The IRFU have announced that winger Jacob Stockdale has signed a new contract extension.
Stockdale has agreed terms that will see him remain with the IRFU until the conclusion of the 2022/23 season and has been upgraded from a provincial contract to a central deal.
Speaking on the extension the Ulsterman admitted he is excited to remain in Ireland and is hoping for big things with both club and country in the future.
“I’m delighted to have signed an IRFU contract. I’m involved with two ambitious squads and I know I will continue to develop as a player in both environments. Things have been going really well at Ulster and there are exciting things happening in the Ireland set-up and the IRFU high performance centre is world-class. I look forward to performing on the field for both Ulster and Ireland,â€? he said.
Since making his international debut in 2017 the winger has become a mainstay in the starting XV and has managed to score a total of 16 tries in just 26 appearances.
His best campaign to date was in 2018 when he picked up the Six Nations Player of the Tournament after touching down seven times in just five games.
IRFU high performance director David Nucifora believes that Stockdale will only get better in the coming years.
“Jacob has continued to grow as a player after bursting onto the scheme in his debut Six nations season. He has performed at a consistently high level for both Ireland and Ulster and has huge potential to develop further on the international stage,� he said.
Stockdale becomes the third player to be handed an upgrade by the IRFU since the conclusion of last year’s Rugby World Cup with Bundee Aki signing back in November, while James Ryan landed a new deal yesterday, with both signing on until the end of 2022/23 season.
Rumour has it that centre Garry Ringrose is next in line for an upgrade from the IRFU, but for now the team will focus on their current Six Nations campaign and their game against current Grand Slam holders Wales on Saturday.
