Stuart McCloskey pens new deal with Ulster

Ulster have confirmed that Ireland international Stuart McCloskey has penned a new three-year deal with the Pro14 club.

The 26-year-old made his professional rugby debut with Ulster in 2014 after progressing from the club's academy and has made 82 appearances for the province since then.

His international debut came during the 2016 Six Nations clash against England at Twickenham and has played two Tests for Joe Schmidt's side with his last appearance coming against Fiji in November last year.

The news will be a relief for the Belfast based unit with centre Luke Marshall set to remain on the sidelines for a lengthy spell after rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament.

"I'm looking forward to seeing how things come together for us as we aim to bounce back to where we belong," he said.

"Hopefully the supporters can buy into that as well and we can reward their loyalty."

Ulster will begin the 2018/19 season of Pro14 with a clash against Scarlets at Kingspan Stadium on 1st September.