Richie Murphy confirmed as new permanent Ulster head coach

Ulster have confirmed that Richie Murphy has been appointed as the province's new head coach on a full-time basis.

The former Ireland Under-20 boss had taken over on an interim basis following Dan McFarland's departure in February.

The 54-year-old has signed a two-year deal.

Murphy said: "I’m looking forward to continuing with Ulster after a very enjoyable start to my time with the club. I would like to thank all of the support staff, especially Bryn Cunningham [head of rugby operations and recruitment], for helping me settle in.

"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."

Ulster are currently sixth in the BKT URC standings and have won their last three league games in a row.

They host Leinster in Belfast on Saturday evening (7.35pm).

Murphy (above) arrived in Ulster having successfully led the Ireland U20s to two consecutive Six Nations titles.

His involvement in the national set-up extends back to 2013 when he joined the men's team as skills and kicking coach, with achievements during that time including Six Nations championships in 2013 and 2014, along with a Grand Slam win in 2018.

Interim CEO of Ulster Rugby, 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