"Pre-season has been tough so far"; says McCloskey. "I came in during week three, so I was lucky, I had an extra two weeks break after playing away in Georgia earlier this summer. We are right in the middle of it now, doing a lot of running and a lot of weights, just everything you would expect from pre-season really. All the guys are settling in well, they are all professional players so they know what it takes by now to get through a pre-season. Paul, Pete and Sam seem to be getting on really well."
The 22 year-old played 15 times for Ulster last season and signed his first senior contract in January. Having made the transition from the Academy to senior squad relatively quickly, Stuart has an idea how the guys who are new to the set-up are feeling.
"I am in a position now where I can offer the Academy guys or the new guys a bit of advice but it's more about what not to do, like don't ever be late! Other than that it's really just about listening to what the coaches tell you and taking it all on board."
McCloskey was part of the Emerging Ireland squad who recorded three bonus point wins in a row before lifting the World Rugby Tbilisi Cup for the first time in Georgia in June.
"That was my second time away with Emerging Ireland and we did well. The weather was really warm, which took a bit of getting used to. We were expected to win when we went out there and I think we showed a touch of class above other teams. It's always good to be a part of the Ireland set up, it's a step up but quite similar to Ulster. There was a huge focus on rugby there whereas here at the minute the focus is fitness, but that comes with it being pre-season. We have just started to look at attacking and defensive patterns and doing more conditioning work."
It is early days but the young centre is clear about what he wants to achieve this season.
"My focus at the minute is just to get through pre-season! (He jokes) It will be good to get back playing competitively, it's just four weeks until our first match and six until the start of the PRO12, so time is flying but we hope to get off to a good start. We are all looking forward to camp in Portugal next week, it will be nice to train in some good weather. It's a great opportunity to get some sun and really bond as a team.
"My personal goal at the minute is to try my hardest, show the coaches what I can do and push for that starting place. If I can get consistent starts under my belt here at Ulster, then hopefully I can chase for a place with Ireland as well."