 World Rugby U20 Championship The 2023 World Rugby U20 Championship was the 13th edition of the premier age-grade rugby union competition. The tournament is hosted in South Africa for the second time, previously being held in 2012. The 2023 under 20 competition (alongside ...

: locks Charlie Irvine and

, flanker James McNabney and fullback Rory Telfer. Ireland made the final, which they lost 50–14 to

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

World Cup

Seven Ulster players were named in

Andy Farrell Andrew David Farrell (born 30 May 1975) is an English professional rugby union coach and former rugby league and rugby union player. Farrell has been head coach of the Ireland national team since 2019. Farrell earned 34 caps for Great Britai ...

's initial 42-man

squad, to be reduced to 33 for the

Rugby World Cup The Men's Rugby World Cup is a rugby union tournament contested every four years between the top international teams, the winners of which are recognised as the World championship, world champions of the sport. The tournament is administer ...

: locks

and Kieran Treadwell, hookers Rob Herring and Tom Stewart, prop Tom O'Toole, 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 wing Jacob Stockdale. In Ireland's three warm-up matches, Henderson captained the side against

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

and

Samoa Samoa, officially the Independent State of Samoa and known until 1997 as Western Samoa, is an island country in Polynesia, part of Oceania, in the South Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main islands (Savai'i and Upolu), two smaller, inhabited ...

; Herring started against Italy and appeared off the bench against

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

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 Pool may refer to: Bodies of water * Swimming pool, usually an artificial structure containing a large body of water intended for swimming * Reflecting pool, a shallow pool designed to reflect a structure and its surroundings * Tide pool, a roc ...

, and qualified for the quarter-finals. Rob Herring started and scored a try against

Romania Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern and Southeast Europe. It borders Ukraine to the north and east, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Bulgaria to the south, Moldova to ...

, and came off the bench against

Tonga Tonga, officially the Kingdom of Tonga, is an island country in Polynesia, part of Oceania. The country has 171 islands, of which 45 are inhabited. Its total surface area is about , scattered over in the southern Pacific Ocean. accordin ...

, scoring another try; Tom O'Toole came off the bench against Romania; Iain Henderson came off the bench against Romania, Tonga and

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...

, and started and scored a try against

Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...

; and Stuart McCloskey came off the bench against Scotland. Henderson started in the quarter-final defeat to

New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...

Ulster Women

Murray Houston, former head coach of

University of Glasgow The University of Glasgow (abbreviated as ''Glas.'' in Post-nominal letters, post-nominals; ) is a Public university, public research university in Glasgow, Scotland. Founded by papal bull in , it is the List of oldest universities in continuous ...

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 Grace Davitt (born 25 December 1982) is an Irish female rugby union player and coach. She was in 's 2014 Women's Rugby World Cup squad in France. She also played in two previous World Cup's in 2006 and 2010. Davitt was a member of the 2013 Women ...

as backs coach and Amy Davis as technical skills coach, and men's player

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 ...

as scrum coach. Ulster Women won their first interprovincial match since December 2012 by defeating

36–14 in third/fourth place playoff of the Interprovincial Championship."Match Report: Connacht 14-36 Ulster"
Ulster Rugby, 2 September 2012

Pre-season

Ulster's first pre-season friendly was against

at Navan R.F.C. on 22 September, which Leinster won 38–21.Jonathan Bradley
"Ulster beaten by Leinster in first pre-season clash for Dan McFarland's side"
''Belfast Telegraph'', 22 September 2023 They played a second friendly against Benetton in

Treviso Treviso ( ; ; ) is a city and (municipality) in the Veneto region of northern Italy. It is the capital of the province of Treviso and the municipality has 87.322 inhabitants (as of December 2024). Some 3,000 live within the Venetian wall ...

, which the hosts won 24–22.Michael Sadlier
"Ulster have much to work on after narrow pre-season defeat to Benetton in Italy"
'Sunday Life'', 30 September 2023 They faced

Glasgow Warriors The Glasgow Warriors are a professional rugby union side from Scotland. The team plays in the United Rugby Championship league and in the European Professional Club Rugby tournaments. In the 2014–15 season they won the Pro12 title and beca ...

