Bath raid Ireland stocks for their new head of recruitment

Bath have confirmed the appointment of Bryn Cunningham as the club’s new head of recruitment after a raid on Ulster.

The former Ulster full back, who made 150 appearances for the province before injury ended his career, joins the Premiership side after more than a decade in senior off-field roles in Belfast.

After hanging up his boots, Cunningham moved into player representation before being appointed Ulster’s team manager in 2014.

The 47-year-old later progressed through the organisation’s operations department, serving as operations director and general manager.

Having left Ulster in October 2025, he now arrives at Bath as the successor to outgoing recruitment lead Rob Burgess.

“I’m hugely excited to become part of a fantastic club like Bath,” Cunningham said, a former Ireland A international.

“It was a difficult decision to leave Ulster, so my next move needed to be right for both my family and my career—and Bath couldn’t fit more perfectly.

“I’m delighted to join an already successful team and look forward to working with Johann and everyone else at the club to help achieve even more in the years ahead.”

The Bangor-born Cunningham debuted for Ulster at 19, helped them win the 1999 Heineken Cup, then secured a full-time deal with Ulster after helping Dungannon to the 2001 AIL title, earning Ulster’s 2002–03 Player of the Year before retiring injured in 2010.

Bath’s head of rugby Johann van Graan welcomed the appointment, pointed to Cunningham’s broad experience both inside the professional game and in player representation.

“Bryn brings rich experience of both working within the rugby system and on the other side as a player agent,” Van Graan said.

“His time in Irish rugby will transition him well into the system here in England and we’re looking forward to seeing Bryn manage retention and recruitment at Bath Rugby.

“We have a family first environment at the club and Bryn fits this perfectly.”