Neil Doak

Rugby union

Playing career

Doak played at amateur level for four Irish clubs, all based in Ulster. These were North of Ireland FC, Ballymena RFC, Malone RFC and Belfast Harlequins. In addition to these clubs, Doak also played for the Ulster provincial side. He played 76 times for Ulster, before retiring in April 2005.

Doak came close to representing his country at international level. He was named in the Ireland squad for the 2002 Six Nations Championship, the 2003 World Cup and was named as a substitute for a match against Fiji in 1995, but never earned a senior cap for the Ireland side.

Coaching career

Following his retirement from playing, Doak began working as part of Ulster's academy system. He served as an Elite Player Development Officer and head coach of the under-19 and under-20 sides. Doak was promoted to the senior set up in 2007, taking the role of skills coach and managing the province's second-tier side, Ulster A. In 2008 he was promoted again, this time becoming the team's attack and backs coach. During his time with Ulster, Doak also took up temporary roles within the Irish setup. In 2013, he served as 's backs coach during their tour to North America. In 2014, he served as backs coach to Emerging Ireland in the 2014 IRB Nations Cup.

In the summer of 2014, Ulster sacked head coach Mark Anscombe on short notice. Ireland defence coach Les Kiss took over as director of rugby on an interim basis for the start of the 2014–15 season. In October 2014, Kiss returned to his position with the Ireland team, with and Doak took over the role of head coach. It was announced that Kiss would return to his role with Ulster on a full-time basis following the 2015 World Cup, leaving Doak in charge of the province for the remainder of the season and the start of the 2015–16 campaign. He served in this role under Kiss until the end of the 2016–17 season, when he was replaced by Jono Gibbes.

In March 2018, it was announced that Doak had joined English Premiership side Worcester Warriors. He was hired as attack and backs coach, taking up the role for the 2018–19 season. He left Worcester at the end of the 2019–20 season.

Doak coached Georgia during the 2020 Autumn Nations Cup.

In December 2024, he became head coach of the Ireland U20, appointing Ian Keatley as an assistant coach. Since Doak took charge of the under-20s they have finished 6th in the 2025 U20 Six Nations and 11th in the U20 World Championship. Doak was replaced as coach of the Ireland Under-20s on the 1st of October 2025, less than one year after taking charge.

Cricket

In addition to playing rugby, Doak was also an accomplished cricketer, representing Ireland internationally.

A right-handed batsman and off spin bowler, he made his debut for the Irish cricket team in June 1993, playing against Scotland in a first-class match. He went on to play for Ireland on 32 occasions, his last match coming against Zimbabwe in June 2000, though this was more than three years after his previous appearance in the third place play-off of the 1997 ICC Trophy against Scotland.

Of Doak's matches for Ireland, two were first-class matches against Scotland, and three had List A status. In all matches for Ireland, he scored 479 runs at an average of 26.61, his highest score being 84 not out against Surrey in a Benson & Hedges Cup match on 14 May 1996, an innings for which he won the man of the match award, despite finishing on the losing side. He took 31 wickets, at an average of 21.84, with his best bowling figures being four wickets for nine runs against Gibraltar in the 1996 European Championship and against Israel in the 1997 ICC Trophy.

Doak played for Ireland in three international tournaments; the 1994 ICC Trophy, the 1996 European Championship, during which he won a man of the match award for a performance against Denmark where he took 4/44 and scored 51 not out, and the 1997 ICC Trophy, during which he won a man of the match award for the above-mentioned performance against Israel.

Family

Doak's son Nathan is a professional rugby union player, playing scrum half for Ulster and the Ireland national under-20 rugby union team. Another son, Cameron, plays prop, and joined the Ulster Rugby academy in 2023.

References

References

1. [http://www.cricketarchive.co.uk/Archive/Players/4/4331/4331.html Cricket Archive profile]
2. "Doak Appointed Ireland Men’s U20s Head Coach". Ireland Rugby.
3. Stokes, Jim. (5 April 2005). "Doak returns to his day job". BBC.
4. (8 January 2002). "Doak gets Irish call-up". BBC.
5. [https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/rugby_world_cup/team_pages/ireland/3089714.stm Article about Doak being selected for the World Cup in 2003 from the BBC]
6. "Neil Doak". [[Worcester Warriors]].
7. (8 October 2014). "Doak confirmed by IRFU as Ulster head coach on full-time basis". [[Irish Times]].
8. (6 March 2018). "Former Ulster coach Neil Doak to take job at Premiership side Worcester Warriors.". [[Belfast Telegraph]].
9. (22 December 2019). "Worcester Warriors close to finalising next season's coaching team".
10. "David Humphreys and Neil Doak secure Georgia coaching roles". BBC Sport.
11. "Doak Appointed Ireland Men’s U20s Head Coach". Ireland Rugby.
12. "CricketEurope Stats Zone profile".
13. [http://www.cricketarchive.co.uk/Archive/Players/4/4331/First-Class_Matches.html First-class matches played by Neil Doak at Cricket Archive]
14. [http://www.cricketarchive.co.uk/Archive/Players/4/4331/List_A_Matches.html List A matches played by Neil Doak at Cricket Archive]
15. [http://www.cricketarchive.co.uk/Archive/Scorecards/62/62157.html Scorecard of Ireland v Surrey Benson & Hedges Cup game in May 1996 from Cricket Archive]
16. [http://www.cricketarchive.co.uk/Archive/Scorecards/62/62536.html Scorecard of Gibraltar v Ireland match in 1996 European Championship]
17. [http://www.cricketarchive.co.uk/Archive/Scorecards/63/63706.html Scorecard of Ireland v Israel from the 1997 ICC Trophy at Cricket Archive]
18. [http://www.cricketarchive.co.uk/Archive/Players/4/4331/ICC_Trophy_Matches.html ICC Trophy matches played by Neil Doak at Cricket Archive]
19. "Ireland squat at the 1996 European Championship at CricketEurope".
20. [http://www.cricketarchive.co.uk/Archive/Scorecards/62/62517.html Denmark v Ireland scorecard from 1996 European Championship]
21. Gerry Thornley, [https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/rugby/pro14/impressive-nathan-doak-set-for-first-competitive-ulster-start-1.4685121 "Impressive Nathan Doak set for first competitive Ulster start"], ''Belfast Telegraph'', 28 September 2021
22. [https://ulster.rugby/content/ulster-rugby-academy-202324-squad-confirmed-1 "Ulster Rugby Academy 2023/24 squad confirmed"], Ulster Rugby, 29 June 2023