Wallabies Angus Bell will miss the Waratahs’ Super Rugby Pacific campaign in 2026 after signing on for a sabbatical season at Irish province Ulster.
Bell’s current contract with Rugby Australia runs until 2027 and includes a sabbatical clause, similar to Wallabies centre Len Ikitau, who will spend next season with Exeter in England.
The star prop will move to Belfast after finishing the Spring tour with the Wallabies in November, and spend the rest of the URC season with Ulster. He will return in time for the Wallabies’ Test season, which begins in July.
An announcement is expected from Rugby Australia and the Waratahs later this week.
The 24-year-old has emerged as one of Australia’s most important players and follows in the footsteps of former Wallabies Justin Harrison, Christian Lealiifano, Henry Speight and Sam Carter in moving to Belfast.
New Zealand’s Jordie Barrett has recently enjoyed a successful sabbatical at Irish giants Leinster, with Ulster making Bell a priority signing for next season.
Angus Bell’s departure is a huge blow to the WaratahsCredit: Getty Images
Bell’s agent Clinton Schifcofske played for Ulster in 2008 and played with the club’s current General Manager Bryn Cunningham.
Speaking to Belfast newspaper the Newsletter in 2021, Schifcofske spoke about his time playing for Ulster.
“I’ve travelled the world and try to compare people to Australians and I think the Irish are as close as I got, they like a drink and are fantastic characters, so we had great fun,” Schifcofske said.
Bell will take on a gruelling schedule at Ulster, playing in the United Rugby Championship (URC) and European fixtures after finishing an extended international season.
Former European champions Ulster last won major silverware in 2006, with Harrison captaining the side to the Celtic League title, the predecessor to the current URC. A regular visitor to games is Ulster fan and Master’s champion Rory McIlroy.
Angus Bell on the charge at Twickenham.Credit: AP
Ulster have a rich history, with some of Ireland’s greatest players wearing the club’s famous red hand emblem, including legendary British and Irish Lions Mike Gibson, Willie-John McBride and Jack Kyle.
However, Bell will arrive at a club experiencing major difficulties on and off the field, Ulster are currently on five match losing streak and will play in the second tier of European rugby for the first time after failing to qualify for the Champions Cup which they won in 1999.
Ulster have a loyal fan base regularly selling out their home games in Belfast to see Irish internationals including Iain Henderson and Stuart McCloskey, but are struggling for form under rookie coach Richie Murphy.
Ulster are currently undergoing financial challenges, recently reporting a deficit of €3 million, leading to the need for outside investment to fund major signings including Juarno Augustus, Northampton’s highly-regarded South African No.8 who will join the club next season.
Bell has dealt with significant injuries in his career, enduring a season-ending toe injury last year, saying that the Waratahs training field was “too hard and not conducive to scrummaging”.
Ulster installed a 3G artificial playing surface at their home stadium two years ago, partly to deal with the frequent inclement weather in Belfast.
Bell’s impending departure will leave a major gap for Waratahs coach Dan McKellar to fill next season, with Wallabies prop Isaac Kailea struggling to get selected due to concerns about his scrummaging and Tom Lambert lacking high-level experience.
After working with Wallabies scrum coach Mike Cron to put less pressure on his toes during set-pieces, Bell has been one of NSW’s strongest performers, playing in 11 games so far and averaging 59 minutes on the field.
The Waratahs will travel to Perth to face the Force needing a win to have any chance of retaining in the hunt for finals.
