Former Ireland out-half David Humphreys will replace David Nucifora as the IRFU's next Performance Director.
The former Ulster and Ireland out-half won 72 caps for his country during his playing career. He also had two different spells at Ulster, making over 163 appearances for the province.
He also 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. At the time of his retirement, he was Ireland's most capped out-half.
After he retired, Humphreys served as Director of Rugby for Ulster and spent six years in a similar role with Gloucester Rugby. He then took on a role as a High-Performance Consultant with Georgia Rugby and is currently the Director of Performance Operations with the England & Wales Cricket Board.
Humphreys, commenting on his new role this week, claimed that he was delighted to have the chance to shape Irish rugby.
“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 ten years,"he said.
“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.”
Capped 72 times in green, David Humphreys will succeed David Nucifora as the IRFU Performance Director in 2024! 🟢#IrishRugby
— Irish Rugby (@IrishRugby) November 1, 2023
Humphreys will start his new role in March 2024 under the guidance of the current holder, David Nucifora. Nucifora will oversee the transition process and hand over the reins completely in the summer of that same year.
Speaking about the recruitment, IRFU (Irish Rugby Football Union) CEO Kevin Potts added: “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,"he added.
“David’s journey from a school's 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."
