Duane Vermeulen in Ulster travelling party for SA trip

Springbok No 8 Duane Vermeulen has been included in the Ulster squad for their two-game URC trip to South Africa.

Ulster tackle the Lions at Ellis Park this Saturday, before facing the Sharks at Kings Park the following next weekend (22 October).

Regular Ulster captain Iain Henderson misses the trip as continues his recovery from thumb surgery in the off-season. 

A group of 24 players left Belfast on Tuesday, with 10 others set to meet them in South Africa, having been part of the Emerging Ireland series in recent weeks.

Ulster squad:

Forwards

John Andrew, Sam Carter, Rob Herring, Gareth Milasinovich, Marty Moore, Jordi Murphy, Alan O'Connor, Eric O'Sullivan, Tom O'Toole, Marcus Rea, Matty Rea, Rory Sutherland, Nick Timoney, Kieran Treadwell, Andrew Warwick, Duane Vermeulen

Backs

Billy Burns, John Cooney, Angus Curtis, James Hume, Mike Lowry, Rob Lyttle, Luke Marshall, Stuart McCloskey

Emerging Ireland

Rob Baloucoune, Nathan Doak, Jake Flannery, Cormac Izuchukwu, Dave McCann, Michael McDonald, Ethan McIlroy, Stewart Moore, Callum Reid, Tom Stewart