Ulster Snap Up Munster Back-Row In Surprise Deal

Ulster Rugby have announced the signing of Springbok back-row Jean Deysel, who will arrive at Kingspan Stadium in mid-July on a two-year deal.

The 32-year-old South African, capped four times by his country, will join from the Sharks Super Rugby franchise but has been with Munster for the last three-months on a loan deal. He has made 156 appearances for the Durban-based outfit since joining from the Lions in 2007.

Operations Director Bryn Cunningham was happy to secure the services of Deysel:

“I’m very pleased with this outcome as I think Jean will add real value to our squad both on and off the pitch. We had a sizeable list of potential targets, even at this late stage of the season, but we believed Jean would be the best fit because his attributes are exactly what we need moving forward.

“He is one of the strongest ball carriers in South African rugby and he really relishes the physical side of the game. He is abrasive and confrontational, with the ball and without the ball, as we have witnessed first-hand for Munster.

“Jean has captained the Sharks a number of times and that leadership ability and added experience will be important for us as we look to nurture some talented young forwards in our pathway.

“When you add in a fit-again Marcell (Coetzee), Schalk (van der Merwe) arriving to add strength to the front-row competition and guys like Kieran (Treadwell) and Sean (Reidy) continuing to excel, the signs are good for a more robust and dominant forward pack next season.”