GAA Gaa may refer to: * Gaa language, a language of Nigeria * gaa, the ISO 639 code for the Ga language of Ghana GAA may stand for: Compounds * Glacial (water-free), acetic acid * Acid alpha-glucosidase, also known as glucosidase, alpha; acid, an e ...

ground

Breffni Park Breffni Park, known for sponsorship reasons as Kingspan Breffni, is a GAA stadium in Cavan, Ireland. It is the home of Cavan GAA. The ground has an overall capacity of about 25,030 with a 5,030 seated capacity. Breffni is the historic name for ...

Cavan Cavan ( ; ) is the county town of County Cavan in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. The town lies in Ulster, near the border with County Fermanagh in Northern Ireland. The town is bypassed by the main N3 road (Ireland), N3 road that links Dublin ( ...

on 7 October, winning 19–14."Ulster 19-14 Glasgow: Province secure pre-season win in Cavan on first visit to a GAA venue"
BBC Sport, 7 October 2023

First block

Ulster opened the URC season with a close away win against

Zebre Parma 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 the ...

, with Tom Stewart and Jacob Stockdale scoring two tries each, and flanker

and props Greg McGrath and James French making their Ulster debuts. The following week they won at home against the

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 ...

, 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

, and flanker

, centre

and academy lock

made their senior debuts in a narrow defeat. The following weekend, Ulster beat

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 The lion (''Panthera leo'') is a large cat of the genus ''Panthera'', native to Sub-Saharan Africa and India. It has a muscular, broad-chested body; a short, rounded head; round ears; and a dark, hairy tuft at the tip of its tail. It is se ...

at home in rainy conditions. Prop

Marty Moore William Martin Moore (born March 19, 1971) is a former professional American football linebacker who played eight seasons in the National Football League (NFL) for the New England Patriots and Cleveland Browns. Moore was the first Mr. Irrelev ...

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

. 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 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 ...

unexpectedly 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 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 ...

. They then started their Champions Cup campaign with an away defeat against

. Fortunes changed with three straight wins, the first a bonus point victory in the Champions Cup against

, followed by two Interpros in the URC, each won by a single point. First they beat

, 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

in Dublin. The first block was finished with two heavy defeats in the Champions Cup, at home against

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

in the URC, Dan McFarland left as head coach. Assistant coach Dan Soper would take charge until after the

Six Nations Under 20s Championship The Six Nations Under 20s Championship is an international rugby union tournament. It is the under-20s equivalent of the Six Nations Championship. Originally the tournament was in an under-21 format but changed to under-20s in 2008. England ...

, after which Ireland under-20 coach Richie Murphy would take over until the end of the season.

Six Nations break

The

squad for the

2024 Six Nations Championship The 2024 Six Nations Championship (known as the Guinness Men's Six Nations for sponsorship reasons) was a rugby union competition that took place in February and March 2024, and featured the men's national teams of England national rugby union tea ...

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

. 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 Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the England–Wales border, east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic ...

in round three. During the Six Nations rest week, Dan Soper oversaw a 49-26 Ulster home win against

Dragons A dragon is a magical legendary creature that appears in the folklore of multiple cultures worldwide. Beliefs about dragons vary considerably through regions, but dragons in Western cultures since the High Middle Ages have often been depict ...

, in which

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 ...

and David McCann scored two tries each. The Six Nations resumed with Ireland narrowly losing away to

, 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 Sharks are a group of elasmobranch cartilaginous fish characterized by a ribless endoskeleton, dermal denticles, five to seven gill slits on each side, and pectoral fins that are not fused to the head. Modern sharks are classified within the ...

and

. 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 The South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust (SEHSCT) is a health organisation in Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ; ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, part of the United Kingdom in the north-east of the island of Ireland. It ha ...

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

. It was announced that Steven Kitshoff would cut short his stay at Ulster and return to the

at the end of the season. The following week, Ulster won their round of 16 tie against

Montpellier Montpellier (; ) is a city in southern France near the Mediterranean Sea. One of the largest urban centres in the region of Occitania (administrative region), Occitania, Montpellier is the prefecture of the Departments of France, department of ...

in the

Challenge Cup The Rugby Football League Challenge Cup, commonly known just as the Challenge Cup is a Single-elimination tournament, knockout rugby league cup competition organised by the Rugby Football League, held annually since 1896, it is the world's old ...

