Doak Chosen To Lead Banbridge’s ‘Next Chapter’

The vastly-experienced Neil Doak will spearhead Banbridge’s bid to bounce back from relegation, having been announced as their new senior Men’s head coach ahead of the 2026/27 season.

Doak brings a wealth of experience at the highest level of the game, and will be tasked with helping Banbridge to regroup following a difficult campaign which saw them finish bottom of Energia All-Ireland League Men’s Division 2A.

Bann only won one league match this past season, but had five single-score defeats which could have changed the complexion of their season if they had been reversed. Rob Logan recently stepped down as head coach, along with assistant Ricky Andrew, after three-and-a-half years at the helm.

The County Down club will compete in the new Division 2BN of the All-Ireland League when it begins in the autumn, giving them a number of derby fixtures against Ulster opposition, including the newly-promoted Enniskillen.

Doak has close family links with Banbridge RFC, as his eldest son, Ulster and Ireland scrum half Nathan, signed for the club in 2020 after reaching the Ulster Schools Senior Cup final with Wallace High School.

Neil, himself a former scrum half, made 76 appearances for Ulster during a distinguished playing career and was part of the province’s historic 1999 Heineken Cup-winning squad. Transitioning into coaching, he held senior roles with Ulster, including attack coach and head coach.

More recently he has held head coach positions with Belfast Harlequins and the Ireland Under-20 Men’s team, and his coaching CV also features spells as backs or attack coach with Emerging Ireland, the Ireland Under-18 Schools team, Worcester Warriors, and the Georgian senior Men’s side.

Welcoming the former Ireland ‘A’ international to Rifle Park, the club’s director of rugby Marc Eadie said: “We are absolutely delighted to bring Neil to Banbridge RFC.

“His experience at the top level of the game speaks for itself, but what really stood out throughout the process was his passion for developing players and building a strong club environment. We believe he is the perfect person to lead our squad forward into the next chapter.”

Banbridge’s first team manager Gareth Bronte added: “Neil’s knowledge and understanding of the game is second to none.

“From our conversations, it’s clear he shares our ambition for the club and our desire to create a high-performance environment. The players are excited, and we’re all looking forward to working with him.”

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