LOUIS LUDIK HAS announced his retirement from professional rugby, as the South African prepares to say goodbye to Ulster rugby after seven years with the club.

With 112 Ulster caps to his name, Ludik leaves a favourable legacy, which includes a try on his debut versus Scarlets; his 100th appearance in front of a packed-out Kingspan Stadium against the same Welsh side; and more recently, claiming a brace of tries when Ulster faced Dragons at home in this season’s Guinness PRO14. 

Ludik said: “From the first moment it was announced that I was coming to Belfast, I was accepted, supported, and I felt at home.

“I gave it my all, every single time I stepped onto the field, to try and give back and continue the legacy of those who came before me, and to be deserving of the supporters who stood up for us, every week, without fail. 

“Thank-you to everyone who has made my time at Ulster – the place I now call home – so special.”

Ulster coach, Dan McFarland, added: “Louis’ contribution to the province will have a lasting legacy. As a top-class professional both on and off the field, we will miss what he brought to the club as a player and, more significantly, as a person where he brought a sense of enjoyment and positivity to everything he did.”

Iain Henderson, Ulster Rugby Captain, added: “Louis has brought so much to the club during his time with the province, and I would like to thank him for that on behalf of all the players he has ran out onto the pitch alongside, both past and present. He is a true Ulster man now, and we are proud to call him one of our own.”