, 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. Kitshoff sustained a season-ending injury, so this was his final match for Ulster. After three straight wins in the URC, over

Cardiff Cardiff (; ) is the capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of Wales. Cardiff had a population of in and forms a Principal areas of Wales, principal area officially known as the City and County of Ca ...

, Benetton and

Scarlets The Scarlets () are one of the four professional Welsh rugby union teams and are based in Llanelli, Wales. Their home ground is the Parc y Scarlets stadium. They play in the United Rugby Championship and in European Professional Club Rugby c ...

, Murphy was appointed head coach on a two-year contract. A fourth straight win, at home to

, clinched a quarter final place. A losing bonus point away to table-toppers

on the final weekend of the regular season secured sixth place, a quarter-final away to

(which they lost), and a place in next season's Champions Cup.

Ulster rugby awards

The end of season awards were announced online on 12 June. winners were:

Men's and boys' awards

*Men's player of the year: David McCann *Personality of the year: Luke Marshall *Supporters Club player of the year: John Cooney *Rugby writers' player of the year: David McCann *Young men's player of the year: Harry Sheridan *Club Player of the Year: Bradley McNamara,

*Boys' schools player of the year: Conor Magee,

Banbridge Academy Banbridge Academy is a grammar school in Banbridge, Northern Ireland, founded in 1786. , the Principal is Robin McLoughlin, previously a headmaster of Grosvenor Grammar School. McLoughlin succeeded Raymond Pollock (1995-2014). Former headmaste ...

*Boys' youth player of the year: Dylan Fox,

Women's and girls' awards

*Women's player of the year: Brittany Hogan, Ballynahinch/

Old Belvedere Old Belvedere R.F.C. is a senior Irish rugby union club based on Anglesea Road in Ballsbridge, Dublin, Ireland. Old Belvedere was originally founded in 1918–19 by former pupils of Belvedere College. Old Belvedere enters senior men's teams in ...

*Young women's player of the year: Sophie Barrett, Enniskillen/

Railway Union The Railway Union (, RAU) is a trade union representing drivers, traffic controllers and office staff on the railways in Finland Finland, officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It borders Sweden to the ...

*Girls' schools player of the year: Niamh Fulton,

Sullivan Upper School Sullivan Upper School is a mixed non- denominational voluntary grammar school in Holywood, Northern Ireland, and has approximately 1,100 enrolled pupils. The school motto is ', Irish for "with the gentle hand foremost". History Sullivan Lo ...

*Girls' youth player of the year: Erin McConalogue, Inishowen

Club/community awards

*Club of the year: Ballyclare *Referee of the year: Keane Davison,

Omagh Omagh (; from , meaning 'the virgin plain') is the county town of County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It is situated where the rivers River Drumragh, Drumragh and Camowen River, Camowen meet to form the River Strule, Strule. Northern Ireland's c ...

*Ulster Rugby Foundation Community Impact Award –

Civil Service The civil service is a collective term for a sector of government composed mainly of career civil service personnel hired rather than elected, whose institutional tenure typically survives transitions of political leadership. A civil service offic ...

*Dorrington B. Faulkner award (services to rugby: John Carleton, Grosvenor RFC

Next season

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."McNabney, Wilson and McLoughlin to continue their development at Ulster"
Ulster Rugby, 3 April 2024 Out-half Billy Burns will join

in the summer on a one-year contract. Prop Steven Kitshoff will cut short his stay at Ulster and return to the

."Steven Kitshoff: Two-time World Cup winner to leave Ulster in the summer"
BBC Sport, 5 April 2024 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.''

Players in

from

* James French (unattached) * Ben Griffin from Clontarf * Steven Kitshoff from

* Greg McGrath from

''(short term injury cover)''

Promoted from academy

* James McCormick * Conor McKee * Harry Sheridan

Players out

* Frank Bradshaw Ryan to

* Sam Carter to

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 ...

