David Humphreys

David Humphreys MBE (born 10 September 1971) is a former Irish rugby union player. He played 72 times for Ireland, scoring 560 points, including 6 tries, and at the time of his international retirement was Ireland's most capped out-half. He played his club rugby for London Irish and Ulster, winning the 1998-99 Heineken Cup, the 2004 Celtic Cup and the 2005–06 Celtic League with the latter. Since retiring as a player he has served as director of rugby for Ulster and Gloucester, as a performance consultant with the Georgian Rugby Union, and is currently Director of Performance Operations with the England and Wales Cricket Board. He will succeed David Nucifora as the IRFU Performance Director in 2024. Playing career Early career Humphreys started playing rugby while at Ballymena Academy, and represented Ireland Schools, captaining them to the Triple Crown in 1990. In the amateur era, he played for Queen's University RFC, with whom he won the Dudley Cup in 1994, Ballymena R.F.C., and Oxford University RFC, for whom he scored all 19 points in a losing effort in the 1995 Varsity Match. He also played provincial representative rugby for Ulster, making his senior debut in an away victory over Cumbria in 1992, and his Interprovincial debut against Munster the same year, and was selected for Ireland under-21, 'A' and development teams. London Irish After rugby union was declared open to professionalism in 1995, Humphreys was approached by Clive Woodward to sign for London Irish, then in Division Two of the Courage League. He made his debut for the club in January 1996, with Ireland coach Murray Kidd in attendance. They were promoted to Division One the following season, but after poor results in the top flight, Woodward was replaced as coach by Willie Anderson, who helped them avoid relegation, with Humphreys described as the "catalyst" for their "Houdini-like escape", scoring 18 points in the relegation play-off victory over Coventry. The following season, London Irish struggled again. Anderson was sacked in mid-season, replaced by Dick Best, and they again avoided relegation in a playoff against Rotherham.