2025–26 Ulster Rugby season

Ulster Rugby
2025–26 season
Head coachRichie Murphy
Chief executiveHugh McCaughey
CaptainIain Henderson
United Rugby ChampionshipTBC
Challenge CupTBC
URC Irish ShieldTBC
Top try scorerLeague: Werner Kok, Tom Stewart (6)
All: Werner Kok, Tom Stewart (8)
Top points scorerLeague: Nathan Doak (84)
All: Nathan Doak (84)
Highest home attendance18,196
Lowest home attendance9,563
Average home attendance12,035
Home colours
Away colours
Third colours
← 2024–25 2026–27 →

The 2025–26 season is Ulster's 32nd season since the advent of professionalism in rugby union, and Richie Murphy's second season as head coach of the men's senior team. New signings include South African loose forward Juarno Augustus from Northampton Saints, and Australian international prop Angus Bell. They compete in the United Rugby Championship and the EPCR Challenge Cup.

Events

Personnel changes

Assistant coach Dan Soper moved from assistant coach to a new transition and development role.[1] Former Connacht attack coach Mark Sexton joined as backs coach. Willie Faloon is defence and contact skills coach.[2] Niall Annett and Jonathon Graham were appointed Elite Player Development Officers.[3] In September, Ulster announced that general manager Bryn Cunningham was to leave his post once a successor had been recruited.[4] Former Ulster and Ireland captain Rory Best was announced as the new general manager on 29 October.[5]

South African loose forward Juarno Augustus joined from Northampton Saints.[6] Three new props signed: tighthead Rory McGuire, from Leinster; Irish-qualified loosehead Sam Crean, who had previous spent some time at Ulster on loan, from Saracens;[7] and Australian international loosehead Angus Bell will join Ulster in December, on sabbatical from the Waratahs.[8] Academy locks Joe Hopes and Charlie Irvine joined the senior squad on development deals, to become senior deals in 2026, and out-half James Humphreys moved from a development contract to a senior one,[9] as did prop Scott Wilson and back rowers James McNabney and Lorcan McLoughlin, while academy out-half Jack Murphy was upgraded to a senior contract.[10] Six players joined the academy: hooker Connor Magee, props Tom McAllister and Flynn Longstaff, out-half Daniel Green, and wings Josh Gibson and Aitzol Arenzana-King.[11]

Lock Kieran Treadwell left to join Harlequins.[12] Scrum-half John Cooney joined French club Brive.[13] Flanker Reuben Crothers retired.[14] Lock Alan O'Connor left to become head of rugby development at Ballymena Academy.[15] Prop Andrew Warwick retired from professional rugby and returned to Ballymena RFC;[16] Prop Corrie Barrett, flanker Matty Rea and scrum-half Michael McDonald were released, along with academy players Rory Telfer, Zac Solomon, Jack Boal and Ben McFarlane.[17] Academy prop Cameron Doak joined the Harlequins academy.[18] Out-half Aidan Morgan left by mutual consent,[19] and signed for Toyota Verblitz.[20] In November, centre Stewart Moore joined Newcastle Falcons on loan,[21] but was soon recalled to cover for injuries.[22]

Two Irish-qualified 18-year-olds, Australian-born lock Paddy Woods and South-African-born centre Rynard Gordon, joined the Ulster academy in February.[23]

International callups

Men's summer tour

Seven Ulster players, lock Cormac Izuchukwu, prop Tom O'Toole, hooker Tom Stewart, flanker Nick Timoney, centre Stuart McCloskey, scrum-half Nathan Doak and wing Jacob Stockdale, were named in the Ireland men's squad for the summer tour to Georgia and Portugal. Three more players, flanker James McNabney, centre Jude Postlethwaite and wing Zac Ward, were called up as training panellists,[24] and prop Scott Wilson was called up as injury cover.[25] McNabney sustained an anterior cruciate ligament injury in training.[26]

Izuchukwu, Timoney, Stockdale and McCloskey started against Georgia on 5 July, with Stewart appearing from the bench. Timoney scored a try in a 34–5 victory, but Stockdale was taken off with an arm injury.[27] McCloskey started, and scored a try, with Stewart, O'Toole and Izuchukwu coming off the bench in a 106–7 victory against Portugal on 12 July.[28]

Women's World Cup

Four Ulster players were named in the Ireland preparation squad for the 2025 Women's Rugby World Cup: hooker Neve Jones, back row Brittany Hogan, prop Sadhbh McGrath and lock Fiona Tuite.[29] McGrath and Hogan were named to start the first warm-up match against Scotland on 2 August, with Jones and Tuite on the bench.[30] McGrath scored a try in a 27–21 victory.[31] Jones, Tuite and Hogan were named to start, with McGrath and Claire Boles on the bench, for the second warm-up match against Canada on 9 August,[32] which Ireland lost 26–47.[33]

Boles, Hogan, Jones, McGrath and Tuite were all named in the World Cup squad.[34] Hogan, Tuite and Jones started the opening 42–14 victory over Japan, with McGrath coming off the bench; Jones and Tuite both scored tries.[35] Boles and Tuite started the 43–27 victory over Spain, with Jones, McGrath and Hogan coming off the bench.[36] Hogan and Jones started the final pool match, a 40–0 defeat to New Zealand, and McGrath and Boles came off the bench.[37] Ireland qualified for the quarter-final, which they lost 13–18 to France. Jones, Tuite and Hogan started, and McGrath came off the bench.[38]

Sponsorship

Ulster's principal sponsor, following the end of their deal with Kingspan, is Antrim-based manufacturing company SAM Mouldings.[39] Following a stadium naming deal, Ravenhill will be known as Affidea Stadium.[40]

Season

First block

Ulster opened their URC season with a home bonus point win against Dragons on 26 September.[41] Their second round away match against Edinburgh was postponed due to Storm Amy. A second home bonus point win followed against the Bulls. A 30-man squad for the two-match mini-tour to South Africa to play the Sharks and Lions was announced on 15 October.[42] They beat the Sharks with a four-try bonus point on 18 October. Four players, including academy back row Bryn Ward, were added to the squad to cover injuries and international callups.[43] Ward made his debut, and Robert Baloucoune scored three tries, but the Lions won 49–31.

International break

Four Ulster players, Iain Henderson, Nick Timoney, Stuart McCloskey and Jacob Stockdale, were named in the Ireland squad for the 2025 end-of-year rugby union internationals.[44] McCloskey started, and Henderson appeared from the bench, in the loss to New Zealand in Chicago.[45] Stockdale and Timoney started, and Timoney scored a try, in the home win against Japan.[46] McCloskey started and Timoney appeared from the bench in the home win over Australia.[47] No Ulster players appeared in the home defeat to South Africa.[48]

Ten Ulster players, Tom Stewart (named as captain), Tom O'Toole, Scott Wilson, David McCann, Nathan Doak, Jack Murphy, Jude Postlethwaite, Zac Ward, Robert Baloucoune and Michael Lowry, were named in the Ireland 'A' squad to face Spain on 8 November. Jimmy Duffy was named as forwards coach.[49] Stewart, O'Toole, Postlethwaite, Baloucoune and Lowry started, and Wilson, McCann, Doak and Ward appeared from the bench, in the 61–24 away win, with Baloucoune scoring two tries, and Postlethwaite and Wilson scoring one each.[50]

Second block

Ulster returned to the URC on 28 November 2025 with a 47-13 home win over Benetton, including two tries each for Robert Baloucoune and Werner Kok.[51] They then opened their Challenge Cup campaign with a 61-7 home win over Racing 92, including two tries each for Jacob Stockdale and Zac Ward.[52] They sent a rotated team to Cardiff for their second Challenge Cup pool match, losing 26-29 to a last-minute penalty from Callum Sheedy.[53]

There followed a season of interpros in the URC. Ulster lost 24-20 away to Leinster in the URC, despite two Werner Kok tries,[54] but returned to winning ways the following week, defeating Connacht 29-24 in Galway, with Zac Ward scoring two tries.[55] On 2 January 2026, Ulster defeated Munster 28-3 at home, with academy back row forward Bryn Ward, starting at number eight in the absence of the injured Juarno Augustus, was named player of the match.[56]