* Craig Gilroy ''released'' *

''released'' *

''retired'' * Michael McDonald to

(loan) *

to Valence Romans Drôme Rugby * Declan Moore to

(loan) *

''retired'' * Rory Sutherland to

Oyonnax Oyonnax () is the second most populated commune in the Ain department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in eastern France. Oyonnax lies in a valley of the Jura Mountains in the far north of Ain. It is near the Parc naturel régional du Hau ...

Queensland Reds The Queensland Reds is the rugby union team based in Brisbane for the Australian state of Queensland that competes in the Southern Hemisphere's Super Rugby competition. Prior to 1996, they were a representative team selected from the rugby union ...

''retired''

Academy squad

Players in

* Jack Boal from

Queen's University RFC Queen's University Belfast Rugby Football Club is the rugby union team of Queen's University Belfast, currently playing in Division 1B of the All-Ireland League. Founded in 1869, it is the most successful and oldest continuous rugby union club ...

"Ulster Rugby Academy 2023/24 squad confirmed"
Ulster Rugby, 29 June 2023 * Jacob Boyd from RBAI * Tom Brigg from

Blackrock College Blackrock College () is a voluntary day and boarding Catholic secondary school for boys aged 13–18, in Williamstown, Blackrock, County Dublin, Ireland. It was founded by French missionary Jules Leman in 1860 as a school and later became al ...

* Cameron Doak from

* Ethan Graham from

Ballynahinch RFC Ballynahinch Rugby Club is an Irish rugby union club based in the County Down town of Ballynahinch. Founded in 1954, the club is affiliated to the Ulster Branch of the Irish Rugby Football Union. The first team plays Senior rugby union in the ...

* Charlie Irvine from

* Lukas Kenny 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 ...

* Ben McFarlane from

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 ...

* Zac Solomon from

* Josh Stevens from

* Henry Walker from

Hartpury College Hartpury University and Hartpury College, formerly Hartpury College, is a provider of further and higher education The university and college is set in a 360-hectare estate located in Hartpury, near Gloucester, in Gloucestershire, England. The ...

Players out

Season record

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

End-of season awards

John Cooney was named at scrum-half in the URC Elite XV.

Home attendance

Friendlies

Ulster 'A' and Ulster Development

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

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 were 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.

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 Banbridge ( ) is a town in County Down, Northern Ireland. It lies on the River Bann and the A1 road and is named after a bridge built over the Bann in 1712. It is in the civil parish of Seapatrick and the historic barony of Iveagh Upper ...

were 4th,

Ballymena Ballymena ( ; from , meaning 'the middle townland') is a town in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It had a population of 31,205 people at the 2021 United Kingdom census, making it the List of localities in Northern Ireland by population, seven ...

7th, and

were relegated after finishing 10th in Division 2A.

were promoted for the second season in a row after topping Division 2B, while

Dungannon Dungannon (, ) is a town in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It is the second-largest town in the county (after Omagh) and had a population of 16,282 at the United Kingdom Census 2011, 2021 Census. The Dungannon and South Tyrone Borough Counci ...

were 5th, Rainey 7th, and

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.

were promoted to the AIL for the first time after finishing top the Ulster Championship and winning the playoff final against

Leinster League The Leinster League is the second tier of Rugby union, rugby in Leinster Rugby, Leinster, behind the Leinster Senior League (rugby), Leinster Senior League. It has five divisions. The champions qualify for a round-robin tournament with the champio ...

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 The Ulster Senior Cup is a knock-out competition for senior rugby union teams in the province of Ulster. It is administered by Ulster Rugby. The most successful club is Queen's University RFC, Queen's University with 24 wins. The current holder ...

, 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."Want to get up to speed ahead of the 2023/24 Men's domestic season?"
Ulster Rugby, 25 August 2023

Division 1A

Division 1B

Final

7th/8th place playoff

Division 2

Ulster Senior Cup

Ulster Senior Shield

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ulster 2023-24 2023–24 in Irish rugby union 2023–24 United Rugby Championship by team 2023–24 European Rugby Champions Cup by team