Former Ulster player Mark Best enjoying home comforts as Covid-19 uncertainty continues

Best left Northern Ireland in 2017 to join English Championship side Jersey Reds, where he spent three years before it was announced in June that he would switch to Doncaster Knights ahead of the 2020/21 campaign.

Recovering from a broken arm suffered in November and with the Championship’s plans still currently up in the air, the 26-year-old was keen to get some game time under his belt and he found the perfect opportunity with Bangor in Conference Two.

He had grown up playing for Belfast Harlequins so it would have seemed a natural choice to return there, but after a conversation with Bangor head coach Tom Rock, Best knew that Upritchard Park was the place for him and such was his enjoyment there, he has plans to return at some point in the future.

“I had a conversation with Tom Rock about 18 months ago when I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do going forward in terms of professional rugby,” he said.

“Tom said he would love to have me at Bangor and said they were looking to improve as a club and go through the leagues. “He has a vision to get the club back to where they probably should be because they were a massive club years ago.

“Tom’s vision was massive to me. I was at Quins from minis up to senior rugby and then when I was at Ulster I ended up playing for Ballymena.

“There were so many things saying go to Quins and play for them but Tom was interested in me so I owed him that,” Best added.

“I felt like going to Bangor for the first time was something different and allowed me to meet different lads. It worked out really well and you can tell they are a club that’s growing.

“They have a lot of youngsters and a few old heads like Dave Bradford, who played professionally in England.

“It’s a club that can push through the leagues if they can get the right players in in certain positions and they can do really well.

“I built a good relationship with the boys at Bangor so hopefully when I eventually do return home for good I can return there and help them out.”

Best will be coming up against three-time European Champions Cup winners Saracens in the Championship following their relegation but it’s still unclear when the season will get underway with no fixtures scheduled yet.

It’s hard to know when concrete plans will be put in place and Best admits he has struggled with the uncertainty.

“For us as players, we would just love some clarity on what is happening going forward,” he said.

“The unknown is frustrating because at the end of the day it’s our job, so not knowing what’s happening three months down the line and going with the flow becomes quite difficult.

“We are very lucky and privileged to do what we do, so we will be looking to make the most of it when we do get back.”

The centre found opportunities hard to come by during his time at Ulster Rugby, often travelling with the squad without ever getting the chance to prove himself on the pitch.

Ulster weren’t short of options in his position with Stuart McCloskey, Jared Payne, Luke Marshall and Darren Cave all present but Best admits it was a frustrating period.

“I was so frustrated because I felt I was doing enough to play. Les (Kiss) and I weren’t on the best of terms and I never really got that chance.

“I was 24th man and travelled with the squad eight or nine times and never made the squad.

“It was very frustrating and I probably didn’t do enough about speaking to Les and asking why I wasn’t playing and understanding why I wasn’t.

“I felt I was doing well enough in the games and wasn’t understanding why he wasn’t picking me. I didn’t push myself forward enough and it’s my own fault looking back on it.

“I just got on with it playing my rugby for Ballymena and Ulster A and thought I was doing really well. I was training during the week with the squad and the Irish boys were away at camp but came back on a Thursday and were straight into the team on the Saturday.

“That really frustrated me and then I got out of form playing for Ballymena and it was a snowball effect from not playing well which led to me having to go play somewhere else.”

Best is one of many players that have decided their career lies away from Ulster for now with Angus Kernohan also in the Championship with Ealing while the likes of Gareth Steenson, Ian Whitten and Michael Heaney have all had success in the top-flight.

While it can be a hard decision to leave the comfort of home, Best says moving has helped develop him both on and off the pitch.

“You do get stuck in the Ulster bubble and you’re happy just to be on the fringes of the squad.

“You don’t understand that there is rugby and life away from Belfast.

“It needed me to be forced out to leave and I’m so glad it happened because it definitely helped me as a person and made it more realistic about things going forward.”

His full attention is now on performing with Doncaster and knows if he wants to continue progressing that consistency will be vital.

“I want to start as many games as I can.

“As a squad, hopefully we can cause a few shocks and end up in a good position in the table.

“Going forward, the end goal is to end up playing back home, at a higher standard in the English Premiership or heading over to France but to do that, I need to perform well and I understand that.”