Robbie Diack is to leave Ulster and Ireland at the end of the current season after the province confirmed that he will be returning to South Africa.
The back-row forward has spent a decade with Ulster and has been capped twice for Ireland since moving from South Africa in 2008.
In October 2017, he became the first person born outside of Ulster to make 200 appearances for the Province, and he is currently the sixth most-capped player with 205 caps to his name, but he now feels the time is right to return home.
"When I first came to Ulster in 2008 I had signed a three-year contract and I never imagined that 10 years down the line I’d still be here," he said.
"Of course I’m very sad to be leaving Ulster, but we feel the time has now come for my family and me to return to South Africa to be closer to family and friends.
"It has been a huge honour for me to play for Ulster and to have earned over 200 caps is something that my family and I are all very proud of. I’ve realised what it means to play for Ulster and I’ve witnessed the pride and passion of our fans on a weekly basis.
"I’ll be forever grateful for the opportunities that I’ve had and the memories that I’ve made here, and I’m thankful to the people who have supported me along the way."
The 32-year-old has no thoughts of retirement however and is hoping to continue his rugby career in the Southern Hemisphere.
"While we have quite a few things to keep us occupied in South Africa, I feel that I still have a lot to offer as a professional rugby player. I will be assessing several options on and off the rugby field over the forthcoming months."
