Dan Soper

Daniel Soper is a rugby union coach from New Zealand who has been assistant coach at Ulster since 2021.

Dan Soper
Born1977 (age 45–46)
Alexandra, New Zealand
Alma materUniversity of Otago (BA)
FamilyWife (Caroline) and children (Emma, Callum and Katie)
Rugby league career
Playing information
Rugby union
Club
Years Team Pld T G FG P
1999–2000 Petrarca Rugby 6 0
Rugby league
PositionFullback
Club
Years Team Pld T G FG P
1997 Otago Sharks 6[1] 1 260[2]
Banbridge RFC
Coaching information
Club
Years Team Gms W D L W%
2008–2009 Ballynahinch RFC
2018 Ulster Rugby
Total 0 0 0 0

Born in Alexandra,[3] he played for Otago Sharks, setting a club scoring record of 260 points in 1997,[4] and represented North Otago in the National Provincial Championship.[5] He first came to Northern Ireland in 1998 to play for Banbridge RFC,[3] and had a season in Italy, playing for Petrarca Padova in the 1999–2000 Heineken Cup. Returning to Northern Ireland, he played and coached at Ballynahinch RFC and Banbridge RFC while working as a schoolteacher at Wallace High School, Lisburn,[3] Sullivan Upper School,[5] Ballyclare High School, and Royal Belfast Academical Institution.[3]

In club rugby, he coached Ballynahinch to the "grand slam" of the Ulster Senior Cup, the All-Ireland Cup and the Ulster Senior League in 2009.[5] He became head coach of Banbridge in 2010, and led them to two promotions in the All Ireland League.[6] In schools rugby, he coached future Irish international Darren Cave at Sullivan Upper,[6] and led the RBAI rugby team, featuring future internationals James Hume and Michael Lowry, to three consecutive Ulster Schools' Cup titles between 2015 and 2017.[3] He also coached the Ulster under-18 schools team.[5] He joined Ulster as skills coach ahead of the 2018–19 season,[5] and was promoted to assistant coach, in place of the departing Dwayne Peel, before the 2021–22 season.[7]

References
  1. "Daniel Soper". New Zealand Rugby History. Retrieved 26 November 2022.
  2. Dwyer, Paul (10 July 2015). "Rugby: Pride restored to region". Otago Daily Times. Retrieved 26 November 2022.
  3. Bradley, Jonathan (17 March 2020). "'It's never about him': How Dan Soper won over the Ulster squad and guided Banbridge and RBAI to unheralded success". Belfast Telegraph. Retrieved 26 November 2022.
  4. "_Pride restored to region". Otago Daily Times. 29 July 2022. Retrieved 26 November 2022.
  5. "Banbridge coach Daniel Soper 'excited' to join Ulster backroom staff". Irish Independent. 4 June 2018. Retrieved 26 November 2022.
  6. Locke, Cian (5 June 2018). "Daniel Soper confirmed as new Ulster skills coach". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 26 November 2022.
  7. "Dan Soper: Ulster skills coach to become assistant to Dan McFarland next season". BBC Sport. 3 February 2021. Retrieved 26 November 2022.
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