Jamie Benson, Ulster’s new signing from Harlequins, says fly-half remains his preferred position even though he started at centre in the province’s United Rugby Championship opener against Edinburgh. Benson joined on a two-year deal in the summer and has settled into life in Belfast since. Speaking to the BBC, he made clear that the Jamie Benson Ulster story is about versatility as much as ambition, and he sees his ability to cover the backline as a strength rather than a compromise.
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Benson qualifies for Ireland through his mother’s side of the family, who are from Belfast. “My mum grew up in Belfast, along with a lot of her family, so a lot of them still live in Belfast and are big Ulster fans,” he said.
He visited the city often as a child, but living there full time feels different. “I spent a decent amount of time here growing up but it’s definitely different living here myself, as opposed to coming here to visit family,” Benson said. “It feels like a new city that I probably haven’t been to before just because of the situation of me living here permanently, living on my own, working, playing rugby. So definitely different but I’m enjoying it.”
On the shirt he wants long term, Benson left little doubt. “My preferred position is definitely playing at 10. That’s where I think I’m able to affect the game most, influence it and influence the boys around me, and have the most positive impact upon games,” he said. “But having that versatility and ability to move around is a skill that I value. I think it will be helpful for me personally and for the teams that I’m playing for moving forward.”
Head coach Richie Murphy has watched Benson operate across several positions since his arrival at Kingspan Stadium. “Most of Jamie’s rugby has been played at centre or full-back over the past couple of years but he has obviously played 10 there before,” Murphy said, in comments given as part of the BBC Sport interview. “So he’s a utility type of player, physical for not being a massive man, and he has brought a nice blend of skill and competitiveness to our squad.”
Squad Impact & Tactical Context
Ulster opened their United Rugby Championship campaign with a defeat to Edinburgh, a result Benson felt reflected a squad still finding its shape. “There were encouraging things, there were also frustrating things, about Friday night, maybe some teething problems in the first game of the season with a lot of new faces out there,” he said. “That’s potentially a reason why things didn’t click straight away.”
He pointed to a late rally as reason for optimism rather than alarm. “But there was a lot to give us hope for the season. In those last 20 minutes we were really able to turn the game round, we just weren’t able to finish the job off,” he said.
Murphy has praised the wider group of arrivals alongside Benson, a squad shake up detailed further in our earlier report. “He, like many of the other lads who have come in, have made an impression over the past couple of weeks,” the head coach said.
Benson graduated through the Harlequins academy and kicked a last-gasp conversion against Northampton Saints on his senior debut back in 2021. He made his Premiership debut in 2024 and scored his first Champions Cup try last season against Bayonne. He has represented England at both under-18 and under-20 level, and was named in a wider England A squad earlier this season.
He was careful not to get ahead of himself when asked about representative honours going forward. “It would be the dream of most professional rugby players to be playing international rugby, so that is definitely an ambition of mine one day, if or when that opportunity will arise,” he said. “For the meantime I’m just trying taking things week by week and try to play to my best each weekend and see where that lands me.”
That patience fits the picture Ulster fans have seen so far, alongside the Ulster squad developments in the academy ranks this year.
What is next for Benson?
Ulster travel to Scotstoun to face Glasgow on Saturday, looking for a first win of the season after the setback against Edinburgh. Benson’s flexibility gives Murphy options in midweek selection, whether that means another run at centre or a look at fly-half if injuries or form dictate a change. Fans will want to see whether the improvement shown in the final quarter against Edinburgh can be stretched across a full eighty minutes at Scotstoun.
