Ulster skipper Henderson to miss start of season

Ulster rugby captain Iain Henderson will be absent from the start of the upcoming season due to hip surgery he underwent during the summer. The 34-year-old, who has accumulated 86 caps for Ireland since making his Test debut in 2012, last represented his country against New Zealand in November. Henderson missed the final portion of the Ulster season due to a three-game ban imposed after receiving a red card against the Stormers in the United Rugby Championship, which included a loss in the Challenge Cup final against Montpellier.

Henderson first played for Ulster in April 2012 and made his Ireland debut against South Africa in November of the same year. A two-time British and Irish Lions participant, Henderson took over as Ulster captain upon Rory Best's retirement in 2019. While Henderson is not the only player facing injury concerns for the new season, he joins teammates Bryn Ward (shoulder), Juarno Augustus (ankle), and Jude Postlethwaite (knee), all of whom have undergone surgeries and are currently in the rehabilitation phase.