Their third Challenge Cup pool match was scheduled for 11 January, against the Cheetahs at the NRCA Stadium in Amsterdam. Due to weather conditions, it was moved to Dukes Rugby in 's-Hertogenbosch, but was called off at the last minute after more snow and sub-zero conditions left the pitch unplayable.[57] The match was cancelled by EPCR, and Ulster were awarded a 28-0 win,[58] which guaranteed qualification for the round of 16.[59] A home victory against Stade Francais meant Ulster finished top of the group and third seed overall, earning a home game in the round of sixteen against Ospreys on 4 April.[60] A last-minute away loss to the Scarlets and a home win over Cardiff left Ulster fourth in thye URC table after round 11.[61]

Six Nations break

Nine Ulster players were selected in the Ireland squad for the 2026 Six Nations Championship: hooker Tom Stewart, prop Tom O'Toole, lock Cormac Izuchukwu, flanker Nick Timoney, wings Jacob Stockdale and Robert Baloucoune, centres Stuart McCloskey and Jude Postlethwaite, and uncapped scrum-half Nathan Doak. Loose forward Bryn Ward was called up as a training panellist, and was in the squad for the Ireland 'A' squad for the fixture against England 'A', alongside props Sam Crean and Scott Wilson, locks Charlie Irvine and Harry Sheridan, centre James Hume, out-half Jack Murphy, and wing Zac Ward, with Mark Sexton involved as attack coach.[62][63][64]

McCloskey and Stockdale started, and Timoney came off the bench and scored a try, in the opening away loss against France.[65] Wilson, Irvine, Bryn Ward, Zac Ward and Hume started the 'A' international, and Crean, Sheridan and Murphy appeared from the bench, as they lost 52-14 to England 'A'.[66] Bryn Ward returned to the full Ireland squad.[67] Izuchukwu, McCloskey and Baloucoune were named to start, with O'Toole and Timoney on the bench, for the second Six Nations game at home to Italy.[68] Baloucoune scored a try and was named Man of the Match in a 20-13 win.[69] The following week McCloskey and Baloucoune started, with Baloucoune scoring a try, and O'Toole and Timoney came off the bench, in a 42-21 away win against England.[70]

In the Six Nations break week, Ulster lost 21-10 away to the Ospreys.[71] The following week, Tom O'Toole, Nick Timoney, Jacob Stockdale, Stuart McCloskey and Robert Baloucoune started, Stockdale scoring a try, and Tom Stewart and Nathan Doak came off the bench, the latter making his international debut, as Ireland beat Wales 27-17 in Dublin.[72] The postponed round 2 URC match between Edinburgh and Ulster was rescheduled for 13 March 2026.[73] Academy prop Tom McAllister made his senior debut as Ulster won 40-19 and went into second in the URC table.[74] In the final round of the Six Nations, Tom O'Toole, Stuart McCloskey and Robert Baloucoune started, with Baloucoune scoring a try, and Timoney came off the bench, as Ireland won the Triple Crown with a home win against Scotland.[75] Baloucoune won the tournament's Rising Player award.[76]

Future developments

Signings reported for the 2026-27 season include Benetton's Zimbabwean lock Eli Snyman,[77] Connacht scrum-half Matthew Devine,[78] and Irish-qualified lock/back row Ben Donnell from Cardiff.[79]

Ulster synchronised the contracts of their entire senior coaching team: Head coach Richie Murphy, forwards coach Jimmy Duffy, defence coach Willie Faloon and attack coach Mark Sexton all signed new contracts to the end of the 2027-28 season, with development and transition coach Dan Soper already signed until then.[80] However, it was later announced that Duffy would leave at the end of the season by mutual consent.[81]

Staff

Position Name Nationality
Chief executive officer Hugh McCaughey Ireland
General manager Rory Best Ireland
Head coach Richie Murphy Ireland
Forwards coach Jimmy Duffy Ireland
Backs coach Mark Sexton Ireland
Defence and contact skills coach Willie Faloon Ireland
Development and transition coach Dan Soper New Zealand
Academy manager Gavin Hogg Ireland
Elite performance development officer Niall Annett Ireland
Elite performance development officer Jonathon Graham Ireland

Squad

Senior squad

The below squad reflects the confirmed joiners and leavers for the 2025–26 season. Amendments to the squad will be made as-and-when announcements are confirmed by the province.

Ulster Rugby squad[a]

Props

Hookers

Locks

Back row

Scrum-halves

Fly-halves

Centres

Wings

Fullbacks

(c) denotes the team captain, Bold denotes internationally capped players.
* denotes players qualified to play for Ireland on residency or dual nationality.
Italics denote academy players. ST denotes a short-term signing.
  1. ^ Taking into account signings and departures ahead of 2025–26 season as listed on List of 2025–26 United Rugby Championship transfers.

Academy squad

Ulster Rugby academy squad

Props

Hookers

  • Connor Magee (1)
  • Henry Walker* (3)

Locks

  • James McKillop (2)
  • Paddy Woods* (1)

Back row

  • Tom Brigg (3)
  • Josh Stevens (3)
  • Bryn Ward (2)

Scrum-halves

  • Clark Logan (2)

Fly-halves

  • Daniel Green* (1)

Centres

Back three

Number in brackets indicates players stage in the three-year academy cycle.
* denotes players qualified to play for Ireland on residency or dual nationality.
Players and their allocated positions from the Ulster Rugby website.

Season record

Competition Played Won Drawn Lost PF PA PD TF TA
2025-26 Challenge Cup 3 2 0 1 112 57 +57 16 8
2025-26 URC 12 8 0 4 352 248 +83 49 34
Total 15 10 0 5 464 305 +159 65 42

United Rugby Championship

Main article: 2025–26 United Rugby Championship

Table

Pos Team Pld W D L PF PA PD TF TA TB LB Pts Qualification
1 Glasgow Warriors 12 9 0 3 320 170 +150 47 23 7 2 45 Qualifies for home URC quarter-final;
Qualification for the 2026–27 Champions Cup
2 Ulster 13 8 0 5 371 274 +97 52 38 7 3 42
3 Stormers 12 9 0 3 316 204 +112 39 26 5 0 41
4 Leinster 12 8 0 4 308 242 +66 45 32 8 1 41
5 Cardiff 13 8 0 5 247 250 −3 36 35 5 3 40 Qualifies for URC quarter-final;
Qualification for the 2026–27 Champions Cup
6 Munster 12 8 0 4 248 225 +23 36 30 5 2 39
7 Bulls 13 7 0 6 363 309 +54 54 44 6 1 35
8 Connacht 13 6 0 7 315 312 +3 43 44 7 4 35
9 Lions 12 6 1 5 325 342 −17 43 50 5 2 33 Qualification for the 2026–27 Challenge Cup
10 Ospreys 12 5 2 5 260 273 −13 39 41 4 1 29
11 Sharks 12 4 1 7 256 333 −77 38 43 5 1 24
12 Edinburgh 12 4 0 8 238 253 −15 37 39 3 4 23
13 Benetton 12 4 2 6 216 281 −65 25 37 2 1 23
14 Scarlets 13 4 1 8 242 311 −69 34 44 1 2 21
15 Dragons 12 2 3 7 227 286 −59 29 43 2 4 20
16 Zebre Parma 13 2 0 11 214 401 −187 29 57 2 2 12
Updated to match(es) played on 14 March 2026. Source: UnitedRugby.com
Rules for classification: Tiebreakers for teams tied on points: 1) Number of matches won 2) The difference between points for and points against 3) The number of tries scored 4) The most points scored 5) The difference between tries for and tries against 6) The fewest red cards received 7) The fewest yellow cards received.[85]


URC Irish Shield

2025–26 United Rugby Championship Regional Shield tables
Irish Shield
Team P W D L PF PA PD TF TA TBP LBP Pts Pos overall
1 Leinster 5 4 0 1 137 99 +38 19 12 3 0 19 4
2 Ulster 4 2 0 2 96 77 +19 13 11 1 2 11 2
4 Munster 4 2 0 2 59 70 –11 8 9 1 1 10 6
3 Connacht 5 1 0 4 105 151 –46 14 20 1 2 7 8
If teams are level at any stage, tiebreakers are applied in the following order:[86]
  1. number of matches won
  2. the difference between points for and points against
  3. the number of tries scored
  4. the most points scored
  5. the difference between tries for and tries against
  6. the fewest red cards received
  7. the fewest yellow cards received
Green background indicates teams currently leading the regional shield. Upon the conclusion of the regular season, these teams win their respective regional shields.

