McCloskey, who developed his game at Bangor GS and Dungannon RFC, made his Ulster debut in February 2014 and has represented his home province on 82 occasions. He has also been capped by Ireland three times.

Ulster’s Operations Director Bryn Cunningham said:

“This is very positive news for us going into the new season. We have quite a young squad so having experienced players like Stuart on board is hugely important.

“Stu has really grown in stature over the past couple of seasons and is a key figure for us in both attack and defence. His ability to cross the gain line is well-known, but his playmaking abilities have developed under the coaching of Dwayne Peel and he is a massive threat with ball in hand. I’m sure we’ll see him improve even more in the seasons ahead.”

Stuart was delighted to agree new terms:

“I’m really excited to have signed a new contract. I grew up dreaming of playing for Ulster and I feel privileged to now be in a position to pull the jersey on every week.

“We’ve recruited strongly and have a core group of experienced players who still have their best years ahead of them. We also have a large number of promising young players coming through the system, and I’ve no doubt that they will make a big impact in the coming years.

“I’m looking forward to seeing how things come together for us as we aim to bounce back to where we belong. Hopefully the supporters can buy into that as well and we can reward their loyalty.”