If you ever wondered what it means to Rory Best to play for Ulster and Ireland, then this press conference proved it.
The Ulster and Ireland captain held back the tears on Thursday afternoon as he addressed the media to confirm his decision to retire from professional rugby .
A warrior of a man on the pitch, Best struggled to contain his emotions as he looked back on his stellar career, and as he also considered a future away from the cut and thrust of professional rugby.
Best made his competitive debut for Ulster in 2004 and has amassed 219 appearances to date, scoring 23 tries. He was a key member of the squad which won the Celtic League title in 2005/06.
He is Ulster’s most-capped international with 116 appearances (10 tries) and has helped Ireland win the Six Nations Championship on four occasions, including two Grand Slam successes (one as captain).
Best’s leadership of Ireland is record-breaking; he captained Ireland to its first ever win against New Zealand in 2016 and has steered the country to second in the world rankings.
He was a member of the British & Irish Lions squad for the 2013 and 2017 tours to Australia and New Zealand respectively.
Best was close to tears as he attempted to answer the very first question at Thursday's press conference.
Similar waves of emotion caught him off guard as he spoke of playing alongside his brother Simon, and when he caught a glimpse of his wife Jodie in the audience.
"I wanted to go out on my own terms, I feel this is right for me. It feels strange after being here for so many years," he said.
Best added: "It is a difficult thing to come out and say. Even coming up here today we were saying 'it is still not too late'.
"But it feels like the right time. It might not sound like it in my voice, but it is the right time."
Check out some of the highlights from today's media event to see what else the rugby legend had to say.
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