Ulster Rugby’s Stacey Sloan emerges from Brazilian jiu-jitsu shark tank with black belt
Reaching elite level status in a competitive sport is the kind of thing most aspiring athletes only dream of – but how many can you name who’ve done it in two completely different fields?
And, to go even further, how many people have done it in two completely different sports at the same time?
Ulster kick off their 2026 Vodafone Women’s Interprovincial Series campaign against Connacht on August 8 in Belfast.
For most of the players in the squad, the interprovincial pre-season will come off an extended break at the end of the club season.
But not for Co Londonderry rugby forward Stacey Sloan who, at 36 years old, recently became one of only a handful of females in Northern Ireland to be handed the prestigious Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) black belt after the infamous shark tank.
“Basically I’m put in the middle of the room and fresh grapplers are sent out to continuously roll with me, with the aim of submitting me,” said Stacey, explaining the shark tank process.
The shark tank can last up to an hour. Aspiring black belts won’t have to perform to a certain level on the day, instead, they must simply survive the continuous barrage of controlled attacks without giving up.
Stacey added: “It’s a right of passage...you’re not expected to beat everyone, but you have to stay on the mat.
"If you leave at all, whether it’s to take a drink or stretch, you’re politely asked to sit at the side of the mat...you’re gone!”
The sport of Brazilian jui-jitsu has increased in popularity but the rank of black belt remains rare.
It is widely considered the most difficult black belt to achieve across all martial arts. Unlike structured, time-based martial arts systems, earning a BJJ black belt requires an average of 10 to 15 years of intense, live-sparring (rolling) and rigorous performance-based evaluations.
“It’s a tough sport”, said Stacey, who is also a three-time European champion, a record for major titles by any Northern Ireland female competitor.
Every European gold has been won with the dual-sport athlete also competing for Ulster in rugby.
“People wonder how I manage to compete in two sports at the same time...but, for me, BJJ helps my rugby and vice-versa,” she said. “They’re both good for each other.
“This is my 12th summer involved with the Ulster team and, at 36, I’m aware that it can’t go on forever.
“It’s almost at the passing of the baton stage for me.
“We have a good depth of squad with a lot of new young talent coming up through the pathways...I’m excited to see how we develop over the summer and, hopefully, we can put on some big performances.”