The IRFU and Ulster Rugby are pleased to announce that Rory Best has signed a new two-year Irish contract. The deal will run until June 2016.
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Best made his senior debut for Ulster against Munster in November 2004 and has represented his Province 143 times, scoring 12 tries.
He won his first cap for Ireland against New Zealand in November 2005. The 31 year old has made 70 appearances for Ireland and has scored eight international tries, the most recent of which came in the narrow defeat to the All Blacks in the 2013 Guinness Series.
Best was a late call up to the British & Irish Lions tour of Australia in the summer and captained the tourists against the ACT Brumbies.
IRFU, CEO, Philip Browne, said: “Rory has been a great servant to Irish rugby over the past 10 years for both Ireland and Ulster. We are delighted to secure his future in Ireland for the next two years.”
Ulster’s Director of Rugby, David Humphreys, added: “Rory Best is the cornerstone of the Ulster Rugby team and leads by example. You would struggle to find anyone who is more committed on the rugby field, nor someone who is more passionate about playing for his Province. He has represented Ulster for the best part of a decade now and he has achieved some of the highest honours that the game has to offer. He will be a key player in our team as we continue to build and improve in the coming years and I am delighted that he has signed this new contract.”
Commenting on his new contract Rory Best said: “I am pleased to have signed for a further two years. It is a massive honour to play for Ireland and Ulster. The support that I received when I missed out on the initial Lions squad was a massive factor in me making the decision to stay. That made me feel very special and underlined to me that Ulster is more than a team, it is a community and a rugby family. I want to keep playing for Ireland for as long as I can and to try and win a few more things in the green jersey.”