Rory Sutherland: British and Irish Lions prop joins Ulster

Ulster have signed Scotland and British and Irish Lions prop Rory Sutherland on a short-term deal.

The 28-year-old arrives in Belfast after his Worcester Warriors contract was terminated, following part of the club being wound up in the High Court.

He has made 20 appearances for his country, and won a Lions Test cap against South Africa last year.

Sutherland spent seven years with Edinburgh before joining Worcester in 2021.

His Scotland debut came against Ireland in 2016, and after three-and-a-half years in the wilderness he reignited his international career against the same opposition in Dublin on the opening weekend of the 2020 Six Nations.

His reintroduction proved a major success, and he has established himself as a mainstay of the Scottish pack since.

The opportunity for Ulster to bring the loosehead to Kingspan Stadium arose when Worcester's players became free agents on 5 October.

The English club are suspended from all competitions, with HMRC pursuing them for unpaid tax of around £6m.

Ulster to announce 'world-class signing'

In addition to Sutherland, Ulster have announced they are at "advanced negotiations" with an unnamed "world-class" prop following the 2023 Rugby World Cup next autumn.

It is understood that the player referred to may be Stormers and South Africa front row Steven Kitshoff.

"We have an exciting stable of young Irish-qualified props at Ulster, so to be able to support their development alongside some world class operators is great news for everyone associated with Ulster and Irish rugby," said head coach Dan McFarland.

"As a club that is intent on consistently competing for championships, we're always looking to add to and improve our squad - this includes recruiting players to be a part of the Ulster Rugby family, but most importantly to support and drive the development of young players within our pathway."

Sutherland played twice for Worcester this season before the club was suspended from all competitions

McFarland added he was pleased with the signing of Sutherland and Ulster will make "further announcements on our recruitment for next season very soon".

"Having Rory's level of competitiveness at scrum training is going to test and teach the very best we have, something as a scrum coach and former prop I have experienced first-hand and am now excited to be a part of.

"Whilst we are all looking forward to welcoming Rory to Ulster, we are also mindful of the very difficult situation many players and staff at Worcester Warriors find themselves in and we wish them the best for whatever the future holds."