(S) : URC Shield champion

Fixtures

26 September 2025 (1 BP) Ulster 42-21 Dragons Ravenhill Stadium, Belfast  
20:05 Try: Izuchukwu 12'
Timoney 28'
McCann 34'
Z. Ward 36'
Doak 42'
Stewart 80+3'
Con: Doak (5) 13' 29' 34' 38' 43'
Flannery 80+4'
 Report[41]
Match centre
Player of the match:
Zac Ward 		Try: Wainwright 0'
Rosser 16'
Lewis-Hughes 49'
Con: De Beer (3) 2' 17' 50'
 Attendance: 9,563[87]
Referee: Griffin Colby
Ulster lineup:

1. Callum Reid, 2. Rob Herring, 3. Tom O'Toole,
4. Iain Henderson (c), 5. Harry Sheridan,
6. Cormac Izuchukwu, 7. Nick Timoney, 8. David McCann,
9. Nathan Doak, 10. Jack Murphy,
11. Jacob Stockdale, 12. Stuart McCloskey, 13. James Hume, 14. Zac Ward,
15. Michael Lowry.
Replacements:
16. Tom Stewart (for Herring 57'), 17. Sam Crean (for Reid 53'), 18. Scott Wilson (for O'Toole 53'),
19. Matty Dalton (for Henderson 62'), 20. Juarno Augustus (for McCann 57'),
21. Conor McKee (for Doak 70'), 22. Jake Flannery (for Murphy 70'), 23. Ben Carson (for McCloskey 62').

3 October 2025 Edinburgh P - P Ulster Edinburgh Rugby Stadium  
19:00 Postponed due to weather conditions[88]
11 October 2025 (1 BP) Ulster 28–7 Bulls Ravenhill Stadium, Belfast  
19:45 Try: McCloskey (22')
Augustus (49')
Herring (54')
Izuchukwu (57')
Con: Doak (22', 50', 55', 58')
Cards: Herring  27' 		Report[89]
Match centre
Player of the match:
Nathan Doak 		Try: Louw (27')
Con: Pollard (28')
Cards: Rudolph  47' 		Attendance: 10,629
Referee: Mike Adamson
Ulster lineup:

1. Sam Crean, 2. Rob Herring, 3. Tom O'Toole,
4. Iain Henderson (c), 5. Cormac Izuchukwu,
6. David McCann, 7. Nick Timoney, 8. Juarno Augustus,
9. Nathan Doak, 10. Jack Murphy,
11. Zac Ward, 12. Stuart McCloskey, 13. James Hume, 14. Robert Baloucoune,
15. Jacob Stockdale.
Replacements:
16. Tom Stewart (for Baloucoune 34-37', for Herring 58'), 17. Eric O'Sullivan (for Crean 64'), 18. Scott Wilson (for O'Toole 51'),
19. Harry Sheridan (for Izuchukwu 63'), 20. Sean Reffell (for Augustus 61'),
21. Conor McKee (for Doak 75'), 22. Jake Flannery (for Murphy 71'), 23. Jude Postlethwaite (for McCloskey 32-33', 69').

18 October 2025 (1 BP) Sharks 26-34 Ulster (1 BP) Kings Park Stadium, Durban  
15:00 Try: Kolisi (33')
Mapimpi (49')
Esterhuizen (71')
penalty try
Con: Masuku (50')
Hendrikse (72')
Cards: Mapimpi
Koch  51' 		Report[90]
March centre
Player of the week:
Nathan Doak 		Try: Lowry (6')
Werner Kok (21')
Stewart (56')
Reid (66')
Con: Doak (7', 21', 57', 68')
Pen: Doak (16', 37')
Cards: O'Toole  61' 		Attendance: 11,280
Referee: Ben Whitehouse
Ulster lineup:

1. Sam Crean, 2. Tom Stewart, 3. Scott Wilson,
4. Iain Henderson (c), 5. Harry Sheridan,
6. David McCann, 7. Nick Timoney, 8. Juarno Augustus,
9. Nathan Doak, 10. Jack Murphy,
11. Jacob Stockdale, 12. Stuart McCloskey, 13. James Hume, 14. Werner Kok,
15. Michael Lowry.
Replacements:
16. Rob Herring (for Reffell 46'), 17. Callum Reid (for Crean 51'), 18. Tom O'Toole (for Wilson 46', Wilson for Hume 62-72'),
19. Joe Hopes (for Henderson 74'), 20. Sean Reffell (for Augustus 40'),
21. Conor McKee (for Doak 78'), 22. Jake Flannery (for Murphy 78'), 23. Jude Postlethwaite (for McCloskey 28').

25 October 2025 (1 BP) Lions 49-31 Ulster (1 BP) Ellis Park Stadium, Johannesburg  
12:45 Try: Kotze 2'
Keyter 8'
Venter 46'
du Plessis 61'
van Wyk 71'
van Vuuren 76'
Brandon 81'
Con: C. Smith (4) 3', 9', 47', 62'
Pen: C. Smith (2) 33', 50'
Cards: Ntlabakanye  27' 		Report[91]
Match centre 		Try: Baloucoune (3) 5', 40', 52'
Hume 24'
McCann 67'
Con: Doak (2) 6', 24'
Flannery 67'
 Attendance: 4,061
Referee: Ben Connor
Ulster lineup:

1. Sam Crean, 2. Rob Herring (c), 3. Tom O'Toole,
4. Harry Sheridan, 5. Joe Hopes,
6. David McCann, 7. Tom Stewart, 8. Bryn Ward,
9. Nathan Doak, 10. Jack Murphy,
11. Zac Ward, 12. Jude Postlethwaite, 13. James Hume, 14. Robert Baloucoune,
15. Michael Lowry.
Replacements:
16. James McCormick (for McCann 74'), 17. Callum Reid (for Crean 51'), 18. Scott Wilson (for O'Toole 48'),
19. Matty Dalton (for Hopes 58'), 20. Marcus Rea (for B. Ward 62'),
21. Conor McKee (for Doak 69'), 22. Jake Flannery (for Murphy 62'), 23. Werner Kok (for Z. Ward 62').

28 November 2025 (1 BP) Ulster 47-13 Benetton Ravenhill Stadium, Belfast  
19:45 Try: Baloucoune (2) 10' 77'
Kok (2) 22' 58'
Hume 52'
Penalty try 63'
Sheridan 68'
Con: Doak (3) 23' 53' 60'
Flannery (2) 68' 78'
 Report[51]
Match centre
Player of the match:
Jude Postlethwaite 		Try: Bernasconi 28'
Con: Umaga 29'
Pen: Umaga (2) 15' 40+3'
Cards: Ratave 63' 		Attendance: 11,517
Referee: Sam Grove-White
Ulster lineup:

1. Sam Crean, 2. Tom Stewart, 3. Scott Wilson,
4. Harry Sheridan, 5. Matty Dalton,
6. David McCann, 7. Nick Timoney (c), 8. Juarno Augustus,
9. Nathan Doak, 10. Jack Murphy,
11. Werner Kok, 12. Jude Postlethwaite, 13. James Hume, 14. Robert Baloucoune,
15. Jacob Stockdale.
Replacements:
16. Rob Herring (for Stewart 51-73'), 17. Callum Reid (for Crean 51'), 18. Tom O'Toole (for Wilson 56'),
19. Charlie Irvine (for Dalton 9'), 20. Bryn Ward (for Augustus 63'),
21. David Shanahan (for Doak 67'), 22. Jake Flannery (for Murphy 67'), 23. Stewart Moore (for Postlethwaite 63').

