Ulster Rugby v Cardiff Blues

JAMES HUME

At only 21 years old, James Hume has made a rapid rise to the professional rugby scene.

“You speak to a lot of guys more than you would have chatted with them previously, like the older guys. We were put into sub- teams for dinners, so everyone got along really well, and I got closer to the guys I wasn’t as close to before, which was great. “There was quite a lot of time off; once we had got the training and gym done, we had most of the evenings free. We were near a massive mall and there were loads of restaurants, so we got a taste of the nice steaks, which I really enjoyed. We were all given our free time after putting the work in, and relaxed in each other’s company.” With Cardiff Blues up next, Hume is very conscious of the threat they pose to Ulster. “Cardiff are a very physical side and they like to get up in your face. They have some individuals who like to feed off the line breaks, so we have our plans in place to close them down and do our best.” In terms of his personal objectives for the season, the centre is keen to continue on this upward trajectory by grabbing any opportunity that comes his way with both hands. “At my age, it’s just about taking the opportunities when I’m given them. There’ll be injuries throughout the year so it’s up to me to take the chance. I’m working hard with all the coaches, so it’s rewarding when they trust me to fill the shirt when required.”

Making his competitive debut in 2018, the three-times Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup winner with RBAI has gone on to feature 14 times for the senior team, including appearances in all three rounds of the PRO14 so far this season. The young centre credits his swift development to getting plenty of minutes played under his belt: “It has massively helped me develop as a player to play regularly at that level,” he says. “In the two warm-up games against Glasgow, I was playing against Huw Jones, a Scotland international, and the Ospreys had Scott Williams who played for Wales for years. Coming up against players like that to test yourself is massive so it’s been really beneficial. I feel like my game is developing a lot quicker now I’m getting consistent professional game time.” Hume has just returned from the mini tour to South Africa, where Ulster played against relative PRO14 newcomers, Toyota Cheetahs and Isuzu Southern Kings. Fortunately for Ulster, playing both away games back-to- back means they only needed to make one long-haul trip during this campaign. It also meant the squad were in close quarters for two weeks together, which Hume found to be hugely beneficial at this early stage of the season:

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