Dan Soper | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Born | 1977 (age 46–47) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Alma mater | University of Otago (BA) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Family | Wife (Caroline) and children (Emma, Callum and Katie) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Playing information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Position | Fullback | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Coaching information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Daniel Soper is a rugby union coach from New Zealand who has been assistant coach at Ulster since 2021.
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] When McFarland left midway through the 2023–24 season, Soper took charge temporarily until the end of the Six Nations Under 20s Championship, after which Ireland under-20 coach Richie Murphy would take over until the end of the season.[8]
- ^ "Daniel Soper". New Zealand Rugby History. Retrieved 26 November 2022.
- ^ Dwyer, Paul (10 July 2015). "Rugby: Pride restored to region". Otago Daily Times. Retrieved 26 November 2022.
- ^ a b c d e 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.
- ^ "_Pride restored to region". Otago Daily Times. 29 July 2022. Retrieved 26 November 2022.
- ^ a b c d e "Banbridge coach Daniel Soper 'excited' to join Ulster backroom staff". Irish Independent. 4 June 2018. Retrieved 26 November 2022.
- ^ a b Locke, Cian (5 June 2018). "Daniel Soper confirmed as new Ulster skills coach". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 26 November 2022.
- ^ "Dan Soper: Ulster skills coach to become assistant to Dan McFarland next season". BBC Sport. 3 February 2021. Retrieved 26 November 2022.
- ^ "Dan McFarland departs Ulster Rugby", Ulster Rugby, 21 February 2024