19 December 2025 (1 BP) Leinster 24-20 Ulster (1 BP) Aviva Stadium, Dublin  
19:45 Try: Ioane 27'
Kenny 54'
Lowe 66'
Sheehan 74'
Con: Prendergast 27'
Byrne 75'
Cards: Ryan  59' 		Report[54]
Match centre 		Try: Kok (2) 14' 34'
Stewart 38'
Con: Doak 35'
Pen: Doak 62'
Cards: McCann  72' 		Referee: Andrew Brace
Ulster lineup:

1. Angus Bell, 2. Tom Stewart, 3. Tom O'Toole,
4. Harry Sheridan, 5. Charlie Irvine,
6. David McCann, 7. Nick Timoney (c), 8. Juarno Augustus,
9. Nathan Doak, 10. Jack Murphy,
11. Werner Kok, 12. Stuart McCloskey, 13. Jude Postlethwaite, 14. Robert Baloucoune,
15. Jacob Stockdale.
Replacements:
16. John Andrew (for Stewart 65-72'), 17. Sam Crean (for Bell 55'), 18. Scott Wilson (for O'Toole 55'),
19. Joe Hopes (for Irvine 47'), 20. Bryn Ward (for Augustus 64'),
21. Conor McKee (for Doak 680') 22. Jake Flannery, 23. Ethan McIlroy (for Baloucoune 50').

27 December 2025 (1 BP) Connacht 24-29 Ulster (1 BP) The Sportsground, Galway  
17:30 Try: Treacy 24'
Jansen 66'
Devine 77'
Con: Gilbert (3) 25' 67' 77'
Pen: Gilbert 31'
Cards: Aki  43'
Joyce  16' 		Report[55]
Match centre
Player of the match:
Cormac Izuchukwu 		Try: Z. Ward (2) 34' 40+1'
Kok 47'
Penalty try 53'
Con: Murphy (2) 34' 48'
Pen: Murphy 80+1'
Cards: Murphy  16'
McCloskey  43' 		Referee: Eoghan Cross
Ulster lineup:

1. Sam Crean, 3. Tom Stewart, 3. Scott Wilson,
4. Harry Sheridan, 5. Cormac Izuchukwu,
6. David McCann, 7. Nick Timoney (c), 8. Juarno Augustus,
9. Conor McKee, 10. Jack Murphy,
11. Zac Ward, 12. Stuart McCloskey, 13. James Hume, 14. Werner Kok,
15. Jacob Stockdale,
Replacements:
16. John Andrew, 17. Angus Bell (for Crean 41'), 18. Tom O'Toole (for Wilson 41'),
19. Joe Hopes (for Izuchukwu 72'), 20. Bryn Ward (for Augustus 64'),
21. Nathan Doak (for McKee 51'), 22. Jake Flannery (for Stockdale 78'), 23. Jude Postlethwaite (for McCloskey 64').

2 January 2026 Ulster 28-3 Munster Ravenhill Stadium, Belfast  
19:45 Try: Stewart 48'
Flannery 55'
B. Ward 72'
Con: Doak (2) 49' 72'
Pen: Doak (3) 5' 25' 43'
 Report[56]
Match centre
Player of the match:
Bryn Ward 		Pen: Hanrahan 28'
 Referee: Mike Adamson
Ulster lineup:

1. Angus Bell, 2. Tom Stewart, 3. Tom O'Toole,
4. Iain Henderson (c), 5. Joe Hopes,
6. Cormac Izuchukwu, 7. Nick Timoney, 8. Bryn Ward,
9. Nathan Doak, 10. Jack Murphy,
11. Zac Ward, 12. Stuart McCloskey, 13. James Hume, 14. Werner Kok,
15. Jacob Stockdale.
Replacements:
16. Rob Herring (for Stewart 57'), 17. Eric O'Sullivan (for Bell 53'), 18. Scott Wilson (for O'Toole 57'),
19. Harry Sheridan (for Henderson 57'), 20. David McCann (for Izuchukwu 61'),
21. Conor McKee (for Doak 80'), 22. Jake Flannery (for Stockdale 49'), 23. Jude Postlethwaite (for McCloskey 61').

24 January 2026 Scarlets 27-22 Ulster (1 BP) Parc y Scarlets, Llanelli  
15:00 Try: Murray 10'
Macleod 32'
Mee 80+3'
Con: Costelow (3) 11' 33' 80+4'
Pen: Costelow (2) 6' 72'
Cards: Plumtree  66' 		Report[92]
Match centre
Player of the match:
Nathan Doak 		Try: Stewart 20'
B. Ward 27'
Wilson 68'
Con: Doak (2) 27' 68'
Pen: Doak 76'
Cards: Kok  80+2' 		Referee: Griffin Colby
Ulster lineup:

1. Angus Bell, 2. Tom Stewart, 3. Tom O'Toole,
4. Iain Henderson (c), 5. Charlie Irvine,
6. David McCann, 7. Nick Timoney, 8. Bryn Ward,
9. Nathan Doak, 10. Jack Murphy,
11. Werner Kok, 12. Stuart McCloskey, 13. James Hume, 14. Robert Baloucoune,
15. Michael Lowry.
Replacements:
16. Rob Herring (for Stewart 52'), 17. Eric O'Sullivan (for Bell 52'), 18. Scott Wilson (for O'Toole 52'),
19. Harry Sheridan (for Henderson 61'), 20. Matthew Dalton (for B. Ward 69'),
21. Conor McKee, 22. Jake Flannery (for Lowry 1'), 23. Jude Postlethwaite (for Baloucoune 41').

31 January 2026 Ulster 21-14 Cardiff (1 BP) Ravenhill Stadium, Belfast  
19:45 Try: Wilson 12'
Bell 19'
Irvine 66'
Con: Murphy (3) 12' 19' 67'
 Report[93]
Match centre
Player of the match:
Matthew Dalton 		Try: Mulder 54'
Emanuel 68'
Con: Sheedy (2) 55' 69'
 Attendance: 12,012
Referee: Hollie Davidson
Ulster lineup:

1. Angus Bell, 2. Rob Herring, 3. Scott Wilson,
4. Iain Henderson (c), 5. Charlie Irvine,
6. Matthew Dalton, 7. Marcus Rea, 8. David McCann,
9. Conor McKee, 10. Jack Murphy,
11. Zac Ward, 12. Ben Carson, 13. James Hume, 14. Werner Kok,
15. Ethan McIlroy.
Replacements:
16. James McCormick, 17. Sam Crean (for Bell 55'), 18. Bryan O'Connor (for Wilson 76'),
19. Harry Sheridan (for Henderson 55'), 20. Lorcan McLoughlin (for Rea 63'),
21. David Shanahan (for McKee 63'), 22. Jake Flannery (for McIlroy 71'), 23. Ben Moxham.

28 February 2026 Ospreys 21-10 Ulster Brewery Field, Bridgend  
19:45 Try: Foley 3'
Ratti 68'
Kasdende 77'
Con: Walsh (3) 4' 69' 78'
 Report[71]
Match centre 		Try: Z. Ward 9'
Stewart 12'
Cards: Rea  75' 		Attendance: 3,761
Referee: Filippo Russo
Ulster lineup:

1. Eric O'Sullivan, 2. Tom Stewart, 3. Scott Wilson,
4. Iain Henderson (c), 5. Charlie Irvine,
6. Matthew Dalton, 7. David McCann, 8. Bryn Ward,
9. Nathan Doak, 10. Jack Murphy,
11. Zac Ward, 12. Jude Postlethwaite, 13. James Hume, 14. Werner Kok,
15. Michael Lowry.
Replacements:
16. Rob Herring (for Stewart 57'), 17. Angus Bell (for O'Sullivan 49'), 18. Brian O'Connor (for Wilson 60'),
19. Harry Sheridan (for Henderson 57'), 20. Marcus Rea (for Dalton 57'),
21. Conor McKee (for Doak 57'), 22. Jake Flannery, 23. Ben Carson (for Postlethwaite 75').

