David Humphreys

Mr Humphreys studied law at Queen’s University Belfast and trained as a solicitor with Northern Ireland firm Tughans — under Mike Gibson, himself a former Ireland international — before beginning his professional sporting career in the 1990s.

He had a stellar career with Ulster and Ireland, winning 72 caps for Ireland and scoring 560 points. He captained Ulster Rugby to the first Irish European Cup success in the 1998/99 season and won the Celtic Cup in 2004 and the Celtic League in 2005/2006.

He later served as director of rugby for Ulster and spent six years in a similar role with Gloucester Rugby.

Kevin Potts, IRFU CEO, said: “In David Humphreys we know we have found someone who believes passionately in Irish Rugby and has the expertise, skills, and desire to keep us competitive on the world stage. Our search took us globally and ultimately David was the stand-out candidate.

“David’s journey from a schools player to representing his province and then to the national game ideally places him to understand the needs of the player.

“His local knowledge and 30 years’ experience of elite rugby and immersion in high performance, previously with Cricket Ireland’s High Performance Committee and now his current role with the England & Wales Cricket Board, will bring about enormous benefits and we are excited for the next stage in our evolution.

“David’s observations about the development of the system over the last decade showed a deep understanding and I was enthused by his energy and vision for rugby in Ireland and cannot wait to see him bring it to life.”

Mr Humphreys added: “I was fortunate to have a wonderful playing career with Ireland and I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to play a part in another chapter of Irish Rugby’s history.

“This role is the fulfilment of a lifelong ambition and I look forward to building on the successful systems put in place by David Nucifora, who has been a driving force behind Irish Rugby for 10 years.

“The chance now to further develop the pathways in the men’s and women’s game hugely excites me and I am really looking forward to working with all the coaches, provinces, players, and backroom teams to ensure that Irish Rugby continues to go from strength to strength.”