Assistant coach Soper to take up new role with Ulster

Ulster Rugby have revealed that assistant coach Dan Soper is to take up a new role at the end of the 2024/25 season.

In assuming the position of the province's Development and Transition Coach, Soper will focus on maximising the development of senior players, in addition to driving the successful transition of Academy talent into the senior side.

The post will also see him work alongside coaches across the domestic game, helping to drive player development in Ulster's clubs and schools.

The New Zealander joined the senior men's coaching team before the 2018-19 season, initially as skills coach, before becoming assistant coach.

The 48-year-old's experience of developing talent includes coaching success at club level with the Ballynahinch and Banbridge clubs, plus leading Royal Belfast Academical Institution (RBAI) to three Schools' Cup titles in a row between 2015 and 2017.

Following the departure of Dan McFarland from the head coach's position in February 2024, Soper took temporary charge of Ulster for one United Rugby Championship match against the Dragons before the appointment of Richie Murphy as interim head coach.

Soper to 'nurture exciting talent'

Ulster Rugby's General Manager, Bryn Cunningham, said: "This new position is an integral part of our 3-year high-performance strategy going forward, as it's vital that our standout players reach their maximum potential to compete at the highest level.

"Dan's new role will also be important in supporting our network of domestic coaches throughout the province in clubs and schools."

Cunningham added that Soper's experience makes him a perfect fit for the role.

"With his experience in the schools game and passion for nurturing exciting talent, Dan will play a key part in building upon further opportunities and collaboration for the betterment of rugby across the province.

"Our focus is to have a steady pipeline of indigenous players coming through who can compete technically, tactically and physically with the demands of the modern game and Dan is fully aligned to achieving this goal."

Soper told BBC Sport NI that he had been discussed his new role with Cunningham for some time.

"Bryn and I have talked about this role for a couple of years really and it's been part of his vision for how we move forward as a province. He saw it as a pretty integral role," said the Ulster assistant coach.

"I'll still be involved with the senior team but a real focus on those young guys coming in and making sure that we maximise the potential we have within the province to get ourselves right back to the top where we want to be."