Kings prop Schalk van der Merwe is set to join Ulster on a two-year deal after Super Rugby.

Van der Merwe earned 25 Super Rugby caps for the Lions in 2014 and 2015, and then had a stint with Montpellier in France before joining the Kings.

Ulster director of rugby Les Kiss said had been impressed by the performanes of Van der Merwe.

'In addition to his excellent scrummaging, he will give us some much-needed physicality in the loose, and this will be a major plus for us in the seasons ahead. He has a hard edge and he's determined to work hard to nail down a starting place here at Ulster.'

Photo: Michael Sheehan/Gallo Images