Murphy confirmed as Head Coach of Ulster Rugby

Known for his ability to bring through young talent, Richie arrived in Ulster having successfully led the Ireland U20s to two consecutive Six Nations wins as Head Coach.

His involvement in the national set-up extends back to 2013 when Richie joined the Men’s team as Skills and Kicking Coach, with achievements during that time including Six Nations Championships in 2013 and 2014, along with a Grand Slam win in 2018.

Through his roles prior to arriving in Belfast, Richie 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 men.

With Richie’s experience in elite player development, he is set to bring this skillset as Head Coach to the province at a time when the club’s focus is on developing a strong base of young talent in the Senior Men’s squad – with recent performances under his leadership including home wins over Cardiff and Benetton, and Saturday’s away victory against Scarlets, showcasing Ulster’s pipeline of young, homegrown talent. 

Speaking on Richie’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 the club 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.”

On confirming his role at Ulster Rugby, Richie Murphy, added:

“I’m looking forward to continuing with Ulster after a very enjoyable start to my time with the club. 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.”