Wilson has amassed 169 caps for Ulster and also made an impressive 117 appearances for Northampton in a four year stint from 2008-2012. The 33 year-old has also represented Ireland and Ireland A, as well as lining out for the Barbarians and a World XV invitational side earlier this year.
It’s a magnificent achievement, but one that Wilson was keen to play down: “It’s a nice milestone to reach. I suppose it just reminds you of how fortunate you are to be playing the sport that you love for so long, especially when you look at players like Stephen Ferris who have had to retire early. I’ve stayed relatively injury free and durability has probably been one of my strong points throughout my career.”
A 21 year-old Wilson played his first professional match on 5th September 2003 in Neath, in a fixture that was also the first match played by the new Ospreys franchise. Since then, there have been many career highlights, but one sticks out for Wilson: “Winning the Celtic League in 2005/06 was brilliant - that’s something I’d like to experience again. It’s great to play all these games but unless I win more silverware with Ulster, I’ll look back at my career with a bit of disappointment.”
The former RBAI pupil signed a new two-year contract earlier this month and is determined to finish his career on a high. “Once you get older you realise you have to work a bit harder to keep the body in shape. I want to go out on a high and not let my career drift away. I’m looking to stay within the first team and play my part in terms of getting some silverware.”
Over the next two years, he plans to pass on his experience to the young players coming through the ranks. “There’s some great talent in the Academy and on the fringes of the first team who haven’t had a great deal of game time. I like to try to make things a bit more comfortable for them and try to give them some tips and advice. I suppose I’ll be trying to give something back to Ulster Rugby over the next couple of years by helping the younger players coming through.”
Well done Roger!