13 March 2026 Edinburgh 19-40 Ulster (1 BP) Edinburgh Rugby Stadium  
19:45 Try: Thompson 6'
Paterson 21'
Goosen 31'
Con: Thompson (2) 6', 22'
Cards: Morris  64' 		Report[94]
Match centre
Player of the Match:
Juarno Augustus 		Try: Irvine 10'
Augustus 35'
Flannery 50'
Wilson 62'
McKee 69'
Carson 74'
Con: Murphy (5/6) 11', 35', 63', 70', 75'
Cards: Z. Ward  1'
Sheridan  45' 		Attendance: 7,989
Referee: Federico Vedovelli
Ulster lineup:

1. Angus Bell, 2. Rob Herring (c), 3. Tom McAllister,
4. Harry Sheridan, 5. Charlie Irvine,
6. Cormac Izuchukwu, 7. Bryn Ward, 8. Juarno Augustus,
9. David Shanahan, 10. Jack Murphy,
11. Zac Ward, 12. Jude Postlethaite, 13. James Hume, 14. Werner Kok,
15. Michael Lowry.
Replacements:
16. James McCormick (for Herring 60'), 17. Sam Crean (for Bell 60'), 18. Scott Wilson (for McAllister 48'),
19. Joe Hopes (for Sheridan 67'), 20. David McCann (for B. Ward 48', B. Ward for Izuchukwu 67'),
21. Conor McKee (for Shanahan 3'), 22. Jake Flannery (for Hume 42'), 23. Ben Carson (For Postlethwaite 36').

20 March 2026 (1 BP) Ulster 19-26 Connacht (1 BP) Ravenhill Stadium, Belfast  
19:45 Try: Doak 24'
Z. Ward 65'
Bell 75'
Con: Doak 24'
Murphy 76'
 Match centre Try: Jansen (19')57'
Bealham
Treacy (2) 61' 68'
Con: Naughton (3) 20' 58' 69'
Cards: Bealham  38' 		Referee: Mike Adamson
Ulster lineup:

1. Angus Bell, 2. Tom Stewart, 3. Scott Wilson,
4. Iain Henderson (c), 5. Joe Hopes,
6. David McCann, 7. Marcus Rea, 8. Juarno Augustus,
9. Nathan Doak, 10. Jack Murphy,
11. Zac Ward, 12. Ben Carson, 13. Jacob Stockdale, 14. Werner Kok,
15. Michael Lowry.
Replacements:
16. Rob Herring (for Stewart 59'), 17. Sam Crean (for Bell 59-73'), 18. Tom O'Toole (for Wilson 51'),
19. Matthew Dalton (for Henderson 55'), 20. Bryn Ward (for Rea 21-33', 51'),
21. Conor McKee (for Doak 63'), 22. Jonny Scott (for McIlroy 63'), 23. Ethan McIlroy (for Lowry 6').

28 March 2026 Zebre Parma v Ulster Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi, Parma  
19:45
17 April 2026 Ulster v Leinster Ravenhill Stadium, Belfast  
19:45
25 April 2026 Munster v Ulster Thomond Park, Limerick  
17:40
8 May 2026 Ulster v Stormers Ravenhill Stadium, Belfast  
19:45
15 May 2026 Ulster v Glasgow Warriors Ravenhill Stadium, Belfast  
19:45

European Challenge Cup

Ulster have been drawn in Pool 3 of the 2025–26 EPCR Challenge Cup, alongside Cardiff, Cheetahs, Exeter Chiefs, Racing 92 and Stade Francais.[95] The European Rugby Champions Cup rules do not apply, so Ulster will play URC rivals Cardiff, Racing 92 and Stade Français from France, and former Pro14 rivals, Cheetahs, but will not play Prem Rugby side Exeter Chiefs at this stage.

EPCR Challenge Cup Pool 3
Pos Team Pld W D L PF PA PD TF TA TB LB Pts Qualification
1 Ulster (3) 4 3 0 1 141 55 +86 21 8 4 1 17 Home round of 16
2 Stade Français (4) 4 3 0 1 129 90 +39 19 13 3 1 16
3 Exeter Chiefs (7) 4 2 1 1 129 70 +59 18 11 3 1 14
4 Cardiff (15) 4 2 0 2 78 108 −30 11 17 2 0 10 Away round of 16
5 Racing 92 4 1 1 2 82 152 −70 13 21 2 0 8
6 Cheetahs 4 0 0 4 62 146 −84 9 21 1 1 2
Source: EPCR[96]
Rules for classification: Tiebreakers for teams tied on points: 1) Number of matches won; 2) Difference between points for and against; 3) Total number of points for; 4) Aggregate number of points scored in matches between tied teams; 5) Number of matches won excluding the first match, then the second and so on until the tie is settled.

Pool matches

5 December 2025   (1 BP) Ulster 61-7 Racing 92 Ravenhill Stadium, Belfast  
20:00 Try: Stockdale (2) 15' 79'
Herring 35'
O'Toole 42'
Stewart 48'
Wilson 59'
Flannery 68' c)
Z. Ward (2) 73' 83'
Con: Murphy (8) 16' 36' 49' 59' 68' 74' 80' 83'
 Report[52]
Match centre
Player of the match:
David McCann 		Try: Gibert 8'
Con: Gibert 9'
Cards: Sanconnie, 50' to 60' 		Attendance: 10,426
Referee: Ben Breakspear
Ulster lineup:

1. Sam Crean, 2. Rob Herring, 3. Tom O'Toole,
4. Harry Sheridan, 5. Charlie Irvine,
6. David McCann, 7. Nick Timoney (c), 8. Juarno Augustus,
9. Nathan Doak, 10. Jack Murphy,
11. Zac Ward, 12. Jude Postlethwaite, 13. James Hume, 14. Robert Baloucoune,
15. Jacob Stockdale.
Replacements:
16. Tom Stewart (for Herring 40'), 17. Angus Bell (for Crean 53'), 18. Scott Wilson (for O'Toole 53'),
19. Joe Hopes (for Augustus 59'), 20. Bryn Ward (For Timoney 53'),
21. Conor McKee (for Doak 53'), 22. Jake Flannery (for Baloucoune 53'), 23. Stewart Moore (for Postlethwaite 24').

12 December 2025  (1 BP) Cardiff 29-26 Ulster (2 BP) Cardiff Arms Park  
20:00 Try: Nott 6'
Bowen 12'
Southworth 64'
D. Thomas 72'
Con: Halfpenny 7'
Sheedy (2) 64' 73'
Pen: Sheedy 80'
Cards: Botham  67' 		Report[53]
Match centre 		Try: Stewart 21'
Hume 39'
Kok 44' 53'
Con: Flannery (3) 22' 40' 54'
Cards: Sheridan  67'
Carson  72' 		Attendance: 6,425
Referee: Evan Urruzmendi
Ulster lineup:

1. Sam Crean, 2. Tom Stewart (c), 3. Tom O'Toole,
4. Harry Sheridan, 5. Charlie Irvine,
6. David McCann, 7. Sean Reffell, 8. Bryn Ward,
9. Conor McKee, 10. Jake Flannery,
11. Zac Ward, 12. Ben Carson, 13. James Hume, 14. Werner Kok,
15. Stewart Moore.
Replacements:
16. John Andrew (for Stewart 59'), 17. Angus Bell (for Crean 49'), 18. Rory McGuire (for O'Toole 59'),
19. Cormac Izuchukwu (for Irvine 49'), 20. Juarno Augustus (for Reffell 49'),
21. David Shanahan (for McKee 67'), 22. James Humphreys (for Flannery 76'), 23. Bradley McNamara (for Moore 16-21', 67').

