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 OBE (born 15 August 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.
Rory Best played 124 games for Ireland, starting in 2005. He retired after the 2019 Rugby World Cup, which was his fourth World Cup. He is one of the players with the most international games played in rugby history. He is also the most-capped forward (a type of player) to ever play for Ireland. Rory 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, in 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. 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. He stayed captain until he retired in 2019. Rory was known for his great skills in the scrum (a part of rugby where players push against each other).
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 played in the Heineken Cup final but lost to Leinster. In 2017, Rory Best played his 200th game for Ulster in the Pro14 league, playing against Leinster.
International Rugby Career
First Years with Ireland: 2005–2012
Rory Best first played for Ireland in November 2005. He came on as a substitute against the All Blacks (New Zealand's team). His first time starting a game for Ireland was against the Springboks (South Africa's team) in 2006.
He was a key player for Ireland, often sharing the number 2 jersey with Jerry Flannery. Rory was part of the Irish teams that won the Triple Crown in 2007. He was also in the Irish squad for the 2007 Rugby World Cup. In 2009, he helped Ireland win the 2009 Six Nations Championship, completing a Grand Slam. This means they won all their games in the tournament.
In 2009, Rory captained the Ireland team that toured North America. Many other Irish players were away 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 and scored a try against the United States. He also captained Ireland again during the 2012 Six Nations Championship when Paul O'Connell was injured.
Later Career and Captaincy: 2013–2019
In 2013, Rory Best joined the British & Irish Lions squad for their tour to Australia. This happened after another player was removed from the team. In 2014, Best won his second Six Nations title with Ireland.
In January 2016, Rory Best was named the new captain of the Ireland team for the 2016 Six Nations Championship. On November 26, 2016, he played his 100th game for Ireland against Australia. The week before, he captained Ireland to a historic 40–29 win over New Zealand. This was Ireland's first-ever win against the All Blacks.
After the 2017 Six Nations, Rory was chosen for the British & Irish Lions team for the second time. This was for their tour to New Zealand in 2017. He captained the Lions in two matches, winning one and drawing another. While on tour, he received an OBE award for his services to rugby.
Rory continued to captain Ireland in the 2018 Six Nations Championship. He led the team to a historic third Grand Slam and another Triple Crown. They won the tournament by beating England on St Patrick's Day.
Although Rory missed some games in 2018, he returned to captain Ireland in November. He led Ireland to a 16–9 victory over New Zealand on November 17, 2018. This win helped Ireland achieve their ninth test victory in a single year.
On April 18, 2019, Rory Best announced he would retire from professional rugby 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, when they lost to New Zealand in the World Cup quarter-finals. This was Rory's fourth World Cup. He received a standing ovation from the crowd when he left the field.
Rory Best is the only Irish captain to have led his team to wins over Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa.
He 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 final match against Wales.
Coaching Career
In April 2021, Rory Best started a new role as a technical and high-performance skills coach. He joined the Seattle Seawolves team, working alongside former Ireland player Allen Clarke. He also coaches the forwards and scrum for the Fiji team.
Awards and Achievements
Rory Best was given the Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) award in 2017. This was to recognize his great contributions to rugby.
Ulster Rugby
- Pro12:
- Winner (1): 2005–06
Ireland National Team
- Six Nations Championship:
- Winner (4): 2009, 2014, 2015, 2018
- Grand Slam:
- Winner (2): 2009, 2018
- Triple Crown:
- 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.
In 2009, Rory married Jodie Bell, who is a schoolteacher. They have two boys and one girl. Rory works as a farmer, growing crops and raising beef cattle, with his father and brother Simon in County Down.
Images for kids
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Best representing Ireland at the 2015 Rugby World Cup
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Best appearing for Ulster in 2012 Magner's League match versus Ospreys
