Best in Ulster mentoring role

Former Ireland captain Rory Best has taken up a mentoring role with Ulster.

Best, who retired after the 2019 RWC in Japan, played over 200 times for Ulster during an illustrious career which saw him win 124 Ireland caps. 

He was also selected for two Lions tours and his vast experience will prove very helpful as Ulster look to secure a place in this season's PRO14 final.

Although his time has mainly been taken up with his various business interests since, this latest move marks a further step into coaching after becoming involved with Ulster A over the past few months. 

“During the summer Rory gave me a call,” Ulster A head coach Kieran Campbell explained. 

“He’s really busy, he has a load of things going on off the pitch between business and farming. I’m from the city, when he tells me about farming I’ve no clue what he’s talking about, but he was looking to just keep that connection [with Ulster].

“He has been in and out. He enjoys mentoring those front-rowers and obviously the hookers. He has a lot of business on but he enjoys giving back and mentoring.

“Former captain of Ireland, hugely successful, it’s been good for me too and the staff to bounce things off him about how we’re doing. Even today, sitting in the coaches’ box, he could give us some feedback on how we were coaching and the language we were getting down to the players.

“It’s sort of a mentoring role all round but to be honest, as he said himself, he was out with the cattle at the crack of dawn and just came over after. He seems to enjoy it.

“I think we give him a lot of stick because if you go on his Instagram he’s never off the golf course. We’ll say to him which course is he fitting us in around today?

“But I think it’s good. Having someone with that level of experience around, you’re only going to benefit from it.”

Image: Sportsfile

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