Nine players, including Will Addison, will depart Ulster at the end of the current campaign.

The 31-year-old joined the team in 2018 after leaving the Sale Sharks, and during his tenure, he has made 41 appearances for the team despite missing many extended periods due to injury.

Fifteen of those forty-one games have occurred this season, with three of those games being starts.

He was eligible for Ireland thanks to his mother, and from 2018 to 2021, he received five caps for the team.

Luke Marshall, the longest-serving member of the team, and fellow centre Angus Curtis had already announced their retirements. Fly-half Billy Burns and Springbok World Cup champion Steven Kitshoff had also announced their exits.

Along with Kitshoff, Dave Ewers, a former back row player for the Exeter Chiefs, will only play one season in Belfast. Other departing players include Greg Jones, James French, and Shea O’Brien.

Head of rugby operations and recruitment Bryn Cunningham said, “I would like to say thank you to the players that will be leaving the club at the end of the season on behalf of everyone at Ulster Rugby.”

“It is important to acknowledge the positive impact that each individual has made on the club, both on and off the pitch and in terms of their professionalism day in and day out, despite the fact that they are all at different stages of their careers, with some having spent many years at the club and others at the start of their professional rugby careers.”

This Saturday, Ulster plays their last home game of the United Rugby Championship [URC] season against Leinster at Kingspan Stadium.

In the two-match test series against the world champion Springboks, Cormac Izuchukwu may make his debut for Ireland.

Six Ulstermen will travel to South Africa as Ireland gets ready to play a two-match test series against the reigning world champion Springboks.

Cormac Izuchukwu, who has played well for the province in the final few games of the season, may make his debut for Andy Farrell’s team.

Herring Rob and O’Toole Tom Jacob Stockdale, Nick Timoney, and Stuart McCloskey board the plane as well.

Ireland enters this series having won the previous three encounters between the two countries, including a 13-8 victory in the pool stages of the French World Cup last year.

Iain Henderson, the main absentee from the northern province, was ruled out following toe surgery last month.

Other notable absences include Jack Conan, who is ruled out due to personal reasons, and Jamison Gibsin-Park, who was arguably Ireland’s best Six Nations player. Gibsin-Park is out due to a hamstring injury.

The Leinster forward ruled himself out of the trip since Conan’s wife, Ali, is about to give birth.

Caolin Blade, a Connacht scrum-half with two caps for his country, gains an advantage from Gibson-Park’s absence.

Hugo Keenan, the full-back, missed the visit because he was playing for his nation in the rugby sevens competition in Paris. Jimmy O’Brien returns from injury just in time, having missed the Guinness Six Nations championship game earlier this year.

Tom Stewart of Ulster, who placed among the top 10 try scorers in the United Rugby Championship this year, was also left out of the 35-man roster for the series against South Africa.

Despite predictions that the Six Nations would be Peter O’Mahony’s final game wearing an Ireland shirt, he is still the captain of Andy Farrell’s team.

“I am honoured to be asked to lead Ireland in South Africa, a nation that offers one of the hardest challenges in world rugby,” O’Mahony continued.

As the defending world champions, South Africa will put us to the test, and we are aware that we must perform well in order to achieve the desired outcomes.

“We are aware of the challenge that lies ahead. There is a great deal of respect and familiarity between both countries at the international and club levels in recent years.”

Three players, Jamie Osborne, Sam Prendergast, and Cormac Izuchukwu of Ulster, might make their test debuts for the boys in green in South Africa.

“There is no greater test for us than travelling to South Africa to play a Test Series against the reigning world champions,” head coach Andy Farrell stated.

“It is yet another excellent chance for us to advance and improve following the Guinness Six Nations.”

On Saturday, July 6, Farrell’s team will play the Springboks in the first Test match at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria.

A week later on Saturday, July 13, the second test will take place at Hollywoodbets Kings Park in Durban.

Ireland squad for the tour of South Africa:

Backs: B Aki (Connacht), C Blade (Connacht), C Casey (Munster), J Crowley (Munster), C Frawley (Leinster), R Henshaw (Leinster), J Larmour (Leinster), J Lowe (Leinster), S McCloskey (Ulster), C Murray (Munster), C Nash (Munster), J O’Brien (Leinster), J Osborne (Leinster), S Prendergast (Leinster), G Ringrose (Leinster), J Stockdale (Ulster).

Forwards: R Baird (Leinster), F Bealham (Connacht), T Beirne (Munster), C Doris (Leinster), T Furlong (Leinster), C Healy (Leinster), R Herring (Ulster), C Izuchukwu (Ulster), O Jager (Munster), R Kelleher (Leinster), J McCarthy (Leinster), P O’Mahony (Munster, capt), T O’Toole (Ulster), A Porter (Leinster), C Prendergast (Connacht), J Ryan (Leinster), D Sheehan (Leinster), N Timoney (Ulster), J van der Flier (Leinster).

Following the draw on Tuesday, July 2, Ulster will learn who their pool opponents in the Investec Champions Cup for the upcoming season are.

The EPCR has confirmed that the EPCR Challenge Cup final will take place on Friday, May 23, 2025, with the main Investec Champions Cup final scheduled for Saturday, May 24, following the announcement that Cardiff’s Principality Stadium will serve as the venue for the 2025 Finals weekend.

The Challenge Cup final has already taken place in the capital of Wales in 2011 and 2014, but 2025 will mark the first time the two Cardiff finals are staged at the same location. Match tickets are presently available for purchase on EPCRugby.com.

The Investec Champions Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup competitions for 2024–2025 will follow the same pool stage schedule as the previous season. Rounds 1 and 2 will take place in December, while Rounds 3 and 4 will take place over two weekends in January 2025 (dates below).

On Tuesday, July 2, in Cardiff, the pool draws for the 2024–25 competitions will take place. The draw will be live webcast on EPCRugby.com. The Investec Champions Cup pool draw will take place at around 11.20am UK-Irish / 12.20 Italian-South African time, after the draw for the EPCR Challenge Cup pools, which begins at 11.00am UK-Irish / 12.00am Italian-South African time.

Stade Toulousain, Stade Français Paris, Union Bordeaux-Begles, RC Toulon, Stade Rochelais, Racing 92, Castres Olympique, and ASM Clermont Auvergne are the top 14 qualifiers for the 2024–25 INVESTEC CHAMPIONS CUP.
Munster Rugby, Vodacom Bulls, Leinster Rugby, Glasgow Warriors, DHL Stormers, Ulster Rugby, Benetton Rugby, and Hollywoodbets Sharks are the teams competing in the United Rugby Championship.

Bath Rugby, Sale Sharks, Saracens, Bristol Bears, Harlequins, Exeter Chiefs, Leicester Tigers, Northampton Saints, and Saracens are current Gallagher Premiership teams.

2024/25 EPCR weekends

Round 1 – 6/7/8 December 2024

Round 2 – 13/14/15 December 2024
Round 3 – 10/11/12 January 2025
Round 4 – 17/18/19 January 2025
Round of 16 – 4/5/6 April 2025
Quarter-finals – 11/12/13 April 2025
Semi-finals – 2/3/4 May 2025
2025 EPCR Challenge Cup final – Principality Stadium, Cardiff; Friday 23 May
2025 Investec Champions Cup final – Principality Stadium, Cardiff; Saturday 24 May