Murphy Signs Two-Year Deal As Ulster Head Coach

Following two months in the role on an interim basis, Ulster Rugby have today announced that Richie Murphy has signed a two-year contract to remain in charge of the senior Men’s team at the province.

Known for his ability to bring through young talent, Murphy arrived in Ulster having successfully led the Ireland Under-20 Men’s side to two consecutive U-20 Six Nations Grand Slams as head coach.

His involvement in the national set-up extends back to 2013 when he was appointed the Ireland Men’s skills and kicking coach, with achievements during that time including Six Nations title wins in 2013 and 2014, along with the 2018 Grand Slam success.

Through his roles prior to arriving in Belfast, Murphy worked directly with all players of national interest to develop their tactical and technical capabilities, which brought him into contact with many of the current Ulster squad.

With his experience in elite player development, the Bray man is set to bring this skillset as head coach to the province at a time when their focus is on developing a strong base of young talent in the senior Men’s squad.

Recent performances under his leadership include home wins over Cardiff and Benetton, and Saturday’s away victory at the Scarlets, which have showcased Ulster’s pipeline of young, homegrown talent.

Commenting on Murphy’s appointment, 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 stability needed for this to continue.

“With a young squad, and a pipeline of talent coming through our player pathway, it’s an exciting time for Ulster Rugby as we look to build the foundations that will set us up for success in the years ahead.

“Richie has vast experience in developing young players and is ambitious to achieve success, so he is a perfect fit for what we need.”

Eager to build on those recent results, Murphy added: “I’m looking forward to continuing with Ulster after a very enjoyable start to my time with the province. I would like to thank all of the support staff, especially Bryn Cunningham, for helping me settle in.

“Bryn has been a big part of this process, and I would like to thank him for all his efforts in getting us to this point.

“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.”