Neil Doak

Neil George Doak (born 21 June 1972) is a Northern Irish former cricketer and rugby union player. He is the former head coach of the Ireland U20 rugby union team.

He has served as attack and backs coach with English club side Worcester Warriors, and Georgia during the 2020 Autumn Nations Cup. Doak previously worked as attack and backs coach of Irish provincial side Ulster from 2008 to 2017, where he also spent his professional playing career. During his time with Ulster, he had brief stints as a coach with and Emerging Ireland.

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. 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.

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.

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.

In the spring of 2026 Neil took over the Head Coaching role at Banbridge RFC

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

A right-handed batsman and off spin bowler, 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. In all matches for Ireland, he scored 479 runs at an average of 26.61, his highest score being 84 not out He took 31 wickets, at an average of 21.84, with his best bowling figures being four wickets for nine runs against Gibraltar 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, Another son, Cameron, plays prop, and joined the Ulster Rugby academy in 2023.