11 January 2026 Cheetahs 0-28 Ulster (1 BP) Dukes Rugby, 's-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands  
16:15 Match cancelled and Ulster awarded a 28-0 victory.[57][58] Referee: Kevin Bralley
17 January 2026 (1 BP) Ulster 26–19 Stade Français (1 BP) Ravenhill Stadium, Belfast  
13:00 Try: O'Toole 1’ c
Baloucoune 14’ m
McCloskey 23’ c
Doak 30’ c
Con: Murphy (3/4) 2', 24', 31'
 Report[97]
Match centre
Player of the match:
Bryn Ward 		Try: Melikidze 46' c
Laloi 54' m
Peyresblanques 66' c
Con: Foursans-Bourdette (2/3) 47', 67'
 Attendance: 11,900
Referee: Adam Leal (England)
Ulster lineup:

1. Sam Crean, 2. Tom Stewart, 3. Tom O'Toole,
4. Iain Henderson (c), 5. Harry Sheridan,
6. David McCann, 7. Nick Timoney, 8. Bryn Ward,
9. Nathan Doak, 10. Jack Murphy,
11. Zac Ward, 12. Stuart McCloskey, 13. James Hume, 14. Robert Baloucoune,
15. Jacob Stockdale.
Replacements:
16. Rob Herring (for Stewart 50'), 17. Eric O'Sullivan (for Crean 50'), 18. Scott Wilson (for O'Toole 51'),
19. Matthew Dalton (for Henderson 62'), 20. Sean Reffell (for McCann 62'),
21. Conor McKee, 22. Jake Flannery, 23. Jude Postlethwaite (for Hune 51').

Knockout stage

Ulster qualified for the round of sixteen when they confirmed a top four finish in Pool 3 in Round 3 with the award of a 28-0 victory over Cheetahs. They confirmed a top four seeding, a home tie in the round of 16, and a potential home quarter-final, with a bonus-point victory over Stade Francais, 26-19, in Round 4 of Pool 3.

Round of 16 Quarter-finals Semi-finals Final
            
1 Montpellier
16 Perpignan
 
 
8 Connacht
9 Sharks
 
 
4 Stade Français
13 Dragons
 
 
5 Zebre Parma
12 Pau
 
 
2 Benetton
15 Cardiff
 
 
7 Exeter Chiefs
10 Munster
 
 
3 Ulster
14 Ospreys
 
 
6 Newcastle Red Bulls
11 La Rochelle
Round of 16
4 April 2026 Ulster v Ospreys Ravenhill Stadium  
20:00

Home attendance

After URC round 11, Challenge Cup round 4

Domestic League European Cup Total
League Fixtures Attendance League Fixtures Attendance
Total Average Highest Lowest Total Average Highest Lowest Fixtures Total Attendance Average Attendance
2025–26 United Rugby Championship 5 61,917 12,383 18,196 9,563 2025–26 EPCR Challenge Cup 2 22,326 11,163 11,900 10,426 7 84,243 12,035

Friendlies

12 September 2025   Ulster 31-19 Edinburgh Ravenhill Stadium, Belfast  
19:35 Try: Izuchukwu
Postlethwaite
Z. Ward
McCormick
Scott
Con: Murphy (2)
Flannery
Cards: Graham 		Report[98] Try: McConnell
Wells
Jones
Con: Thompson (2)
Ulster lineup:

1. Callum Reid, 2. John Andrew, 3. Tom O'Toole,
4. Iain Henderson (c), 5. Matthew Dalton,
6. Cormac Izuchukwu, 7. Sean Reffell, 8. David McCann,
9. Nathan Doak, 10. Jack Murphy,
11. Zac Ward, 12. Jude Postlethwaite, 13. James Hume, 14. Werner Kok,
15. Jake Flannery.
Replacements:
James McCormick, Sam Crean, Scott Wilson,
Harry Sheridan, Nick Timoney, Marcus Rea,
Conor McKee, Jonny Scott, Ben Carson,
Ethan Graham, Lukas Kenny, Wilhelm de Klerk.

Ulster 'A'

Players

The following players, other than players from the senior squad and academy, appeared for Ulster 'A' this season.

Players used by Ulster 'A'

Props

  • Blake McClean (Instonians)

Hookers

  • Josh Hanlon (Ballynahinch)

Locks

  • Thomas Dougan (City of Armagh)
  • Ben Moore (Queen's University)

Back row

  • Noah Bell (City of Armagh)
  • Jon Rodgers (Ballynahinch)

Scrum-halves

  • Callum Soper (Malone)

Out-halves

  • Owen O'Kane (City of Armagh)

Centres

  • Matthew Booth (Ballynahinch)
  • Bevan Prinsloo (Instonians)

Fullbacks

  • Sam Cunningham (City of Armagh)

Fixtures

12 September 2025   Cambridge 33-36 Ulster 'A' Ellgia Fields, Cambridge  
15:00 Try: Yallop 1'
Irvine 20'
Reweti 28'
Qorowale 31'
Lumley 45'
Con: Caven (4) 21' 29' 47'
Cards: Nearchou 		Report[99] Try: Walker 10'
B. Ward (2) 47' 70'
McKillop 48'
Kenny 61'
Scott 78'
Con: Humphreys (3) 11' 49' 71'
 Attendance: 1,108
Ulster lineup:

1. Jacob Boyd, 2. Henry Walker, 3. Rory McGuire,
4. Charlie Irvine, 5. Joe Hopes,
6. James McKillop, 7. Bryn Ward, 8. Lorcan McLoughlin,
9. Clark Logan, 10. James Humphreys (c),
11. Ethan Graham, 12. Jonny Scott, 13. Bevan Prinsloo, 14. Lukas Kenny,
15. Dan Green.
Replacements:
16. Josh Hanlon, 17. Tom McAllister, 18. Blake McClean,
19. Thomas Dougan, 20. Josh Stevens,
21. Callum Soper, 22. Sam Cunningham, 23. Wilhelm de Klerk.

'A' Interprovincial Championship

21 November 2025   (1 BP) Ulster 'A' 28-22 Connacht Eagles (2 BP) Palace Grounds, Armagh  
15:00 Try: Dalton (2)
Graham
B. Ward
Con: Flannery (4)
Cards: Humphreys 		Report[100] Try: McNicholas
Treacy
Devine
Jennings
Con: Naughton
Ulster 'A' lineup:

1. Callum Reid, 2. John Andrew (c), 3. Rory McGuire,
4. Charlie Irvine, 5. Joe Hopes,
6. Matthew Dalton, 7. Marcus Rea, 8. Bryn Ward,
9. David Shanahan, 10. Jake Flannery,
11. Ethan Graham, 12. Jonny Scott, 13. Ben Carson, 14. Zac Ward,
15. Bradley McNamara.
Replacements:
16. James McCormick, 17. Jacob Boyd, 18. Bryan O’Connor,
19. Thomas Dougan, 20. Henry Walker,
21. Conor McKee, 22. James Humphreys, 23. Matthew Booth

19 December 2025   Connacht Eagles p-p Ulster 'A' The Sportsground, Galway  
14:00
13 February 2026   (1 BP) Munster 'A' 31-5 Ulster 'A' New Ormond Park, Nenagh & Tyone  
15:00 Try: O'Brien
O'Connor
Clein
Sheahan (2)
Con: Butler (3)
 Report[101] Try: McKillop
Cards: Carson
Walker
De Klerk
McKillop
Ulster 'A' lineup:

1. Callum Reid, 2. James McCormick, 3. Flynn Longstaff,
4. Joe Hopes, 5. Paddy Woods,
6. James McKillop, 7. Tom Brigg, 8. Lorcan McLoughlin,
9. Conor McKee, 10. Jake Flannery,
11. Ben Moxham, 12. Ben Carson, 13. Wilhelm de Klerk, 14. Jonny Scott,
15. Ethan McIlroy (c).
Replacements:
16. Henry Walker, 17. Jacob Boyd, 18. Tom McAllister,
19. Ben Moore, 20. Noah Bell,
21. Clark Logan, 22. James Humphreys, 23. Owen O'Kane, 24. Jon Rodgers.

20 February 2026   (1 BP) Ulster 'A' 34-7 Munster 'A' Ravenhill Stadium, Belfast  
15:00 Try: McIlroy
Moxham
O'Sullivan
Walker
Shanahan
O'Kane
Con: Humphreys (2)
 Report[102] Try: Maher
Con: O'Connor
Ulster 'A' lineup:

1. Eric O'Sullivan, 2. Henry Walker, 3. Tom McAllister,
4. Joe Hopes, 5. James McKillop,
6. Marcus Rea, 7. Tom Brigg, 8. Lorcan McLoughlin,
9. David Shanahan, 10. James Humphreys,
11. Ben Moxham, 12. Ben Carson, 13. Wilhelm de Klerk, 14. Jonny Scott,
15. Ethan McIlroy (c).
Replacements:
16. James McCormick, 17. Callum Reid, 18. Bryan O'Connor,
19. Paddy Woods, 20. Noah Bell,
21. Clark Logan, 22. Jake Flannery, 23. Owen O'Kane, 24. Ben Moore.

