Roddy Grant says he is striving to be one of the best after signing two-year extension with Ulster

The former flanker joined Ulster from Edinburgh in 2019 and has helped develop their pack into one of the top performers in the United Rugby Championship and Heineken Champions Cup over recent seasons.

The Botswana native could yet help coach Ulster to silverware this season as they prepare to begin their URC Play-Off push next weekend when they welcome Connacht to Belfast for their Quarter-Final.

However, longer term Grant has pledged his future to the province and is keen to continue growing in the role as he looks to become one of the best in the game.

“I feel Ulster is the best place for me to continue to strive to be one of the best coaches in the world,” insisted the 36-year-old. “I have huge respect for the players, and I feel proud of where we have got to as a forward pack, and as a team, and I believe we can still improve.”

A talented flanker during his playing days, Grant made 138 appearances for Edinburgh after joining in 2009 following a short apprenticeship with the Border Reivers and stayed within the Scottish system after retiring in December 2015 due to injury.

The ex-Hilton College stand-out initially worked within the Scottish Rugby Academy before returning to his old club Edinburgh as assistant forwards coach in May 2017, a role which earned him his position with Ulster two years later.

Under his tutelage this season, Ulster recorded a 91% scrum success rate and an 86% lineout success rate in the URC, with hooker Tom Stewart scoring 16 tries this campaign, the majority of which have come from mauls.

Grant signing a new two-year pact means Ulster have three of their four senior coaches signed up to the end of the 2024/25 season, with head coach Dan McFarland and defence coach Jonny Bell also under contract until then.

Assistant coach Dan Soper is the outlier, with the length of the deal he signed after stepping up from skills coach in 2021 unspecified, however it is likely he, too, is out of contract at the end of the season and it would be very surprising to see him let go.

For now, McFarland was delighted to get one of his lieutenants signed up for the foreseeable future and is eager to see Grant continue to marshal the forwards for at least another two seasons.

“It is terrific that Roddy has signed on again. In the four years Roddy has been in Ulster, he has had a huge influence,” he commented.

"His coaching is detailed but also passionate, and this has helped the players really progress as individuals and as a unit to produce consistently high levels of performance that he and they can be very proud of.”