Ulster Rugby 2026/27 season: Can Ulster Rugby Turn Promise Into Progress? Our 2026/27 Season Prediction

Ulster Rugby 2026/27 season

New signings, emerging local talent and a more powerful forward pack give Ulster genuine reasons for optimism—but after last season’s painful finish, consistency must be the priority.

Photo: Ulster Rugby on X

A new Ulster Rugby season normally arrives with equal amounts of optimism, nervousness and supporters quietly convincing themselves that this could finally be the year.

The 2026/27 campaign feels slightly different.

Ulster are not beginning from rock bottom. For significant periods last season, Richie Murphy’s side played some of their most exciting and convincing rugby in years. They climbed into the upper reaches of the United Rugby Championship, supplied seven players to an Ireland Six Nations matchday squad and reached the EPCR Challenge Cup final.

Unfortunately, the season ended with a fairly brutal reminder of how quickly progress can unravel.

Ulster missed the URC play-offs after winning only one of their final six matches in all competitions. They then suffered a 59–26 defeat against Montpellier in Bilbao as their 20-year wait for a major trophy continued. 

That final should hurt—but it should also provide motivation.

Ulster demonstrated that they could reach a European showpiece. The next challenge is proving that they can remain physically and mentally competitive when a season reaches its most demanding stage.

And, before going any further, we should probably admit that we still haven’t completely forgiven them for releasing Werner Kok.

We will eventually get over it.

Possibly.

First up: Edinburgh away

Ulster begin their pre-season preparations against Edinburgh at Hive Stadium on Friday night, with kick-off at 7.45pm.

The match provides the first opportunity to see a reshaped squad and several summer arrivals in Ulster colours.

Matthew Devine, Jamie Benson, Daniel Hawkshaw, Chay Mullins, Eduardo Bello, Eli Snyman, Ben Donnell and Martin Maloney are all in contention to make their debuts.

The result itself is not especially important. Pre-season matches are primarily about fitness, combinations, defensive organisation and allowing new players to learn the team’s systems under genuine pressure.

However, this particular fixture carries some additional value.

Edinburgh will also provide Ulster’s opposition in the opening round of the URC at Affidea Stadium on 25 September. The teams know they will meet again three weeks later, when the points will matter considerably more. 

Neither side will want to reveal everything, but both will be looking for early weaknesses.

The recruitment makes sense

Ulster’s summer business appears to have been shaped by two clear priorities: increasing physical strength in the pack and creating greater competition in key positions.

Eli Snyman adds much-needed power

Eli Snyman could become one of Ulster’s most important signings.

The 6ft 7in second-row arrives from Benetton with experience of playing for the Bulls and Leicester Tigers. He was part of the Leicester squad that won the English Premiership in 2022 and has developed a reputation as a physical lock with a strong set-piece presence and a high work rate. 

Last season’s Challenge Cup final exposed the difference between competing with a powerful French pack and actually controlling one.

Snyman cannot solve that problem alone, but his size, carrying and experience should make Ulster more difficult to overpower.

Alongside Iain Henderson, Cormac Izuchukwu and the emerging group of young forwards, Ulster should have better options in the second row.

Eduardo Bello brings international experience

Argentinian tighthead Eduardo Bello joins on a one-year deal after playing for Newcastle, Saracens and Zebre.

The 30-year-old has earned 26 caps for Argentina and has experience in the Rugby Championship and at the Rugby World Cup. He also won the Premiership with Saracens in 2023. 

Bello’s recent career has been interrupted by an ACL injury, so managing his fitness will be important. If he remains available and returns to his best level, he gives Ulster a proven scrummager and some badly needed experience in the front row.

Matthew Devine adds speed at scrum-half

The arrival of Matthew Devine from Connacht is intriguing.

With Dave Shanahan departing after more than 100 appearances, Ulster needed another option to compete with Nathan Doak and Conor McKee.

Devine is quick, ambitious and capable of increasing the speed of a game. His signing should create healthy competition rather than leaving one player carrying the majority of the responsibility at scrum-half.

Jamie Benson brings versatility

Jamie Benson arrives from Harlequins on a two-year contract and can operate at fly-half, centre or full-back.

