RUGBY: Ulster confirm Botha move now off

“It’s unfortunate for both Arno and Ulster Rugby that we’ve had to come to this decision as we were looking forward to welcoming him to Kingspan Stadium,” said Ulster Rugby operations director Bryn Cunningham. “However, we have acted with the best interests of team performance in mind.

“We have meticulous processes in place for all player recruitment and having commissioned an independent medical assessment in South Africa, it was recommended that the risk had increased following his most recent injury.

“This view was shared by our own medical team.

“Everyone associated with Ulster Rugby sincerely hopes that Arno will go on to have a long and successful career.

“Once this decision was reached, we compiled an extensive list of potential targets and we will announce a signing to bolster the forward pack in due course.”