Rory Best: ‘If I believed rugby was broken, I wouldn’t be here’ – Ulster GM

Best’s new role at Ulster comes with myriad responsibilities, including player recruitment and retention, the academy and fostering pathways to the senior team.

He returns with the club at an interesting juncture following a turbulent couple of years, with chief executive Jonny Petrie and head coach Dan McFarland departing in 2024 and subsequently replaced by Hugh McCaughey and Richie Murphy.

Last season, Ulster won just eight of 23 games in all competitions.

“Because of the nature of how last season finished, of course there are loads of frustrations,” said Best.

“Everyone has high expectations of this place and when you don’t deliver it, people want to ask questions. It was good to have that initial meeting [with the fans] but ultimately we’ll be judged with what we do as an organisation on the pitch.”

While recent results have been more positive, Best is determined to drive the province back to where it was when he was lining out in the front row: dining at Europe’s top table and competing for trophies.

That means overseeing both positive results on the pitch and increasing Ulster’s representation in the Ireland squad.

Last week, there were no Ulster players in Ireland’s matchday panel to face South Africa, but with nine having featured in Ireland XV’s win over Spain earlier this month, Best hopes to help the development of those on the fringes of the Test conversation.

“From our point of view, which is what I can comment on, we have to work really hard to make sure we have that next generation of player coming through.

“But in the immediate term, that we develop the kids in the academy but also the players on that pitch.

“I know Hendy [Iain Henderson]’s a bit older, but Hendy, Nick Timoney, Stuart McCloskey and Jacob [Stockdale] that were in that squad [in November] – how can we develop them between now and the Six Nations to make sure they’re in that squad.”