Humphreys takes up new Ulster role

David Humphreys may have retired from professional rugby but the Ulster legend has kept his ties with Ravenhill as he was appointed Operations Director for the province today.

The 36-year-old hung up his boots after making his final appearance for Ulster against the Cardiff Blues in the Magners League in May.

Capped 72 times for Ireland, the outhalf always said he had no desire to pursue a career in coaching and many believed he would return to the legal profession he is already qualified for.

Humphreys will still trade tracksuit for a shirt and tie in his new role at Ravenhill which has two main remits.

The first involves dealing with player contracts and negotiations. He will not be part of the Ulster management team but will work closely with the coaching staff. His other key role will be to enhance the profile of Ulster Rugby, particularly within the business community, through a number of initiatives in the province and further afield.

"While my experiences as a player will stand me in good stead in terms of a number of my responsibilities relating to the professional team and the Academy, one of the main attractions of the role was the opportunity to get involved with the general management and business of Ulster Rugby, and stretch myself in a new area," said Humphreys, who will take up his new role at the beginning of July.

"I've been involved in rugby long enough to know that the off-pitch aspects of running a club are vital to the success of the on-field team and having spent the best part of the last twenty years on the field with Ulster Rugby, I'm looking forward to becoming a part of that structure and helping to make Ulster one of Europe's premier rugby clubs both on and off the pitch."

Michael Reid, Ulster Rugby chief executive who Humphreys will report into, was delighted to have the province's all-time leading scorer on board. "We are delighted that David has chosen to accept the Operations Director position, and that at the conclusion of his playing career, we have been able to keep him involved as part of the wider team at Ulster Rugby."