Ulster sign Schalk van der Merwe

Ulster have confirmed that South African front rower Schalk van der Merwe will join the Province a two-year deal.

The 26-year-old will make the move from the Southern Kings following the conclusion of the 2017 Super Rugby season.

He earned 25 Super Rugby caps for the Lions in 2014 and 2015, before moving to France to play for Montpellier.

Commenting on the arrival of van der Merwe, Director of Rugby Les Kiss said:

"Schalk is a talented player who I've been really impressed by - he was the cornerstone of the Lions scrum that dominated for a couple of Super Rugby seasons.

"In addition to his excellent scrummaging, he will give us some much-needed physicality in the loose, and this will be a major plus for us in the seasons ahead. He has a hard edge and he's determined to work hard to nail down a starting place here at Ulster.