RICHIE MURPHY HAS agreed a two-year deal to become Ulster head coach on a permanent basis – as reported by The 42 last week.
Murphy had been placed in charge at Ulster on an interim basis following Dan McFarland’s departure in February, but the province have now confirmed he will continue in the role beyond this season.
Murphy was previously head coach of the Ireland U20s, leading the side to back-to-back Grand Slams in 2022 and 2023 before a second-place finish this year.
The former out-half became a senior assistant coach at Leinster in 2009 before following Joe Schmidt into the Ireland set-up in 2013.
Murphy has been a popular appointment at Ulster, with Saturday’s win at Scarlets leaving the province sixth in the URC table.
“I’m looking forward to continuing with Ulster after a very enjoyable start to my time with the club,” Murphy said.
“I would like to thank all of the support staff, especially Bryn Cunningham, for helping me settle in.
“Bryn has been a big part of this process, and I would like to thank him for all his efforts in getting us to this point. It’s no secret that I was keen to stay on in the role of Head Coach with the province, as I can see what is building here at Ulster and how I can contribute to growing that in the coming years.
“We have a very talented group at Ulster and, together with a loyal and dedicated supporter base, I’m relishing the opportunity to see what we can all achieve together.”
Interim CEO of Ulster Rugby, Hugh McCaughey, added: “We are delighted at Ulster Rugby to have Richie committed to the province for the next two seasons.
“Over the past couple of weeks, we have had an insight into what Richie, the coaching staff and squad have the potential to achieve together, with today’s announcement providing the stability needed for this to continue.
“With a young squad, and a pipeline of talent coming through our Player Pathway, it’s an exciting time for the club as we look to build the foundations that will set us up for success in the years ahead. Richie has vast experience in developing young players and is ambitious to achieve success, so he is a perfect fit for what we need.”
