Angus Bell: Australia joins Ulster's short-term deal next season

Ulster signed Angus Bell's serious intentions in a short-term deal in Waratahs by signing Australia's Angus Bell.

The 24-year-old Lose Head will join Ireland from December to the end of the 2025-26 campaign.

Before that, Bell is expected to play a key role in Joe Schmidt's Kangaroos against the British and Irish Lions in a test series in Australia this summer.

Since its debut in 2020, Bell has won 36 Australian hats. He started his November Test against England, Wales and Scotland but missed the match against Ireland in Dublin due to illness.

He told Ulster's website: “I'm very happy to be joining Ulster Rugby later this year and experience the game in another hemisphere.”

“A huge motivation for me was to develop my game in a completely new environment and get out of my comfort zone. My conversation with (Ulster General Manager) Bryn Cunningham just made me even more excited to join such a historic club.”

Cunningham added: “We have been saying that we will look for opportunities in the market to add players who can have a significant impact on our team and Angus is definitely suitable for this bill.

“He is a great age and is currently one of the most exciting loose props in world rugby.

“Ritchie (Murphy) has been working to improve competitiveness within the team, and Angus will increase the bar and help push the game next season.”

Bell will return to the Valatan after his leave, and his contract will last until the end of 2027.

Waratahs head coach Dan McKellar said the club “supported” his decision to join Ulster.

“He is a young man who dropped out of school directly to the Valatan system, and we think Ulster's time will be good for him on the court and on the court, which will ultimately help the Valatan long-term,” he said.

Bale will continue to join the South Mountain players in the Irish province in a short-term trade later this year.

New Zealand International Jordie Barrett is about to join him in December, with his All Blacks teammate Rieko Ioane arriving in late 2025.

Ulster has signed South African back-row Juarno Augustus from the Northampton Saints ahead of next season, and the loose-fitting Andy Warwick has left several times at the end of the 2024-25 season.

The province landed in 2022 a major coup in South Africa's World Cup-winning champion Steven Kitshoff, but he left in just one season.

Murphy's team hopes to rebound after a tragic season, missing the United Rugby Championship (URC) play-off and qualifying for the next season's investment in the Champions League.