Paddy Jackson stays committed to Ulster

Ireland international Paddy Jackson has penned a new contract with Ulster which will keep him with the Pro 12 side until 2019 summer.

The 25-year-old started his professional rugby career with Ulster in 2011 and has become an integral part of the team since then scoring 831 points from 118 matches.

With Ian Madigan plying his trade outside the country, Jackson has impressed at the international level being the preferred fly-half in the absence of Johnny Sexton, who has been struggling with injuries.

The 25-year-old also started for Joe Schmidt's men in the opening two games of the ongoing Six Nations tournament when Sexton was recovering from a calf injury and overall has played 22 Tests for Ireland after making his debut in 2013.

"To have Paddy commit to Ulster for a further two seasons is a huge boost," said Ulster rugby director Les Kiss.

"He progressed through the academy structures here and has grown into a fantastic player and leader, who commands the respect of the entire squad.

"He is the type of player that we can build the team around and it's important that we have home-grown talent at the forefront of what we're trying to achieve here. His ability and leadership will be critical for us in the future.

"Paddy's form over the past few years has been widely acknowledged and it was no surprise that there was a lot of interest in him from other big European clubs.

"It was far from a straightforward process but Bryn (Cunningham, operations director) has done a marvellous job in negotiating the terms of the contract and I'm really pleased with the solution that we have in place."

Meanwhile, Jackson is excited to continue being part of the Kingspan Stadium outfit and his decision further vindicates Irish Rugby Football Union's policy of preferring provincial players to those plying their trade outside the country.

"I'm delighted to be staying on at Ulster Rugby for at least another two years; it is such a proud moment for myself and my family," said Jackson.

"Every time I pull on the Ulster jersey it is something that I don't want to take for granted and I hope to continue to grow as a player and contribute to this team in a positive way.

"I believe that the pillars for success are in place here at Ulster with a quality squad and management team.

"I am hugely excited by the challenges that lie ahead and I'd like to thank everyone who has helped me to this point in my career."