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team or match day 23, to make a real
contribution, to perform.”
Diack is a deep thinker about the
game, and about life itself, and he’s
acutely aware of life after rugby, and as
well as continuing with his studies he’s
got personally involved in a couple of
business ventures. With Ruan Pienaar he
runs a thriving wine-making enterprise,
and he’s just invested in a café on Belfast’s
Ormeau Road.
“Some people may take this the wrong way
but players do have to look to their futures,
to secure their families, and being financially
sensible when rugby is a limited career is
surely the right thing to do. And I don’t just
get involved for that reason, I’ve always loved
wine, and I am a very keen cook, so I’m in
businesses I really care about,” he says.
Surprisingly, for a player who never takes a
less-than-positive attitude on to the pitch, he has
been frustrated by some recent criticism of the
team and of individual players.
“These last few games have been very frustrating
for us all. Players and coaches take it to heart
because they care too, but some of the criticism
has been very personal and tough to read. We don’t
go out there to make mistakes, and I suppose we’re
fortunate in that we get the chance to right some
wrongs in the next game against Zebre.
“Some of the coaches have had their say, there’s been
a lot of soul-searching, and we all want to give the fans
– and ourselves – the results and performances which
can bring success, and starting with Zebre this evening
and I believe we can.”
At just 30, there’s plenty of rugby left in the Diack tank,
and he’s impressively determined to be part of an Ulster
team, under Les Kiss and Head Coach Neil Doak,
which will realise the ambitions and reward the hard
work and imaginative thinking that is the hallmark at
Kingspan Stadium.
“Life is really good, it can only get better if we deliver on
the pitch and I have no doubts at all that we have the
players to do that, and bring long-term success here.
“I just want to be an important part of doing just that,”
says the amiably frank South African who has achieved
so much personally, but who regards the team and its
supporters as the most important factors in reaching
that goal.