Ulster Rugby v Racing 92

STAFF PROFILE

NAME: CHRIS SHIELDS ROLE: RUGBY PROJECTS MANAGER

Describe your role within Ulster Rugby? As Rugby Project Manager, I work within the Rugby Development Department. My focus bv l-bmѴ‹ om ļo@ŊC;Ѵ7Ľ -1ঞˆbঞ;vķ ‰b|_ u;ˆ;m†; ];m;u-ঞomķ 1o-1_ ;7†1-ঞomķ rѴ-‹;u ‰;Ѵ=-u;ķ facility development and broadly exploring new orrou|†mbঞ;v =ou 0†vbm;vv 0o|_ ‰b|_bm -m7 o†|vb7; the rugby community. Describe your career / employment history? I have been with Ulster Rugby for 11 years and _-ˆ; _;Ѵ7 |_u;; 7b@;u;m| uoѴ;vĸ "|u;m]|_ -m7 om7bঞombm] o-1_ Ő 1-7;l‹őķ b|m;vv 7†1-ঞom Manager and currently Rugby Projects Manager. I -l - &mbˆ;uvb|‹ o= &Ѵv|;u u-7†-|;ķ -[;u ‰_b1_ vr;m| Cˆ; ‹;-uv v|†7‹bm] -m7 ‰ouhbm] bm -m-7- -v -m |_Ѵ;ঞ1 $_;u-rbv|ĺ m u;|†umbm] _ol; v;| up my own business before moving into the IRFU Fitness Department in 2007. Favourite thing about your job? Every day brings new challenges and with that an -0†m7-m1; o= m;‰ orrou|†mbঞ;v |o -77 u;-Ѵ ˆ-Ѵ†; to our wider rugby community. What do you enjoy most about working for Ulster Rugby? In my early years with Ulster Rugby I got real a buzz from seeing a young lad who I worked with ]o om |o ];| _bv Cuv| &Ѵv|;u ou ubv_ -rĺ ou; recently I enjoy working with clubs and schools on large scale facility development projects (i.e. gym u;moˆ-ঞomvő -m7 v;;bm] |_;v; loˆ; o@ |_; r-]; -m7 bm|o =u†bঞomĺ What is your biggest achievement to date? ‰-v |_; "|u;m]|_ -m7 om7bঞombm] 1o-1_ ‰b|_ the Irish Schools Side who won the European

FIRA/AER Championship in France (2011). Many of those players have gone on to gain full bm|;um-ঞom-Ѵ _omouv ŋ !o00b; ;mv_-‰ķ -m Leavy, Luke McGrath, Chris Farrell to name but a few. What is the most challenging aspect of your role? We run 31 rugby camps annually across the ruoˆbm1; bmˆoѴˆbm] ƐƔƏƏƳ r-uঞ1br-m|v -m7 ѵƏƳ v|-@ĺ $o ;mv†u; bm1Ѵ†vbˆb|‹ ‰; o@;u †mbou -lrvķ Schools of Excellence, Disability Rugby Camps and a new Digital Skills Camp which has proven especially popular. With the sheer volume of -1ঞˆb|‹ -m7 7;l-m7ķ |_; Ѵo]bvঞ1v 1-m vol;ঞl;v be challenging, but we’re not complaining. What are your plans/goals for the upcoming season? ‰bѴѴ 1omঞm†; |o ;ŠrѴou; m;‰ ‰-‹v o= 1omm;1ঞm] the wider community to rugby. There are m†l;uo†v |or t†-Ѵb|‹ķ †m7;u†ঞѴbv;7 Ѵo1-Ѵ u†]0‹ =-1bѴbঞ;v bm |_; uoˆbm1;ķ -m7 ;m1o†u-]bm] 1Ѵ†0v |o 7bˆ;uvb=‹ 0‹ o@;ubm] _;-Ѵ|_ -m7 ‰;ѴѴ0;bm] |‹r; bmbঞ-ঞˆ;v v_o†Ѵ7 ruoˆb7; - v†v|-bm-0Ѵ; lo7;Ѵ moving forward. Who is your favourite Ulster player? Chris Henry – he has always given 100% for club, Province and country. A true Malone RFC man through and through.

To get in touch with Chris, email chris.shields@ulsterrugby.com

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