Rory Best facts for kids
Best representing Ireland at the 2015 Rugby World Cup
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| Birth name | Rory David Best | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Date of birth | 15 August 1982 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Craigavon, Northern Ireland | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.82 m (6 ft 0 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 105 kg (16 st 7 lb; 231 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| School | Portadown College | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| University | Newcastle University | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Notable relative(s) | Simon Best (brother) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Rory David Best (born August 15, 1982) is a famous Irish former rugby union player. He was the captain of the Ireland national team from 2016 to 2019. Rory played as a hooker for Ulster and was also part of Banbridge RFC. He played 124 games for Ireland, starting in 2005. He retired after the 2019 Rugby World Cup, which was his fourth World Cup. Rory Best is known as one of the rugby players with the most international games played.
He also toured with the special British & Irish Lions team in 2013 and 2017.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Rory Best grew up on a farm in Poyntzpass, County Armagh, Northern Ireland. His mother is from England. He went to Tandragee Junior High School and Portadown College. After school, he studied agriculture at The University of Newcastle.
Club Rugby Career
Rory Best joined Belfast Harlequins in 2002. He became captain of the team there. In 2004, he got his first contract to play for Ulster.
He played his first game for Ulster as a substitute against Munster in 2005. He took over as Ulster's captain from his brother, Simon Best, in the 2007-08 season. Rory was captain until he retired in 2019. He was very good at scrummaging, which is an important part of rugby. Rory missed the whole 2009-10 season because of a back injury that needed surgery. He scored two tries for Ulster in both the 2010-11 and 2011-12 seasons. In 2012, he was part of the Ulster team that lost to Leinster in the Heineken Cup final.
In 2017, Rory Best played his 200th game for Ulster in the Pro14 league. This special game was against Leinster.
International Rugby Career
Playing for Ireland (2005–2012)
Rory Best first played for Ireland in November 2005. He came on as a substitute against the All Blacks at Lansdowne Road. His first game as a starter was against the Springboks in 2006. Since then, he was always part of the national team. He often shared the number 2 jersey with Jerry Flannery.
He helped Ireland win the Triple Crown in 2007. He was also in the Irish team for the 2007 Rugby World Cup. In 2009, he was part of the team that won the 2009 Six Nations Championship and achieved the Grand Slam.
Rory captained the Ireland team that went to North America in 2009. Many other Irish players were with the British & Irish Lions team at that time. He became the main hooker for Ireland at the 2011 Rugby World Cup after Jerry Flannery got injured. During this World Cup, Rory played his 50th game for Ireland. He scored a try when Ireland beat the United States in the group stage.
He was chosen to captain Ireland again during the 2012 Six Nations Championship after Paul O'Connell was injured.
Leading Ireland (2013–2019)
In 2013, Rory Best joined the British & Irish Lions team for their tour to Australia. He was added to the squad after another player was removed. In 2014, Rory won his second Six Nations title with Ireland.
In January 2016, Rory Best was named the new captain for Ireland for the 2016 Six Nations Championship. On November 26, 2016, he played his 100th game for Ireland against Australia in Dublin. The week before, Rory captained Ireland to a big 40–29 win over New Zealand. This was Ireland's first-ever win against New Zealand.
After the 2017 Six Nations, Rory was picked for the British & Irish Lions again. This time, it was for their 2017 tour to New Zealand. He started in four of the five games he played on the tour. He captained the Lions to a win against the Chiefs and a draw against the Hurricanes. While on tour, he received an OBE award for his services to rugby.
Rory continued to captain Ireland for the 2018 Six Nations Championship. He led the team to a historic third Grand Slam and Triple Crown. They won the tournament by beating England on Saint Patrick's Day.
Even though Rory missed some games in 2018, he returned to captain Ireland later that year. He led Ireland to a 16–9 victory over New Zealand on November 17, 2018. This win helped Ireland achieve nine test wins in a single year.
On April 18, 2019, Rory Best announced he would retire from professional rugby. His last games would be after the 2019 Rugby World Cup. He said it felt like the right time to end his career on his own terms.
His final game for Ireland was on October 19, 2019. Ireland lost to New Zealand in the quarter-finals of the 2019 Rugby World Cup. This was Rory's fourth World Cup. He was replaced in the 63rd minute and received a standing ovation from the crowd. He is the only Irish captain to have led his team to wins over Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa.
Rory Best played his last two professional rugby matches for the Barbarians team in November 2019. He captained the team in both games, receiving another standing ovation in his very last match against Wales.
Coaching Career
In April 2021, Rory Best started a new role as a technical and high-performance skills coach for the Seattle Seawolves. He works alongside another former Ireland player, Allen Clarke. He also coaches forwards and scrum for the Fiji team.
Honours and Achievements
Rory Best was given the Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) award in 2017 for his great contributions to rugby.
Ulster Team Wins
- Pro12:
- Winner (1): 2005–06
Ireland Team Wins
- Six Nations Championship:
- Winner (4): 2009, 2014, 2015, 2018
- Grand Slam: (Winning all Six Nations games)
- Winner (2): 2009, 2018
- Triple Crown: (Beating England, Scotland, and Wales in the Six Nations)
- Winner (4): 2006, 2007, 2009, 2018
Personal Life
Rory Best grew up on his family's farm near Poyntzpass, County Armagh. His older brother, Simon, also played rugby for Ulster and Ireland.
Rory married Jodie Bell, a schoolteacher, in 2009. They have two boys and one girl. Rory works as a farmer, growing crops and raising beef cattle, with his father and brother in County Down.
See also
In Spanish: Rory Best para niños