1/2 May 2026   Leinster 'A' v Ulster 'A' TBC  
9 May 2026   Ulster 'A' v Leinster 'A' Ballymacarn Park, Ballynahinch  
13:00

Ulster Women

The Ulster women's squad was announced in May 2025. Murray Houston remained head coach. Hooker India Daley was named captain, and lock Brenda Barr vice-captain.[103] Three Ulster players, Brittany Hogan, Fiona Tuite and Sadhbh McGrath, were named in the Ireland preparation squad for the 2025 Women's Rugby World Cup.[104]

Squad

Ulster Senior Women's Squad<[103][105]

Props

  • Sophie Barrett (Enniskillen/Railway Union)
  • Bronach Cassidy (Suttonians)
  • Ava Fannin (Blackrock)
  • Sophie McAlister (Ballymena)
  • Sadhbh McGrath (Cooke)
  • Aishling O'Connell (Monaghan)

Hookers

  • Maebh Clenaghan (Queen's University)
  • Sarah Roberts (Queen's University)
  • Megan Simpson (Cooke)
  • Emily Whittle (Queen's University)

Locks

  • Brenda Barr (Suttonians, vc)
  • Keelin Brady (Railway Union)
  • Lauren Darley (Queen's University)
  • Cara McLean (Larne)
  • Ellen Patterson (Cooke)

Back row

  • Rebecca Beacom (Enniskillen)
  • India Daley (Enniskillen, c)
  • Katie Hetherington (Cooke)
  • Christy Hill (Cooke)
  • Moya Hill (Enniskillen)
  • Brittany Hogan (Old Belvedere)
  • Ciara O'Donnell (Eniskillen)
  • Stacey Sloan (Cooke)
  • Ruby Starrett (Queen's University)
  • Fiona Tuite (Old Belvedere)

Scrum-halves

  • Georgia Boyce (Enniskillen)
  • Rachael McIlroy (Suttonians)

Out-halves

  • Lauren Farrell-McCabe (Suttonians)
  • Abby Moyles (UL Bohemian)

Centres

  • Farrah Cartin McCloskey (Enniskillen)
  • Catherine Martin (Blackrock)
  • Kelly McCormill (Cooke)
  • Tara O'Neill (Cooke)
  • Siobhan Sheerin (Clogher Valley)

Back three

  • Kate Farrell McCabe (Suttonians)
  • Ciara Fitzsimons (Queen's University)
  • Katie Gilmour (Cooke)
  • Niamh Marley (Cooke)
  • Erin McConalogue (Inishowen)
  • Sophie Meeke (Enniskillen)
  • Paige Smyth (Cooke)
  • Lucy Thompson (Enniskillen)
(c) denotes the team captain, (vc) denotes the team vice-captain. Bold denotes internationally capped players.

Staff

Ulster senior women's coaching staff[103]
Position Name Nationality
Head coach Murray Houston Scotland
Contact skills coach Neill Alcorn Ireland
Defence coach Eric O'Sullivan Ireland
Athletic development coach Kevin Gallagher Ireland
Team manager Marianne Breen Ireland
Physio Martin Dunlop Ireland

Friendlies

21 July 2025   Ulster 24-12 Connacht Enniskillen RFC  
Try: Sophie McAllister
Siobhan Sheerin
Ciara O'Donnell
Ciara Fitzsimons
Con: (2)
 Report[106] Try: (2)
Con: (1)
26 July 2025   Ulster 26-5 Leinster Chambers Park, Portadown  
Try: Stacey Sloan
Siobhan Sheerin
Georgia Boyce
Niamh Marley
Con: Lauren Farrell-McCabe (3)
 Report[107] Try: Teni Onigbode

IRFU Women's Interprovincial Series

The 2025 IRFU Women's Interprovincial Series will be played between 10 and 30 August.[108]

10 August 2025   (1 BP) Leinster 37-21 Ulster Energia Park, Dublin  
Try: Kathy Baker (2) 11' 53'
Emma Brogan (3) 17' 39' 78'
Jane Neill 32'
Jade Gaffney 44'
Con: Nikki Caughey 32'
 Report[109] Try: Siobhan Sheerin 34'
India Daley 38'
Sophie Barrett 48'
Con: Siobhan Sheerin (3) 35' 39' 48'
Cards: Brenda Barr  51'
Ulster lineup:

1. Sarah Roberts, 2. Maebh Clenaghan, 3. Sophie Barrett,
4. Lauren Darley, 5. Brenda Barr,
6. Ruby Starrett, 7. Katie Hetherington, 8 India Daley (c),
9. Georgia Boyce, 10. Lauren Farrell-McCabe,
11. Paige Smyth, 12. Tara O'Neill, 13. Siobhan Sheerin, 14. Luce Thompson,
15. Niamh Marley.
Replacements:
16. Megan Simpson (for Clenaghan 56'), 17. Cara McLean (for Roberts 56'), 18. Ava Fannin (for Barrett 56'),
19. Rebecca Beacom, 20. Moya Hill (for Daley 40'),
21. Rachael McIlroy (for Boyce 47'), 22. Kelly McCormill (for O'Neill 63'), 23. Stacey Sloan (for Hetherington 63').

16/17 August 2025   Connacht 12-7 Ulster (1 BP) The Sportsground, Galway  
Try: Siobhan Sheerin
Con: Siobhan Sheerin
Cards: Brenda Barr 		Report[110] Try: Faith Oviawe
Roisin Maher
Con: Éabha Nic Dhonnacha
Ulster lineup:

1. Sarah Roberts, 2. Maebh Clenaghan, 3. Ava Fannin,
4. Lauren Darley, 5. Brenda Barr,
6. Moya Hill, 7. Ruby Starrett, 8. India Daley (c),
9. Georgia Boyce, 10. Lauren Farrell-McCabe,
11. Niamh Marley, 12. Tara O'Neill, 13. Siobhan Sheerin, 14. Lucy Thompson,
15. Kate Farrell-McCabe.
Replacements:
16. Cara McLean, 17. Megan Simpson, 18. Sophie Barrett,
19. Rebecca Beacom, 20 Katie Hetherington,
21. Sophie Meeke, 22. Kelly McCormill, 23. Stacey Sloan.

23 August 2025   Ulster 17-38 Munster Ravenhill Stadium, Belfast  
Try: Siobhan Sheerin
Ciara Fitzsimons (2)
Con: Siobhan Sheerin
 Report[111] Try: Chloe Pearse
Chisom Ugwueru
Caitríona Finn
Maeve Og O'Leary
Alana McInerney
Con: Caitríona Finn (4)
Ulster lineup:

1. Aisling O'Connell, 2. India Daley (c), 3. Sophie Barrett,
4. Ellen Patterson, 5. Brenda Barr,
6. Moya Hill, 7. Rebecca Beacom, 8. Stacey Sloan,
9. Sophie Meeke, 10. Abby Moyles,
11. Niamh Marley, 12. Kelly McCormill, 13. Siobhan Sheerin, 14. Ciara Fitzsimons,
15. Kate Farrell-McCabe.
Replacements:
16. Megan Simpson, 17. Bronach Cassidy, 18. Sophie McAlister,
19. Lauren Darley, 20. Ciara O'Donnell,
21. Georgia Boyce, 22. Farrah Cartin-McCloskey, 23. Katie Gilmour.

