Ulster have made a serious statement of intent by signing Australia prop Angus Bell on a short-term deal from Waratahs.
The 24-year-old loose-head will join the Irish province on a sabbatical in December until the end of the 2025-26 campaign.
Before that, Bell is expected to play a key role for Joe Schmidt’s Wallabies against the British and Irish Lions in this summer’s Test series in Australia.
Bell has earned 36 Australia caps since making his debut in 2020. He started his country’s November Tests against England, Wales and Scotland, but missed out on facing Ireland in Dublin because of illness.
“I’m very excited to be joining Ulster Rugby later this year and experiencing the game in a different hemisphere,” he told Ulster’s website.
“A big motivation for me was wanting to develop my game in a brand-new environment and be out of my comfort zone. My conversations with [Ulster general manager] Bryn Cunningham about that only made me more excited to join such a historic club.”
Cunningham added: “We have always said that we would look for opportunities in the market to add players who can make a big impact in our team and Angus definitely fits that bill.
“He is at an excellent age profile and is currently one of the most exciting loose-head props in world rugby.
“Richie [Murphy] has been working hard to improve the competitiveness within the squad and Angus will add to the standards and help drive that competition for minutes next season.”
Bell’s arrival later this year will continue the trend of southern-hemisphere players joining Irish provinces on short-term deals.
New Zealand international Jordie Barrett is nearing the end of his stint with Leinster having joined in December, with his All Blacks team-mate Rieko Ioane set to arrive at the end of 2025.
Ulster have already signed South African back row Juarno Augustus from Northampton Saints before next season, while loose-head Andy Warwick was among several departures at the end of the 2024-25 campaign.
The province pulled off a major coup in 2022 when they landed South Africa’s World Cup-winning loose-head Steven Kitshoff, but he left after just one season.
Murphy’s side are hoping to bounce back after a miserable season in which they missed out on the United Rugby Championship (URC) play-offs and qualification for next season’s Investec Champions Cup.
