Q Radio Sport
Ulster have completed the signing of Schalk van der Merwe from the Southern Kings in South Africa.
The 26-year-old loosehead prop has signed a two-year deal and will join Ulster this summer.
Van der Merwe recently played in France for Montpellier. Prior to that, he earned 25 Super Rugby caps for the Lions in 2014 and 2015.
Commenting on the arrival of van der Merwe, Director of Rugby Les Kiss said:
"Schalk is a talented player who I've been really impressed by - he was the cornerstone of the Lions scrum that dominated for a couple of Super Rugby seasons.
"In addition to his excellent scrummaging, he will give us some much-needed physicality in the loose, and this will be a major plus for us in the seasons ahead. He has a hard edge and he's determined to work hard to nail down a starting place here at Ulster.
"His arrival will give us much improved depth at loosehead, with Kyle McCall, Andy Warwick and Callum Black also on the books. As we've seen this season, injuries, particularly in the front row, mean that at times we're required to delve deep into our pool of resources.
"With the impending arrivals of Arno Botha and Schalk, the return to fitness of Marcell Coetzee, and the ongoing development of Academy players like Ross Kane, Aaron Hall, Tommy O'Hagan and Marcus Rea, we will have a much stronger roster of forwards to select from next season.”