Tim Barker has completed his move from Ulster to Castres where he will link up with his former club coach at Dungannon, Jeremy Davidson.
The 26-year-old secondrow returned to Ulster at the start of the 2006-07 after a stint with the Glasgow Warriors and his contract with the province was set to expire at the end of this season.
The lock forward struggled to get game time under Mark McCall as the coach preferred the likes of Carlo del Fava and the in-form Ryan Caldwell.
"Tim has been a wonderful servant to Ulster Rugby and I have no doubt that his move to France will be a thoroughly enriching experience both in terms of his rugby career and the opportunity to immerse himself in a new way of life in an area steeped in rugby and he takes with him our very best wishes for his future," said Ulster Rugby Chief Executive Michael Reid.
Davidson cut his teeth in the All-Ireland League with Dungannon before taking on a senior coaching role at Castres during the summer where he now works alongside head coach Ugo Mola, the former French full-back.
