Former Ulster and Ireland pair Grace Davitt and Amy Davis have joined the coaching staff, along with current Ulster and Ireland player Kathryn Dane.
Previous Head Coach Neill Alcorn and Assistant Coach Paul Heasley will continue to work with the Ulster Rugby Women’s Team in support roles as part of their new positions with the IRFU.
Ulster Rugby men’s prop Eric O’Sullivan will also support the staff as scrum coach.
New Head Coach Murray Houston previously worked as Head Coach of University of Glasgow Women RFC between 2015 and 2021 before joining Ulster Rugby, where he has worked as a Rugby Participation Officer and a Rugby Development Officer.
Houston said, “I'm delighted to be taking up this role with Ulster Rugby Women. It's an exciting opportunity for me, and I'm really looking forward to building on the great work by Neill Alcorn.
"We want to provide an exciting environment for our players to thrive, and give them the tools to perform for their province. We want to help to develop a strong identity for Women's Rugby in Ulster.
"I believe there's a lot of potential with this group, and we're lucky to have a great mix of experienced players along with some really promising younger members of the squad."
Grace Davitt, who will coach the backs, joins with a wealth of experience from her time both on and off the field.
Having played for Ulster and Leinster, she won 56 caps for Ireland in an international career that saw her help them to win the 2013 6 Nations Grand Slam, and also emerge victorious against New Zealand in the Women’s World Cup in 2014 as they reached the semi-final. Davitt has been coaching for almost a decade having previously been Head Coach for both Cooke and Malone Women in the AIL, before taking up a role as Assistant Coach with QUB.
Davitt said, “I am excited to get to work with the team this year. It’s a quick turnaround until the interprovincials starts so we are going to have to be strategic and work hard as a team.
I want to bring my experience from a coaching perspective but also my knowledge from playing international rugby to show them what’s possible. I want to draw out the best in these players so that they work hard for each other to achieve their potential.”
Kathryn Dane has joined as Contact Skills Coach as she makes her return to rugby after suffering a brain haemorrhage while training with Ireland in late 2022.
"All things considered, I am doing really well. I feel incredibly lucky to be back doing my rehabilitation with the Ireland centralised programme. I'm making really good progress with my recovery so far," said Dane.
“I am honoured and proud to be a coach at Ulster Rugby. I hope I can bring my International playing experiences to the role by inspiring players to work hard, push their limits, and strive for high standards both on and off the field.
"I would like to see Ulster women become one of the strongest teams technically and tactically through their passing, tackling, and decision-making."
The scrum-half has represented Ulster as a player and collected 23 caps for Ireland.
Amy Davis will work as Technical Skills Coach, drawing on her experiences as a player for Ulster, Leinster and Ireland.
As scrum-half, Davis collected 38 caps for Ireland and was part of the squad that won the 2013 6 Nations Grand Slam, and also played in the first Women's International fixture at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin.
Davis, who previously worked for over a decade as Ulster Rugby's Academy Athletic Development Coach, said, "I have a long association with Ulster Rugby both as an employee and a player and I feel this is a good chance to use my experience to give back to the women’s game.
"I think we need to be realistic about what we want to achieve and get out of the Interpros. This is a developing squad and I think we can break the drought and start to compete with the other provinces.
"I want each of the players to develop and get better as a result of being part of this squad, and for them to take what they have learned back to their clubs, where it will help others."
The new coaching team will lead the side into the 2023/24 Vodafone Interprovincial Championship campaign, that starts next month with a clash against Munster at City of Armagh RFC.