Education
Best was educated at Tandragee Junior High School, Portadown College and studied Agriculture at Newcastle University where he played with the Newcastle Falcons academy.
Best was educated at Tandragee Junior High School, Portadown College and studied Agriculture at Newcastle University where he played with the Newcastle Falcons academy.
He was raised in Poyntzpass, County Armagh. He plays at the position of Hooker for Ulster and is registered for Banbridge Reconstruction Finance Corporation. He returned home to join Belfast Harlequins in 2002 where he captained the team and gained his first Ulster contract in 2004. He made his debut for Ulster as a replacement at home to Munster in the 2005 Celtic League.
He is renowned for his abilities as a scrummager.
Best missed the entire 2009/10 season due to surgery on a chronic disc problem. Best scored two tries in 2011/12 and 2010/11 for Ulster.
Best made his international debut for Ireland as a replacement against the All Blacks at Lansdowne Road in November 2005 and made his first start against the Springboks in 2006. He has been involved with the national team ever since, initially sharing the number 2 shirt with Jerry Flannery.
He captained the Ireland team that toured North America in 2009, while many of his Ireland team-mates were on the British and Irish Lions team that began their tour of South Africa at the same time.
He has been ever-present for Ireland, and became undisputed first-choice Hooker at the 2011 Rugby World Cup after an injury to Jerry Flannery. He was chosen to captain Ireland during the 2012 Six Nations Championship after Paul O"Connell was injured. Best was added to the British and Irish Lions squad for the 2013 British and Irish Lions tour to Australia on 26 May after English Hooker Dylan Hartley was removed from the squad after receiving a red card in the Aviva Premiership final for abuse of an official on 25 May 2013.
In January 2016, Best was named as the new Ireland captain for the 2016 Six Nations Championship.