Dundon reflects on time with Ulster

With Aaron Dundon moving on from Ulster this summer, we caught up with him to reflect on his time with the Province… “I’ve really enjoyed it,” he says. “It was very eventful - a lot has gone on in two years and there’s been a lot of transition. But I’ve really enjoyed it and one of the main highlights for me is how well we’ve done this year, getting into the knock out stages of both competitions. It’s also been great to see the young guys develop and come through into the senior team.” Dundon has worked closely with the likes of Eric O’Sullivan and Tom O’Toole, who both started the season in the Academy before earning senior contracts. The young props have made 44 appearances between them during the 2018/19 campaign. “That’s a massive highlight for me,” he enthuses. “It’s a credit to them and the amount of work they’ve put in. There are going to be bright futures for a lot of those guys coming through and I’m really looking forward to seeing how they develop over the next couple of years.” The New Zealand native, who moved from Grenoble to Ulster in the summer of 2017, initially to work with Les Kiss and Jono Gibbes, says he’s learnt a lot during his two years at the club. “I’m lucky to have worked with some outstanding coaches at Ulster; they’ve given me some good feedback and they’ve wanted to make me a better coach. That’s been awesome for me and I think I’ve really developed as a coach. “That was one of my main reasons for coming here, to work with outstanding coaches and to work in a really professional environment. “Obviously with Dan coming in and with us having a similar skill-set, I could see that there may not be a position for me at the end of this season. We get on really well and he’s helped me immensely in my quest to become a better coach.” Dundon admits that, no matter where his next role brings him, Ulster will always have a special place in his heart. “I’ve loved it here; I’ll never forget it. I had a son born here so it’s always going to be a special place for me and my family. Belfast is such an awesome city and the supporters are brilliant as well. We had a few massive European nights, when we were up against big teams and the odds were against us, but the boys somehow found a way to win - the supporters were a big part of that.”