Connacht scrumhalf Matthew Devine is to join Ulster next season. The 23-year-old has started only two games this season, the same as in the whole of the last campaign, and in a bid to earn more game time The Irish Times understands the Galway native has agreed to transfer to Ulster.
A product of Ballinasloe RFC and Garbally College, where he won two Connacht Schools Senior Cups in 2019 and 2020, and latterly Corinthians, Devine was a star turn in Ireland’s Grand Slam in the 2022 Under-20 Six Nations, scoring tries in each of the four games he started.
He duly joined the Connacht academy, making three starts in his second season and scoring two tries in the first of them against Zebre, before signing his first senior contract with his home province.
But the arrival of Ben Murphy and the presence of Caolin Blade and Colm Reilly has contributed to Devine making just two starts in each of the last two seasons despite regular bringing his X-factor to games off the bench.
Devine’s impending departure is disappointing given he came through the Connacht pathway, but it affords the talented scrumhalf, who has been named in the Ireland XV squad along with Murphy and Fintan Gunne, an opportunity to work with the Ulster attack coach Mark Sexton, who moved there from Connacht last summer.
The news comes after confirmation that Ciarán Frawley and Bath’s experienced South African prop Francois van Wyk will be joining, with Connacht also set to confirm the impending arrival of Will Connors from Leinster.