Rory Best (born 15 August 1982) from Poyntzpass is an Irish rugby union footballer. He plays at the position of Hooker for Ulster and is registered for Banbridge RFC.

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 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 made his Ireland debut against the All-Blacks at Lansdowne Road in November 2005. He replaced his brother Simon as captain of Ulster for the 2007/08 season and continues to hold the position. 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 made his international debut for Ireland as a replacement against the All Blacks in November 2005 and made his first start against The Springboks in 2006. He has been involved with the national team ever since, sharing the number 2 shirt with Jerry Flannery. He was a member of the Irish teams that won the 2007 Triple Crown and was in the Irish Squad for the 2007 Rugby World Cup as well as the 2009 Six Nations championship which completed the Grand Slam. He captained the Ireland team that toured North America in 2009, while most of the country's top stars were on the British and Irish Lions team that began their tour of South Africa at the same time.

Rory McIlroy, MBE (born 4 May 1989) is a Northern Irish professional golfer from Holywood in County Down. He is formerly the World Number One. On 19 June 2011 he won the U.S. Open, setting a record score of 16-under-par on his way to an eight-shot victory. He has been cited as the most exciting young prospect in golf and having the potential to become one of the highest earners in sports in terms of endorsements.

McIlroy has represented Europe, Great Britain & Ireland, and Ireland as both an amateur and a professional. He had a successful amateur career, topping the World Amateur Golf Ranking for one week as a 17-year-old in 2007. Later that year he turned professional and soon established himself on the European Tour. He had his first win on the European Tour in 2009, and on the PGA Tour in 2010. He represented Europe in the 2010 Ryder Cup.

McIlroy was born in Holywood, County Down, Northern Ireland. He is the only child of Gerry and Rosie (née McDonald) McIlroy; he attended St. Patrick's Primary School and then Sullivan Upper School.