Matthew Rea (born 21 September 1993) is an Irish professional rugby union player who plays for Ulster as a back row forward.
He was educated at Ballymena Academy, and helped the school win the 2010 Ulster Schools' Cup final."Ballymena Academy 10-7 BRA", BBC Sport, 17 March 2010 He represented Ireland at under-19 level in 2011,"Ulster U19 teams named for weekend fixtures", Ulster Rugby, 22 September 2011 but was not offered a place in the Ulster Academy when he left school. His performances for Ballymena in the All-Ireland League led to Ulster offering him a development contract ahead of the 2016–17 season.Adam McKendry, "Ulster Rugby squad 2016/17", Belfast Live, 24 November 2016 He made his first professional rugby and Ulster appearance in September 2017 against the Cheetahs."Rea keen to make most of first team opportunity", 18 September 2017 He made 18 appearances, including one start, 111 tackles, 6 turnovers, and 24 lineouts won, in 2017–18;Matty Rea Player Profile, UlsterRugby.com, archived on 14 August 2018 nine appearances, and one start, in 2018–19; 19 appearances, and 14 starts, in 2019–20; 14 appearances, and 10 starts in 2020–21; and 10 appearances, including 7 starts, in 2021–22. He made his 100th appearance for the province in the 2023–24 United Rugby Championship quarter-final.Adam McKendry, "Ulster confirm seven contract extensions as province finalise squad for next season", Belfast Telegraph, 13 June 2024 He left Ulster at the end of the 2024-25 season."Eight players set to leave Ulster at the end of the season", Belfast Telegraph, 22 April 2025
His younger brother Marcus, also a back row forward, made his debut for Ulster in 2018.
References
External links Ulster Rugby profile United Rugby Championship profile