Rory David Best OBE (born 15 August 1982) is an Irish former rugby union player who was the captain of the Ireland national team from 2016 to 2019.

Best returned home to join Belfast Harlequins in 2002 where he captained the team and gained his first Ulster contract in 2004.

[12] On 26 November 2016, Best became Ireland's fifth centurion, gaining his 100th cap in a test match vs Australia in the Aviva Stadium, Dublin.

Best started in four of the five matches he played on tour, captaining the Lions to a 34–6 win over the Chiefs and a 31–31 draw against the Hurricanes.

Best continued as captain for Ireland for the 2018 Six Nations Championship, leading the team to a historic third Grand Slam and Triple Crown, as well as winning the tournament, by defeating England at Twickenham Stadium on Saint Patrick's Day.

[14] Although Best missed the mid-year test series against Australia's Wallabies, with Peter O'Mahony captaining Ireland in his place, Best returned for the 2018 end-of-year rugby union internationals.

Best cemented his place as one of the most successful captains in Irish rugby history during the end of 2018, leading Ireland out against New Zealand on 17 November 2018.

In the first, on 16 November 2019 at Twickenham, he captained the team in the Killic Cup match against the Flying Fijians who won 33–31.

When substituted in the 51st minute, Best received a standing ovation from the crowd, paying tribute to him and marking the end of his illustrious career.

Source:[24] In April 2021, Best was announced as a technical and high-performance skills coach for the Seattle Seawolves alongside former Ireland international, Allen Clarke.

[26][27] Best was raised on the family farm near Poyntzpass, County Armagh;[28] his older brother Simon also played for Ulster and Ireland.