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Diack the latest in Ulster exodus
By Online Editors
Ulster Rugby back-row forward Robbie Diack has announced his intention to return to South Africa at the end of the current season.
After leaving his homeland in 2008, at the age of 22, Robbie made his Ulster debut in September that year against Scarlets.
In October 2017, he became the first person born outside of Ulster to make 200 appearances for the Province, and he is currently the sixth most-capped player with 205 caps to his name.
He also earned two full international caps for Ireland, his adopted country, in 2014.
Now, a decade since his arrival in Belfast, Diack has decided that the time is right to return home:
"When I first came to Ulster in 2008 I had signed a three-year contract and I never imagined that 10 years down the line I’d still be here. Of course I’m very sad to be leaving Ulster, but we feel the time has now come for my family and me to return to South Africa to be closer to family and friends.
"It has been a huge honour for me to play for Ulster and to have earned over 200 caps is something that my family and I are all very proud of. I’ve realised what it means to play for Ulster and I’ve witnessed the pride and passion of our fans on a weekly basis.
"I’ll be forever grateful for the opportunities that I’ve had and the memories that I’ve made here, and I’m thankful to the people who have supported me along the way.
"While we have quite a few things to keep us occupied in South Africa, I feel that I still have a lot to offer as a professional rugby player. I will be assessing several options on and off the rugby field over the forthcoming months."
Bryn Cunningham, Ulster's Operations Director, paid tribute to Diack’s service to the squad:
"Since the moment he arrived, Robbie embraced everything that the Province stands for. He quickly established himself as an important member of the Ulster squad, and to have played so many games for the Province is testament to his quality, consistency and versatility.
"Robbie has been an outstanding servant to Ulster Rugby and will be missed by staff, players and fans alike. He has been an absolute pleasure to work alongside and we wish him, Kirsty and Fletcher well on their return to South Africa."
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Agree with Wilson B- at best. And that is down to skilled individual players who know how to play the game - not a cohesive squad who know their roles and game plan. For those who claim that takes time to develop, the process is to keep the game plan simple at first and add layers as the squad gels and settles in to the new systems. Lack of progress against the rush D, lack of penetration and innovation in the mid-field, basic skill errors and loose forwards coming second in most big games all still evident in game 14 of the season. Hard to see significant measureable progress.
Go to commentsKeep telling yourself that. The time for a fresh broom is at the beginning - not some "balanced, incremental" (i.e. status quo) transition. All teams establish the way forward at the beginning. This coaching group lacked ideas and courage and the players showed it on the pitch. Backs are only average. Forwards are unbalanced and show good set piece but no domination in traditional AB open play. Unfortunately, Foster - Mark 2. You may be happy with those performances and have some belief in some "cunning plan" but I don't see any evidence of it. Rassie is miles ahead and increasing the gap.
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