'if I Believed Rugby Was Broken, I Wouldn't Be Here'

There wasn't overmuch Rory Best didn't brushwood during an illustrious rugby profession successful which he attained 124 Ireland caps, 4 Six Nations titles and legendary position astatine Ulster.

But arsenic he returns to Ulster - six years aft retiring - arsenic nan province's caller wide manager, he encounters nary shortage of heady questions astir nan guidance of Irish rugby and nan authorities of nan master crippled successful general.

Best said to BBC Sport NI's Mark Sidebottom conscionable 2 days aft his erstwhile Ulster and Ireland team-mate Stephen Ferris offered a withering appraisal of rugby's health.

Ferris said he felt nan crippled was "broken" while sitting done Ireland's conclusion by South Africa connected Saturday which, stoppages included, ran for 132 minutes.

When Ferris' comments are put to Best, nan two-time British and Irish Lion was not compelled to make immoderate grim proclamations astir nan crippled he started playing professionally 21 years ago.

"If I believed rugby was broken, I wouldn't beryllium here," said nan 43-year-old, who was confirmed arsenic Bryn Cunningham's successor past month.

"Rugby is simply a athletics I played. Do we request to support evolving? Of people we do. Every athletics needs to. You request to support up with, ultimately, nan supporters and sponsors. They put nan money successful that allows america to salary our players and allows our players to train."

Having played astatine nan highest level, Best is accustomed to nan risks that are portion and parcel of putting his assemblage connected nan statement for nine and country.

"We person to make judge it's entertaining but we've besides sewage to make judge it's safe," nan erstwhile hooker added connected rugby's future.

"We're benignant of astatine a spot of a funny play now wherever players, their small heart is still to tackle excessively high.

"I'm a genitor truthful I want nan crippled to beryllium safe but I besides want my kids, who play rugby, to person nan aforesaid enjoyment that I had. We person truthful galore halfway values successful rugby that are truthful important to your life successful general. Whether you play professionally aliases for your club's 4th aliases 5th 15, it's very important."

Best, who captained Ireland to 2018's Grand Slam success, added that governing assemblage World Rugby is "always evolving".

"You spot nan number of players that are progressive successful nan board, nan players' national person a large sound now wrong World Rugby.

"You now person retired master players who are really successful touch and astatine nan crisp extremity of what rugby is for illustration now compared to 30, 40 years ago, helping to make decisions.

"We person to make judge that we germinate but we besides request to make judge that arsenic clubs and countries that we are doing nan champion we tin to instrumentality discipline. A batch of those stoppages, don't get maine wrong, it was frustrating, but they're each subject connected nan TMO looking astatine foul play."

Best's caller domiciled astatine Ulster comes pinch myriad responsibilities, including subordinate recruitment and retention, nan academy and fostering pathways to nan elder team.

He returns pinch nan nine astatine an absorbing juncture pursuing a turbulent mates of years, pinch main executive Jonny Petrie and caput coach Dan McFarland departing successful 2024 and subsequently replaced by Hugh McCaughey and Richie Murphy.

Last season, Ulster won conscionable 8 of 23 games successful each competitions.

"Because of nan quality of really past play finished, of people location are loads of frustrations," said Best.

"Everyone has precocious expectations of this spot and erstwhile you don't present it, group want to inquire questions. It was bully to person that first gathering [with nan fans] but yet we'll beryllium judged pinch what we do arsenic an organisation connected nan pitch."

While caller results person been much positive, Best is wished to thrust nan state backmost to wherever it was erstwhile he was lining retired successful nan beforehand row: eating astatine Europe's apical array and competing for trophies.

That intends overseeing some affirmative results connected nan transportation and expanding Ulster's practice successful nan Ireland squad.

Last week, location were nary Ulster players successful Ireland's matchday sheet to look South Africa, but pinch 9 having featured successful Ireland XV's triumph complete Spain earlier this month, Best hopes to thief nan improvement of those connected nan fringes of nan Test conversation.

"From our constituent of view, which is what I tin remark on, we person to activity really difficult to make judge we person that adjacent procreation of subordinate coming through.

"But successful nan contiguous term, that we create nan kids successful nan academy but besides nan players connected that pitch.

"I cognize Hendy [Iain Henderson]'s a spot older, but Hendy, Nick Timoney, Stuart McCloskey and Jacob [Stockdale] that were successful that squad [in November] - really tin we create them betwixt now and nan Six Nations to make judge they're successful that squad."