David Humphreys to succeed David Nucifora as IRFU performance director

BIG GIG: David Humphreys during his time as Gloucester Director of Rugby. Pic: Matt Browne/Sportsfile

Former Ulster out-half and Ireland international David Humphreys has been announced as the new IRFU performance director.

Humphreys succeeds the outgoing David Nucifora, who will depart the role at the end of the current season.

Humphreys will initially join the IRFU in March of next year as performance director designate, working alongside Nucifora to "facilitate a smooth and orderly transition". 

He will assume full responsibility as Performance Director from June 1st, 2024.

Ulster legend Humphreys - a solicitor by trade - enjoyed a fruitful career with his province and on the international stage, winning 72 caps for Ireland and scoring 560 points.

After retiring from the game, he served as director of rugby for Ulster and spent six years in a similar role with Gloucester Rugby, before taking on a role as a high-performance consultant with Georgia Rugby. 

The 52-year-old is currently the director of performance operations with the England & Wales cricket board.

Ahead of beginning work in his new role, Humphreys noted his gratitude at getting another opportunity to put his stamp on 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.

"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," Humphreys added.

Speaking on the appointment, IRFU CEO Kevin Potts 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.

Potts continued: "I would like to thank David Nucifora for the outstanding contribution he has made in building our high-performance unit over almost a decade and wish him every success in his future endeavours. 

"Of course, before he concludes, there is still much to be done this season, including the upcoming 2024 Six Nations championship for our Men, Women and U20s as well as preparing our Sevens teams for the Paris Olympics.

"He will leave a solid foundation for David Humphreys to build upon and we are grateful for his commitment to working with his successor through next Spring, ensuring a smooth handover of this key role for Irish Rugby."

What will Humphreys' role involve? Here's how the IRFU describes it. 

"The IRFU performance director has ultimate responsibility for the delivery of integrated high-performance systems for the benefit of Irish Rugby, with world-class elite player development pathways, world-class coaching, world-class support, all delivering consistent and sustained performance by the national teams through excellence and innovation.

"They also oversee a diverse team ranging from high-performance coaches, medical staff, referees, analytics, and player development alongside the operational running of the IRFU high-performance centre on the Sport Ireland campus."