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The United Rugby Championship (URC) is an annual rugby union competition involving professional teams from Ireland, Italy, Scotland, South Africa, and Wales. For sponsorship reasons the league is known as the Vodacom United Rugby Championship in South Africa, and the BKT United Rugby Championship in the competition's other territories, the split branding mirroring the format previously adopted in Super Rugby. The Championship represents the highest level of domestic club or franchise rugby in each of its constituent countries.
Pedrie Johannes Wannenburg was a South African rugby union player. He last coached for Austin Elite Rugby in North American Major League Rugby. He played for Austin in 2018, Denver Stampede in the now defunct PRO Rugby League of North America and Castres Olympique for two seasons, after two years with Irish club Ulster.
Ruan Pienaar is a retired South African professional rugby union player who played either as a scrum-half or as a fly-half for the Free State Cheetahs in the Currie Cup.
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Stephen Ferris is a retired Irish rugby union player who played for Ulster and represented Ireland internationally. Ferris played club rugby with Dungannon. He is from Maghaberry and attended Friends' School Lisburn. He played for Ulster and Ireland in all three backrow positions. Ferris retired for rugby in June 2014 after a long-standing ankle injury ended his career.
Gysbert Johannes Muller, more commonly known as Johann Muller, is a South African former rugby union player. Muller played as a lock for the Sharks, Sharks in and his country's national side Springboks, before he moved to Northern Ireland to play with Ulster in 2010, where became team captain, before retiring at the end of the 2013–2014 season.
Daniel Johannes "Duane" Vermeulen is a former South African professional rugby union player who previously played for the South Africa national team. He also previously played for Ulster Rugby in the United Rugby Championship, Vodacom Blue Bulls and the Pumas, Free State Cheetahs and Western Province in South African domestic rugby, the Cheetahs, Stormers and Bulls in Super Rugby and Toulon in the Top 14. He was an instrumental part of South Africa winning the 2019 Rugby World Cup and received the Man of the Match award in the final. Vermeulen played as a Number eight but he was equally adept at playing both blindside and openside flanker. Nicknamed “Thor”, he is known for his physical strength, anticipation under the high ball and leadership abilities. He is widely regarded as one of the best Number Eights in South African Rugby history.
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Steven Kitshoff is a South African professional rugby player who currently plays for the Stormers. His playing position is loosehead prop. He represents the South Africa national team and has previously played for Bordeaux in the French Top 14 and Western Province in the Currie Cup. He joined Ulster for the 2023–24 season.
Franco van der Merwe is a South African rugby union footballer. His regular playing position is lock, although he can also operate as a flanker. Previous clubs include Irish side Ulster in the Pro12, London Irish in Premiership Rugby, the Lions in Super Rugby and the Leopards and the Golden Lions in the Currie Cup.
Schalk Willem 'Hond' van der Merwe is a former South African rugby union player who last played for the Free State Cheetahs in the Currie Cup. He previously played for the Golden Lions, the Free State Cheetahs and the Griffons in domestic South African rugby, for the Lions and the Southern Kings in Super Rugby, for Montpellier in the French Top 14 and for Irish Pro14 side Ulster. His usual position is prop.
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Jacques van Rooyen is a South African rugby union player for the Bulls in the United Rugby Championship and the Blue Bulls in the Currie Cup. His regular position is prop.
Robert Patrick Herring is a professional rugby union player who plays as a hooker for United Rugby Championship club Ulster. Born in South Africa, he represents Ireland at international level after qualifying on ancestry grounds.
Irné Philip Herbst is a South African rugby union player, currently playing with English team Harlequins in the Premiership Rugby. His regular position is lock.
Rhyno Herbst is a South African rugby union player for the Seattle Seawolves of Major League Rugby (MLR).
Harlon Jason Klaasen is a South African rugby union player who last played for the Southern Kings in the Pro14. He is a utility back that can play as a centre, wing or fullback.
The 2019–20 season was Ulster's 26th season since the advent of professionalism in rugby union, and Dan McFarland's second season as head coach. Lock Iain Henderson was named captain in place of retired hooker Rory Best. They competed in the Pro14 and the European Rugby Champions Cup. Both competitions were disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, he later stages being played in August, September and October 2020. In the Pro14, Ulster finished second in Conference A, making the playoffs and qualifying for next season's Champions Cup. They beat Edinburgh in the semi-final, but lost to Leinster in the final. They finished second in Pool 3 in the Champions Cup, qualifying for the quarter-finals, where they were beaten by Toulouse.
References
- ↑ "Wiehahn Herbst to join Ulster Rugby" (Press release). Ulster Rugby. 28 March 2014. Retrieved 28 March 2014.