He made his debut for Ulster in 2006, and made 98 appearances for the province.[2] He was capped seven times for Ireland,[5] including three test appearances on the 2012 tour of New Zealand. His final appearance for Ireland was in a 2013 defeat to New Zealand.[2]
His final match for Ulster was a Champions Cup defeat away to Toulon in January 2015.[2] He announced his retirement in April 2015 for medical reasons,[5] having sustained six concussions in his career.[2] He issued legal proceedings against the IRFU, Ulster and World Rugby in March 2023 in relation to head injuries.[6]