FORMER IRELAND INTERNATIONAL Kieran Campbell has been handed one of the tougher assignments in Irish rugby today as he was announced as Allen Clarke’s successor as manager of the Ulster academy.
While the role doesn’t have the same sort of pressure that a provincial or national head coaching job has, the amount of talent that has come out of the Ulster underage set-up in recent years means the former international scrum-half will have a lot of expectation placed on him.
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Campbell had been the acting academy manager since last summer after Clarke left the post to become the Ulster forwards coach.
The scrum-half, who played for Ireland three times in 2005, coached the Ulster U19 side to the inter-provincial championship in the 2012-2013 season and the Ulster U20 team to two inter-provincial championships in the last three seasons.
“I am delighted to have been given the opportunity to lead the Hughes Insurance Ulster Rugby Academy,” Campbell said in a statement.
“Having been an Ulster player, I feel that I am exceptionally privileged to be helping to create the environment where young players can fulfil their potential and reach the standard required to represent the province.”
The Ulster side has been full of academy graduates over the last few seasons, especially in the backline where players like Craig Gilroy, Paddy Jackson and Stuart Olding have all gotten Ireland caps.
And this weekend the highly promising centre, Sam Arnold, has been included on the Ulster bench for the game against the Dragons, which could see the Ireland U20 prospect make his senior debut.
A former Ireland international has been tasked with maintaining Ulster's production line
FORMER IRELAND INTERNATIONAL Kieran Campbell has been handed one of the tougher assignments in Irish rugby today as he was announced as Allen Clarke’s successor as manager of the Ulster academy.
While the role doesn’t have the same sort of pressure that a provincial or national head coaching job has, the amount of talent that has come out of the Ulster underage set-up in recent years means the former international scrum-half will have a lot of expectation placed on him.
Campbell had been the acting academy manager since last summer after Clarke left the post to become the Ulster forwards coach.
The scrum-half, who played for Ireland three times in 2005, coached the Ulster U19 side to the inter-provincial championship in the 2012-2013 season and the Ulster U20 team to two inter-provincial championships in the last three seasons.
“I am delighted to have been given the opportunity to lead the Hughes Insurance Ulster Rugby Academy,” Campbell said in a statement.
“Having been an Ulster player, I feel that I am exceptionally privileged to be helping to create the environment where young players can fulfil their potential and reach the standard required to represent the province.”
The Ulster side has been full of academy graduates over the last few seasons, especially in the backline where players like Craig Gilroy, Paddy Jackson and Stuart Olding have all gotten Ireland caps.
And this weekend the highly promising centre, Sam Arnold, has been included on the Ulster bench for the game against the Dragons, which could see the Ireland U20 prospect make his senior debut.
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