The verdict was reached unanimously by a jury of eight men and three women this afternoon.

The jury deliberated for three hours and 40 minutes on the charges, which related to an alleged rape at a house in south Belfast in 2016.

Fellow rugby players Blane McIlroy, who was accused of exposure, and Rory Harris, who was accused of perverting the course of justice and withholding information, have also been found not guilty.

Judge Patricia Smyth told the jury the high-profile trial was probably the most difficult for any jury in Northern Ireland’s history.