\n<\/p>\n
Off the pitch, Kok and his wife have been settling well in Belfast. Mike Lowry was on hand with a three-page guide of local recommendations for his new team-mate, with Kok now keen to learn more about the history of his new home.<\/p>\n
“[Lowry] hasn’t even done half of it. There’s still a whole page that we’ve to get to,” he said.<\/p>\n
“I really want to get into the culture side of things, to really know what Belfast is all about. <\/p>\n
“Mike told me about the black taxi tours and said they speak about the history of what went on in Northern Ireland.”<\/p>\n
While in a new country, Kok did arrive with some local knowledge as he walks a well-worn path. Plenty of former Sharks have come to call Ulster home over the past 15 years with Ruan Pienaar, Johann Muller and Marcell Coetzee chief among them.<\/p>\n
Kok also reached out to former Springbok Duane Vermeulen who played for Ulster between 2021 and 2023.<\/p>\n
“Before I came I spoke to Duane and Ruan Pienaar, I heard a lot of his stories.<\/p>\n
“Marcell Coetzee who was here, his father actually messaged me to say if I came it would be the best decision I’d make in my rugby career.<\/p>\n
“They spoke so highly of Belfast and Ulster. That just sealed the deal for me.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n