Richie Murphy lands permanent role at Ulster

Ulster have confirmed that Richie Murphy has signed a two-year deal following his stint as interim head coach, as reported by RugbyPass.

The former Ireland U20 coach took charge of the club at the close of this year's Six Nations, replacing Dan McFarland who stepped down as Ulster's head coach in February.

RugbyPass had reported that the coach had a seven-match audition to impress the powers that be, which he has passed. Ulster were sat in eighth place in the United Rugby Championship table when Murphy arrived, but he has lifted them into sixth place.

Murphy faces two tough challenges in the final two weeks of the regular season, with all-Ireland affairs.

Ulster host Leinster on Saturday at the Kingspan Stadium before travelling to Thomond Park to play Munster in their final game.

“I’m looking forward to continuing with Ulster after a very enjoyable start to my time with the club," Murphy said after signing his deal.

"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 Hugh McCaughey, said: “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.”