The Irish-qualified 23-year-old offers playmaking ability, goal-kicking and versatility across the backline. His arrival is especially useful when Ulster’s international players are unavailable or injuries begin to test the squad. 

Jack Murphy remains one of the most exciting young players in the province, while Jake Flannery also has valuable senior experience. Benson adds another genuine option and reduces the danger of Ulster becoming overly dependent on one out-half.

Chay Mullins offers attacking potential

Irish-qualified Chay Mullins arrives following time within the Bristol Bears system and brings pace and flexibility across the back three.

Ulster already possess exciting attacking players in Jacob Stockdale, Robert Baloucoune, Michael Lowry, Zac Ward and Ethan McIlroy.

Replacing Werner Kok’s relentless energy will not be straightforward, however.

Kok became a crowd favourite because he treated every chase, tackle and loose ball as though the future of civilisation depended upon it. His departure is about more than replacing a winger. Ulster must replace the intensity he brought to the entire team.

No, we still haven’t forgiven them.

The departures should not be underestimated

Ulster confirmed 11 senior departures at the end of last season.

Werner Kok, John Andrew, Angus Bell, Matthew Dalton, James Humphreys, Ben Moxham, Rory McGuire, Bryan O’Connor, Marcus Rea, Sean Reffell and David Shanahan all left the senior group. Several academy players also departed. 

That represents a considerable amount of experience.

John Andrew made 137 Ulster appearances, while Shanahan reached 104. Marcus Rea, Ben Moxham and Kok had all accumulated meaningful senior experience.

The new arrivals appear promising, but recruitment should not be judged by announcement photographs or pre-season performances. It will be judged in January, when injuries and international call-ups reduce the available squad.

Ulster’s strongest matchday 23 can compete with most teams in the URC. The bigger question is whether the next group can maintain the same level.

The young Ulster core gives us hope

The most encouraging aspect of Richie Murphy’s work has been the emergence and development of younger players.

Jack Murphy, Scott Wilson, James McNabney, Charlie Irvine, Joe Hopes and Jude Postlethwaite have already demonstrated senior potential. Zac Ward’s rise has added another powerful attacking option, while Cormac Izuchukwu has developed into a genuine international-level forward.

David McCann and Tom Stewart should still have significant room to improve, despite already possessing extensive senior experience.

That young core matters because Ulster cannot simply purchase a complete squad. Sustainable success will depend upon developing players capable of moving from schools and club rugby into the academy and eventually the senior team.

The appointment of former Ireland head coach Joe Schmidt as Coach Development Advisor could prove valuable here. His role is not to select Ulster’s senior team each week, but to help improve coaching standards throughout the provincial pathway. That is a long-term investment rather than an instant fix, but it could become one of Ulster’s most important decisions. Read more about Joe Schmidt’s new Ulster role on LoveBelfast.⁠

Last season proved Ulster can compete

It is easy to allow the defeat in Bilbao to define the entire campaign, but that would be unfair.

Earlier in the season, Ulster climbed as high as third in the URC and looked almost unrecognisable from the side that had finished 14th the previous year. Their performances also resulted in significantly increased representation within the Ireland squad. 

Richie Murphy and his coaching group deserve credit for restoring energy and belief.

At their best, Ulster played quickly, attacked with ambition and trusted younger players. The atmosphere at Affidea Stadium improved because supporters could see the team developing an identity.

The problem was sustaining it.

Ulster’s season did not collapse because they suddenly forgot how to play rugby. It faded as pressure, fatigue, physical mismatches and limited squad depth accumulated.

That is why the new forwards may be more important than the headline-grabbing backs.

The fixture list presents an immediate test

Ulster begin the URC season at home against Edinburgh on Friday 25 September.

That is followed by an away match against Glasgow Warriors and a home interprovincial meeting with Munster.

Then comes a difficult South African double-header against the Bulls in Pretoria and the Stormers in Cape Town. 

It is a demanding beginning.

Ulster could play reasonably well and still find themselves under pressure after five rounds. A strong home performance against Edinburgh is therefore essential, while defeating Munster at Affidea Stadium would provide significant early momentum.

The more encouraging news is that three of Ulster’s final four regular-season fixtures are at home. Scarlets, Leinster and the Lions will visit Belfast during the run-in, with the only away match in that sequence coming against Munster.