3rd/4th place playoff

30 August 2025   Connacht 37-30 Ulster Energia Park, Dublin  
14:00 Try: Hannah Clarke (2) 6' 76'
Éabha Nic Dhonnacha 38'
Ava Ryder 41'
Grace Browne 59'
Jemima Adams Verling 65'
Con: Éabha Nic Dhonnacha (2) 59' 66
Pen: Éabha Nic Dhonnacha 79'
Cards: Faith Oviawe  68' 		Try: Tara O'Neill 18'
Abby Moyles 29'
Sophie Barrett 36'
India Daley 70'
Con: Abby Moyles (2) 29' 37'
Pen: Abby Moyles (2) 21' 73'
Cards: Maebh Clenaghan  78'
Ulster lineup:

1. Cara McLean, 2. India Daley, 3. Sophie Barrett,
4. Lauren Darley, 5. Brenda Barr,
6. Moya Hill, 7. Ruby Starrett, 8. Stacey Sloan,
9. Georgia Boyce, 10. Abby Moyles,
11. Niamh Marley, 12. Tara O'Neill, 13. Siobhan Sheerin, 14. Ciara Fitzsimons,
15. Lauren Farrell-McCabe.
Replacements:
16. Maebh Clenaghan (for Sloan 51'), 17. Aisling O'Connell (for McLean 51-68', Barrett 68'-), 18. Sarah Roberts (for Barrett 51'),
19. Emily Whittle, 20. Rebecca Beacom (for Barr 62'),
21. Sophie Meeke, 22. Kate Farrell-McCabe (for Lauren Farrell-McCabe 62'), 23. Lucy Thompson.

Celtic Challenge

Main article: 2025–26 Celtic Challenge

The 2025–26 Celtic Challenge will be the fourth season of the Celtic Challenge, a cross-border women's rugby union competition with teams from Ireland, Wales, and Scotland. The six team tournament features a full double round robin fixture series, with each team playing the others both home and away. For the first time, the competition will include a finals series with semi-finals and a grand final.[112][113]

Wolfhounds, a combined team representing Leinster and Ulster, return as two-time defending champions.

Table

Pos Team Pld W D L PF PA PD TF TA TB LB Pts Qualification
1 Wolfhounds (Q) 10 9 0 1 431 127 +304 66 20 9 0 45 Play-offs
2 Clovers (Q) 10 8 0 2 294 231 +63 48 37 7 0 39
3 Gwalia Lightning (Q) 10 4 0 6 217 212 +5 34 35 5 4 25
4 Brython Thunder (Q) 10 5 0 5 150 218 −68 24 35 2 1 23
5 Glasgow Warriors 10 2 0 8 154 236 −82 32 49 6 3 17
6 Edinburgh Rugby 10 2 0 8 152 321 −169 19 37 3 1 12
First match(es) will be played: 20 December 2025. Source: Celtic Challenge[114]
Rules for classification: Four points for a win, two points for a draw. One bonus point for scoring four or more tries in a match; one bonus point for losing by a margin of seven or less.

Wolfhounds fixtures

20 December 2025 (1 BP) Wolfhounds 34 – 7 Edinburgh Rugby Donnybrook Stadium, Dublin  
14:30 Try: Sophie Barrett (2)
India Daley
Maggie Boylan
Eve Higgins
Linda Djougang
Con: Dannah O’Brien (2)
 Report Try: Cat Moody
Con: Lucy MacRae
Cards: Scarlett Haddow  59' 		Referee: Padraic Reidy
3 January 2026 Clovers 7 – 24 Wolfhounds (1 BP) Creggs RFC  
15:00 Try: Jemima Adams Verling 40+2' c
Con: Caitríona Finn 40+3'
 Report Try: Aoife Dalton 6' c
Robyn O’Connor 37' m
Maggie Boylan 64' m
Eve Higgins 69' c
Con: Dannah O'Brien (2) 7', 70'
 Referee: Shane Tuohy
10 January 2026 Edinburgh Rugby 12 – 50 Wolfhounds (1 BP) Edinburgh Rugby Stadium, Edinburgh  
15:00 Try: Cieron Bell
Talei Tawake
Con: Nicole Marlow
 Report Try: Erin King
India Daley
Aoibheann Reilly
Aoife Dalton
Niamh Marley
Maggie Boylan
Aoife Corcoran
Stacey Flood
Con: Dannah O’Brien (4)
Abby Moyles
18 January 2026 (1 BP) Wolfhounds 69 – 0 Brython Thunder Ravenhill Stadium, Belfast  
12:00 Try: Niamh Marley
penalty try
Vicky Elmes Kinlan (2)
Robyn O’Connor (2)
Linda Djougang
Stacey Flood
Maebh Clenaghan
Jade Gaffney
Naoise Smyth
Con: Dannah O’Brien (3)
Flood (2)2
 Cards: Lisa Neumann  17' Referee: Rob McGreer (IRFU)
25 January 2026 (1 BP) Wolfhounds 52 – 26 Glasgow Warriors (1 BP) Musgrave Park, Cork  
15:00 Try: Caoimhe Molloy (2)
Erin King
Katie Corrigan
Linda Djougang
Fiona Tuite
Maeve Óg O’Leary
Vicky Elmes Kinlan
Con: Abby Moyles (6/8)
Cards: Fiona Tuite  61' 		Report Try: Holland Bogan
Rianna Darroch
Briar McNamara
Sky Phimister
Con: Millie Warren (3/4)
 Referee: Kevin Coffey (IRFU)
1 February 2026 (1 BP) Wolfhounds 44 – 10 Gwalia Lightning Musgrave Park, Cork  
12:30 Try: Maggie Boylan
Eve Higgins
Vicky Elmes Kinlan
India Daley
Fiona Tuite
Aoibheann Reilly
Maebh Clenaghan (2)
Con: Dannah O’Brien
Abby Moyles
Cards: Fiona Tuite 		Report Try: Chloe Thomas-Bradley
Con: Jodi Palmer
Pen: Carys Hughes
 Referee: Tomás O’Sullivan (Ireland)
15 February 2026 Glasgow Warriors 26 - 42 Wolfhounds Scotstoun Stadium, Glasgow  
14:00 Try: Briar McNamara
Aicha Sutcliffe
Emily Coubrough
Millie Warren
Con: Millie Warren 3
 Try: Katie Corrigan
Erin King (2)
Naoise Smyth
Fiona Tuite
Aoibheann Reilly
Con: Abby Myles 6
Cards: India Daley 		Referee: Murray Oliver
21 February 2026 Brython Thunder 14 - 0 Wolfhounds Parc y Scarlets, Llanelli  
12:30 Try: Williams
Picton-Powell
Con: Marshall (2)
 Report
28 February 2026 Gwalia Lightning 7 - 52 Wolfhounds (1 BP) CSE, Ystrad Mynach  
13:00 Try: Bethan Lewis
Con: Hughes
 Try: Erin King
Katie Corrigan (2)
Linda Djougang
Eve Higgins
India Daley
Amy Larn
Stacey Flood .
Con: Dannah O'Brien (6/8)
7 March 2026 (1 BP) Wolfhounds 43-20 Clovers (1 BP) UCD Bowl, Dublin  
15:00 Try: Grace Moore
India Daley (2)
Niamh Marley
Erin King (2)
Robyn O'Connor
Con: Dannah O'Brien (4/7)
Cards: Maebh Clenaghan 		Report Try: Beibhinn Parsons
Anna McGann (2)
Katie Whelan

Play-offs

For the first time, the Celtic Challenge will have play-offs to crown a champion, with the top four teams in the regular season advancing to semi-finals, followed by a grand final. With their 52-7 victory of third-placed Gwalia Lightning in round 9, Wolfhounds ensured that both Irish franchises would have a home nation semi-final; both matches were fixed for the Dexcom Stadium, Galway, while the final will take place in a preselected venue, Edinburgh's Hive Stadium.

 
Semi-finalsFinal
 
      
 
 20/21/22 March 2026 – Galway
 
 
 Wolfhounds
 
 27/28/29 March 2026 – Edinburgh Rugby Stadium, Edinburgh[115]
 
 Brython Thunder
 
 Winner SF1
 
 20/21/22 March 2026 – Galway
 
 Winner SF2
 
 Clovers
 
 
 Gwalia Lightning
 

Semi-finals

20/21/22 March 2026
Wolfhounds v Brython Thunder
20/21/22 March 2026
Clovers v Gwalia Lightning

Final

28 March 2026
15:00
Winner of semi-final 1vWinner of semi-final 2
Edinburgh Rugby Stadium, Edinburgh

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