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Rory David Best (born 15 August 1982) is an Irish former rugby union player who was the captain of the Ireland national team from 2016 to 2019. He played hooker for Ulster Rugby and was registered for Banbridge RFC. Best earned 124 caps for Ireland, making his debut in 2005 and retiring at the end of the 2019 Rugby World Cup, his fourth World Cup. He toured with the British & Irish Lions in 2013 and 2017. Since retiring as a player, he was worked in the media, coaching and rugby administration. In October 2025 he was appointed general manager of Ulster.Jonathan Bradley, "Signings, systems and schools - what awaits Best in new Ulster role?", BBC Sport, 30 October 2025
/ref> He was educated at Tandragee Junior High School and Portadown College. He then studied agriculture at The University of Newcastle.
Best played his 200th game for Ulster in the Pro14 in 2017, earning the honour against Leinster.
He captained the Ireland team that toured North America in 2009, while many of his Ireland teammates were on the British & Irish Lions team that began their tour of South Africa at the same time. He became the first-choice hooker at the 2011 Rugby World Cup after an injury to Jerry Flannery. Best also played his 50th test for Ireland during the World Cup, scoring a try as Ireland beat the United States during the pool stages.
He was chosen to captain Ireland again, during the 2012 Six Nations Championship, after Paul O'Connell was injured.
In January 2016, Best was named as the new Ireland captain for the 2016 Six Nations Championship. On 26 November 2016, Best became Ireland's fifth centurion, gaining his 100th cap in a test match vs Australia in the Aviva Stadium, Dublin. The previous week, Best captained Ireland to a historic 40–29 win over New Zealand in his 99th appearance, Ireland's first ever win over New Zealand.
After finishing the 2017 Six Nations, Best was selected for the British & Irish Lions for the second time, on the 2017 tour to New Zealand. Best started in four of the five matches he played on tour, captaining the Lions to a 34–6 win over the Chiefs and a 31–31 draw against the Hurricanes. Best was not subbed off in either of those matches, and received an OBE while he was on tour with the Lions.
Best continued as captain for Ireland for the 2018 Six Nations Championship, leading the team to a historic third Grand Slam and Triple Crown, as well as winning the tournament, by defeating England at Twickenham Stadium on Saint Patrick's Day.
Although Best missed the mid-year test series against Australia's Wallabies, with Peter O'Mahony captaining Ireland in his place, Best returned for the 2018 end-of-year rugby union internationals. Best cemented his place as one of the most successful captains in Irish rugby history during the end of 2018, leading Ireland out against New Zealand on 17 November 2018. Ireland beat New Zealand by 16–9, winning their ninth test in a single year.
On 18 April 2019, Best announced that he would retire from professional rugby after the 2019 Rugby World Cup. "It is with mixed feelings that I announce my retirement from Ulster Rugby as of the end of this season," said Best. "This feels like the right time for me to go out on my terms, a luxury for which I feel very privileged,".
His final match for Ireland was on 19 October 2019, when they lost to New Zealand, 14–46 in the quarter-finals of the 2019 Rugby World Cup, which was also Best's fourth World Cup tournament. Best was replaced by Niall Scannell in the 63rd minute, receiving a standing ovation from the crowd as he left the field. His achievements across his career earned his subsequent praise from All Blacks Captain, Kieran Read.
He is the only Irish captain to have a win over Australia, New Zealand and South Africa and he is one of a few captains to achieve this.England captains John Pullin, Will Carling, Martin Johnson, Owen Farrell, France captains Fabien Pelous, Thierry Dusautoir and Antoine Dupont and Argentinian captain Julián Montoya have achieved this.
Best played his last two professional rugby matches for the Barbarians in November 2019. In the first, on 16 November 2019 at Twickenham, he captained the team in the Killic Cup match against the Flying Fijians who won 33–31. He again captained the Baa-Baas in his final match against Wales at the Principality Stadium, Cardiff, on 30 November 2019. Wales won 43–33. When substituted in the 51st minute, Best received a standing ovation from the crowd, paying tribute to him and marking the end of his illustrious career.
Rory married Jodie Bell, a schoolteacher in Richhill in the summer of 2009; they have two boys and one girl.
Rory is a tillage and beef farmer, with his father and his brother Simon Best in County Down.
In 2018, while still Irish rugby captain, he was criticised for attending a rape trial His attendance was seen as signalling his support for teammates on trial for the alleged gang rape of a teenage girl. The defendants were ultimately acquitted. He admitted regret in attending the trial a year later in interviews with the press.
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