If Ulster enter April inside or close to the top eight, the fixture list gives them an opportunity to secure a play-off place at home.

The Challenge Cup is a genuine opportunity

Missing out on Champions Cup qualification is disappointing, but Ulster should not treat the Challenge Cup as a consolation exercise.

They reached the final last season. They now understand what the tournament demands and how painful it is to fall short at the last hurdle.

Aviron Bayonnais visit Affidea Stadium in the opening round on Saturday 12 December. French opposition will again test Ulster’s set piece and physicality, but a strong home performance could establish momentum for another serious European campaign.

The standard in the Challenge Cup can vary considerably from one round to another, particularly when French clubs rotate their squads. Ulster should be targeting the knockout stages at the very minimum.

After reaching Bilbao, anything less would feel like regression.

Where will Ulster finish in the URC?

Our prediction is that Ulster will finish between sixth and eighth in the regular-season table.

A top-four finish is possible, but it would require several things to go right:

• Henderson, Stockdale, McCloskey and the other senior players remaining available for key matches
• Bello returning fully from his injury difficulties
• Snyman immediately strengthening the forward pack
• The young front-row players continuing their development
• More consistent results away from Belfast
• Improved performances during the final third of the season

Ulster have enough talent to reach the play-offs. We are less convinced that they currently possess the depth required to sustain a top-four challenge while also pursuing the Challenge Cup.

A quarter-final place in the URC and another deep European run would represent meaningful progress.

Our optimistic prediction is a URC semi-final and another Challenge Cup final.

Our realistic prediction is a sixth- or seventh-place league finish, a URC quarter-final and at least a Challenge Cup semi-final.

The players who could define the season

Several individuals could determine whether Ulster merely improve or genuinely challenge.

Eli Snyman must add authority to the second row and help prevent opponents dominating the gain line.

Eduardo Bello needs to provide stability and experience at tighthead.

Jack Murphy has the potential to become the long-term controller of Ulster’s attack, but young fly-halves need patience as well as opportunity.

Jacob Stockdale remains one of the most naturally dangerous backs in Irish rugby when confident and fully fit.

Cormac Izuchukwu could develop into the dominant, explosive forward around whom Ulster build their pack.

Nick Timoney continues to provide leadership, pace and consistency in the back row.

And somebody—possibly Chay Mullins or Zac Ward—must inherit the Werner Kok responsibility of charging around Affidea Stadium like a man who has taken every opposition pass personally.

LoveBelfast’s view: cautious optimism is justified

This Ulster squad is not yet the finished article.

There are still legitimate concerns about depth, consistency and the ability to match the most powerful sides in Europe. Losing experienced players places pressure on the new arrivals to settle quickly, while Ireland selections could leave Ulster stretched during parts of the season.

But there is also more reason for optimism than there was two years ago.

The team has a clearer identity. Young local players are progressing. Recruitment has targeted obvious weaknesses rather than simply adding names. Richie Murphy has shown that he can improve players and bring energy back into the side.

Most importantly, last season demonstrated that Ulster can reach major matches.

Now they must learn how to win them.

We expect Ulster to return to the URC play-offs and mount another serious Challenge Cup campaign. Winning silverware may still be one step beyond them this season, but the gap is no longer impossible to imagine closing.

The journey begins in Edinburgh, but the real examination comes three weeks later when the same opponents arrive at Affidea Stadium for Round One.

A winning start, a stronger pack and greater consistency could make this a very enjoyable season in Belfast.

And if Ulster do finally end that trophy drought, we might even forgive them for letting Werner Kok leave.

Might.

Upcoming Ulster home fixtures

• Ulster v Ospreys — Friday 11 September, 7.45pm, pre-season friendly
• Ulster v Edinburgh — Friday 25 September, 7.45pm, BKT URC
• Ulster v Munster — Saturday 10 October, 5.30pm, BKT URC
• Ulster v Aviron Bayonnais — Saturday 12 December, 1pm, EPCR Challenge Cup

All fixtures will be played at Affidea Stadium.

For every Ulster game this season, with kick-off times and scores, see our Ulster Rugby fixtures and results 2026/27 guide.