Another Ulster signing has been struck down by injury before even arriving at Kingspan Stadium after it was revealed Schalk van der Merwe is set to undergo shoulder surgery.

The 26-year-old loosehead prop is due to arrive in Belfast at the conclusion of the Super Rugby campaign in August but his current club, the Kings, confirmed yesterday that he will miss the remainder of their season.

Van der Merwe's fellow South African, Marcell Coetzee, joined Ulster with a torn ACL last summer and managed only four games in his debut campaign, while the province last month had to pull out of a proposed deal to sign back-rower Arno Botha thanks to injury concerns.

Belfast Telegraph