Ulster confirm Richie Murphy to take over from Dan McFarland as Head Coach

Ulster and the IRFU have confirmed head coach Dan McFarland will step down from the province.

McFarland joined the province in 2018, and guided them to the PRO14 final in 2020, where they lost to Leinster.

This season has been difficult for Ulster, as they exited the Champions Cup in the group stages, and currently sit in eighth in the URC table.

Their latest setback was a 19-17 defeat to Ospreys on Sunday, which saw the Welsh side go above them in the table.

Ulster also confirmed that current Ireland U20 Head Coach Richie Murphy will take over interim Head Coach until the end of this season following the Under-20s Six Nations.

Bryn Cunningham, Head of Rugby Operations and Recruitment at Ulster Rugby, will also assume greater management responsibilities within the performance function during this time.

Speaking on the announcement, Ulster Rugby CEO, Jonny Petrie, said "We would like to thank Dan for his determination in driving forward the professional squad over the past six seasons, and I would like to wish him and his family the best for the future on behalf of all at Ulster Rugby.

"With Richie coming to Ulster in the coming weeks, ahead of the squad travelling to South Africa, our focus will be on consistently performing to the best of our abilities at this crucial time of the year.”