Ireland pair Paddy Jackson and Stuart Olding have had their contracts with Ulster and the Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) terminated despite being cleared of rape.

Flyhalf Jackson and centre Olding had their contracts torn up after an internal review by the IRFU followed their acquittal.

The players were found not guilty of raping the same woman in June 2016. Jackson was also unanimously acquitted of sexual assault.

Ulster CEO Shane Logan said that Ulster and the IRFU were in agreement on the stance of neither player having a future with either team.

‘The position is joint. It’s a joint Irish and Ulster rugby position … the statement is clear and it is not something that we are contemplating.

‘We have taken on board everybody’s views right across society, right across our supporter group, our sponsor group, our players, clubs, volunteers, we are part of society.

‘But at the end of the day, having looked at all those things, the decision was based on alignment with what it is we stand for, in particular, the value of respect.

‘The players themselves admitted in their own statements that they were way short of what was expected of them.’

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