'If I believed rugby was broken, I wouldn't be here'

Best has returned to Ulster as general manager, six years after hanging up his boots

There wasn't much Rory Best didn't encounter during an illustrious rugby career in which he attained 124 Ireland caps, four Six Nations titles and legendary status at Ulster.

But as he returns to Ulster - six years after retiring - as the province's new general manager, he encounters no shortage of heady questions around the direction of Irish rugby and the state of the professional game in general.

Best spoke to BBC Sport NI's Mark Sidebottom just two days after his former Ulster and Ireland team-mate Stephen Ferris offered a withering assessment of rugby's health.

Ferris said he felt the game was "broken" while sitting through Ireland's defeat by South Africa on Saturday which, stoppages included, ran for 132 minutes.

When Ferris' comments are put to Best, the two-time British and Irish Lion was not compelled to make any grim proclamations about the game he started playing professionally 21 years ago.

"If I believed rugby was broken, I wouldn't be here," said the 43-year-old, who was confirmed as Bryn Cunningham's successor last month.

"Rugby is a sport I played. Do we need to keep evolving? Of course we do. Every sport needs to. You need to keep up with, ultimately, the supporters and sponsors. They put the money in that allows us to pay our players and allows our players to train."

Having played at the highest level, Best is accustomed to the risks that are part and parcel of putting his body on the line for club and country.

"We have to make sure it's entertaining but we've also got to make sure it's safe," the former hooker added on rugby's future.

"We're kind of at a bit of a funny period now where players, their instinct is still to tackle too high.

"I'm a parent so I want the game to be safe but I also want my kids, who play rugby, to have the same enjoyment that I had. We have so many core values in rugby that are so important to your life in general. Whether you play professionally or for your club's fourth or fifth 15, it's very important."

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

"You see the number of players that are involved in the board, the players' union have a big voice now within World Rugby.

"You now have retired professional players who are really in touch and at the sharp end of what rugby is like now compared to 30, 40 years ago, helping to make decisions.

"We have to make sure that we evolve but we also need to make sure that as clubs and countries that we are doing the best we can to implement discipline. A lot of those stoppages, don't get me wrong, it was frustrating, but they're all discipline on the TMO looking at foul play."

'Of course there are frustrations'

Best says it is important for Ulster to continue to develop the province's internationals like Stuart McCloskey, who impressed for Ireland during the autumn Tests

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."