McFarland agrees to contract extension at Ulster

Ulster boss Dan McFarland has agreed a two-year extension with the Irish province, keeping him in Belfast until summer 2023. Since joining in 2018, Ulster have been on the rise, reaching last season's PRO14 final and the quarter-finals of the Heineken Champions Cup. 

While their European campaign this term hasn't been as rewarding, Ulster losing last month to Toulouse and Gloucester, they head to Dublin on Friday night to play PRO14 champions Leinster as the undefeated leaders of their conference.  

McFarland said: “I’m delighted to be signing again with Ulster. I have thoroughly enjoyed the last two-and-a-half years working and learning with some really good people. I’m looking forward to continuing to help drive on our improvement as a group and as individuals.

“As a group, we are extremely ambitious in our aim to be consistently competing for championships. With exciting young talent continuing to emerge out of our academy system, joining forces with the proven talent within our squad - many of whom have been recently recognised at international level - I look forward to what the weeks and months ahead hold as we take on our next challenges in the domestic league and in Europe this season.”

Ulster CEO Jonny Petrie added: “I’m extremely pleased to see Dan extend his commitment to Ulster, giving us the opportunity to continue to build on the fantastic work that he has done in his time here so far.

“It is plain to see, both on and off the field of play, the ethos that he has instilled in the group, and that is being borne out both in our performances and our results – a team of which the people of Ulster can be rightly and fiercely proud.

“I’m looking forward to working with Dan in the coming years, to see where we can take this. It’s an exciting prospect.”