Ulster Rugby: Werner Kok settles in Belfast after Sharks switch

Off the pitch, Kok and his wife have been settling well in Belfast. Mike Lowry was on hand with a three-page guide of local recommendations for his new team-mate, with Kok now keen to learn more about the history of his new home.

“[Lowry] hasn’t even done half of it. There’s still a whole page that we’ve to get to,” he said.

“I really want to get into the culture side of things, to really know what Belfast is all about.

“Mike told me about the black taxi tours and said they speak about the history of what went on in Northern Ireland.”

While in a new country, Kok did arrive with some local knowledge as he walks a well-worn path. Plenty of former Sharks have come to call Ulster home over the past 15 years with Ruan Pienaar, Johann Muller and Marcell Coetzee chief among them.

Kok also reached out to former Springbok Duane Vermeulen who played for Ulster between 2021 and 2023.

“Before I came I spoke to Duane and Ruan Pienaar, I heard a lot of his stories.

“Marcell Coetzee who was here, his father actually messaged me to say if I came it would be the best decision I’d make in my rugby career.

“They spoke so highly of Belfast and Ulster. That just sealed the deal for me.”