Dan Soper will switch from assistant coach to a new role as Ulster's development and transition coach as part of the province's back room shake-up.

The move will heighten speculation that Johnny Sexton's brother Mark, who is leaving his role as Connacht's attack coach in the summer, is set to link up with the Belfast-based provincial squad. Head coach Richie Murphy recently said that he was finalising the make-up of the coaching squad for next season.

Soper, who took temporary charge of Ulster following Dan McFarland's departure last year, will focus on maximising the development of senior players.

The Kiwi will also attempt to drive the successful transition of academy players into the first team, while working alongside coaches across the domestic game, helping to drive player development in Ulster’s clubs and schools.

Soper, 48, joined the Ulster set-up as skills coach initially ahead of the 2018-19 campaign, before becoming an assistant coach.

Ulster Rugby’s General Manager, Bryn Cunningham, said: “This new position is a key part of our high-performance strategy going forward, as it’s vital that our standout players reach their maximum potential to compete at the highest level.

“Dan’s new role will also be important in supporting our network of domestic coaches throughout the province in clubs and schools.

“With his experience in the schools game and passion for nurturing exciting talent, Dan will play a key part in building upon further opportunities and collaboration for the betterment of rugby across the province.

“Our focus is to have a steady pipeline of players coming through who can compete technically, tactically and physically with the demands of the modern game and Dan is fully aligned to achieving this goal.”

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