From his tattoo to why he has been hailed a 'complete player'
Who is James Hume: Ten things you should know about the Ireland centre
James Hume has become ever more influential in the Ulster team, with his impressive skill-set coming to the fore in the province’s midfield, and he’s in line for further international honours with Ireland.
Ten things you should know about James Hume
1. James Hume was born on 7 September 1998 in Belfast, Northern Ireland. He stands at 6ft 1in (1.86m) and weighs 16st (100kg).
2. He has played his senior rugby for Ulster after competing at an amateur level for Banbridge.
3. Hume has represented Ireland U20 and made his senior debut against the USA in 2021.
4. Former Ireland player Tony Ward said Hume’s form in the 2021-22 season is providing a lot of competition for Ireland’s more experienced centres.
He told BBC Radio Ulster’s Sportsound: “We’re in a good place in the middle of the field with Robbie Henshaw, Bundee Aki and Garry Ringrose. Yet all three of them are looking over their shoulder at this guy Hume.”
5. Hume used the Covid lockdown to work on his mindset. He told BelfastLive: “I found a lot of time to do mental strength stuff because I don’t feel prior to lockdown that I was a mentally tough person to be honest.”
6. Ulster’s defence coach Jared Payne has said Hume is the “complete player”. He told the Irish Times: “Ireland are very lucky with the depth they have in that position (centre) and the quality they’ve got there. For James, it’s about that consistency of performance.
“If he keeps doing what he’s doing and keeps putting his best foot forward then it’ll be pretty hard for Ireland to be ignoring that. He’s good on both sides of the ball. He’s very good in defence and very good in attack. (Hume is) a complete player at the moment.”
7. Hume is a fan of golf.
8. He attended Royal Belfast Academical Institution and won three Ulster School Cups.
9. He has a tattoo on his arm that says ‘Quaerere Verum’. It’s his school’s motto and it means seek the truth.
10. Hume supports Premier League football club Liverpool.
Download the digital edition of Rugby World straight to your tablet or subscribe to the print edition to get the magazine delivered to your door.
Follow Rugby World on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.