Glasgow’s Nakarawa signs deal with Ulster

Leone Nakarawa will leave Glasgow Warriors at the end of the season to join Guinness Pro14 rivals Ulster.

The lock forward has only just made his comeback from a long injury lay-off and his departure will come as a blow to supporters of the Scotstoun club.

Nakarawa, pictured inset, was a hugely popular figure during his first spell with Glasgow, helping them win the Guinness Pro12 final against Munster in 2015.

The Fijian international won a move to French giants Racing 92 after the 2015 Rugby World Cup and he was named European Player of the Year at the end of his second season with the Parisian club.

But things turned sour in Paris and in December 2019 Racing announced his contract had been terminated after he failed to return from the World Cup in Japan on time.

He rejoined the Warriors but his second spell in Scotland was disrupted by the coronavirus pandemic and a serious knee injury which combined to limit severely his game time. His appearance off the bench in Glasgow’s 1872 Cup victory over Edinburgh on 16 January was his first appearance of the 2020-21 season.

He will see out the remainder of the campaign with the Warriors before moving to Ulster in the summer.

Ulster head coach Dan Mcfarland said: "It's an exciting time for Leone to be making the move to Ulster for the upcoming season as we look to continue to build on our ambitions as a squad.

"Given his broad skill set and experience, as well as some impressive accolades to his name, I'm confident that he'll be a valuable addition to the team."

Ulster have also handed new deals to Ireland internationals Ian Madigan and Rob Herring.

Fly-half Madigan has signed a new two-year deal, while hooker Herring has also signed an extension until at least June 2023.