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7
ULSTER
RUGBY
It has been a remarkable career so far for Craig
Gilroy who tonight becomes the youngest
player in the history of Ulster Rugby to make
it to a century of Ulster caps. No-one who
watched his debut in November in 2010
however, will be surprised that he has hit such
heights, so young. That day, he scored two
brilliant tries and it is an occasion that still
stands out for the Ulster and Ireland winger:
“I still remember it really well,” Craig says. “It
was played in Cardiff City’s football ground. It
was pretty crazy, I scored two tries and it all
happened really quickly. Looking back I can’t
believe that I am making my 100th appearance
as that game seems like it was only yesterday.”
Having made his Ulster debut, he has gone
on to score important tries in some of Ulster’s
biggest games:
He says: “Munster in the 2012 Heineken Cup
quarter final was class. Going down there (to
Thomond Park) as underdogs, to get on the
score-sheet and to win the way we did will
always stand out. I got the bonus point try
against Aironi a few seasons ago (in December
2011). Stephen Ferris picked me up after I
scored. It has been great to play with players
like Stevie and it’s hard to believe that he has
retired. It was good to touch down in our game
against Leicester three weeks ago. One try that
was really pleasing was one I scored against
Glasgow earlier in the season. I came off the
bench – when you come off the bench you
always want to make an impact and I was able
to do that in that game.”
Now in his fifth year, Gilroy has experienced
many of the highs and lows of professional
rugby. He says that he has learned as much
from the bad times as he has from the good:
“Last season was the first time that I had
experienced injury. Up until then it was all
flowing. It’s all a massive learning curve. Each
game is a new experience. I am very different
now to when I played my first game. I don’t get
really nervous. I get good nerves but I don’t
get uptight. You just have to remember to relax
and to stay calm out on the field. Those are the
games that I have played best in when I have
been fully focused and I have backed myself.
That is what I have learned.”
Like all milestones, winning his 100th cap gives
the Ulster and Ireland player a chance to reflect
on what he has achieved so far and gives him
the opportunity to set his goals for the future:
“I never thought that I would make 100
appearances for Ulster. If someone had said
that to me when I was back in school, I would
have thought that they were crazy! I am still
only 23 – a lot of guys have made their 100th in
their late 20s but they rack up quickly.
“I want to be the best player that I can be. I
want to continue to play for Ulster and I want to
play for Ireland. I am aiming to keep learning
and to keeping working hard and I want to
score tries because that is what I enjoy doing
most.
“I still hopefully have 10 or 11 years left - I still
can’t believe that I am already on my 100th
cap.”
A fantastic achievement and hopefully we will
see Craig Gilroy in an Ulster shirt for many
more years to come.
One hundred appearances for Ulster, 25 tries for
his province, six Ireland caps… all achieved at just
23 years of age.
RECORD BREAKING 100
FOR CRAIG GILROY