Scarlets confirm release of Simon Easterby to take up international coaching role with Ireland

he Scarlets have agreed to release their Head Coach Simon Easterby to support him in taking up a role with Ireland’s international coaching set-up next season and further his development and experience of top flight coaching and management.

The move, which was finalised between the IRFU and Scarlets Board this week, will allow Easterby to pursue one of his biggest career ambitions – to coach the international side and country that he won 65 caps for between 2000 and 2008.

His international career saw him become the most capped back row forward for Ireland whilst playing, and with an Irish mother and brother Guy Easterby, another former international currently Team Manager at Leinster – a future career path in Ireland was mapped out for the highly-regarded Scarlets Head Coach.

Described by Easterby as an “emotional decision”, he said he was grateful to the Region for supporting him in the move and will stay on throughout the pre-season and start of Scarlets season before moving to Ireland, to ensure a smooth hand-over.

A dedicated Scarlet, Easterby first joined the West Wales Region in 1999 with a distinguished career for Llanelli and Scarlets which saw him captain his side for five consecutive seasons making 196 appearances and scoring 19 tries and playing more than 50 European games in the Scarlets jersey.

Easterby said: “I am very grateful to the Scarlets Board for allowing this to happen and for respecting and supporting my ambition and development as a coach at international level. It’s a huge opportunity for me in Ireland and one I am very excited about, but it’s been a very emotional decision to leave the Region that has been such a major part of my rugby career.

“What makes it easier is the knowledge that we have a strong coaching structure in place and a very balanced playing squad that has not changed dramatically over the summer. We’ve worked hard to make good quality signings that will further strengthen our squad and I believe Scarlets Rugby will go forward very positively next season.

“We have seen good progress over the past two years in our rugby environment and have retained coaching expertise in technical areas of scrum, kicking and skills development. We have a strong back-room with an excellent medical, strength and conditioning, analysis and coaching group in place and in particular, we are fortunate to have Mark Jones, Mark Tainton (kicking coach) as well as Scrum Coach Danny Wilson still involved.

“We also welcome Wayne Pivac, who brings a wealth of experience with him to Parc y Scarlets; he has led international rugby with Fiji as well as being involved in Auckland Rugby for more than 15 years. He has a broad level of experience across national coaching, Sevens and as a proven Head Coach; he also brings expertise in forwards coaching and the breakdown area which will strengthen our coaching team here and give a wider dimension to our rugby group.”

Easterby expressed his thanks for everyone who has supported his career in West Wales. He said: “I am grateful to everyone that has helped me throughout my Scarlets career. My particular thanks go to all the players in the squad for their hard work and commitment, the backroom staff who have been a pleasure to work alongside over the past couple of years and all our supporters who continue to show great passion and loyalty to all that rugby stands for in West Wales.”

Chief Executive of the Scarlets Region Mark Davies said that Simon Easterby’s progression to an international coaching role was always on the cards.

Mark Davies said: “It is a compliment to Simon’s fast development and success within his coaching role at Parc y Scarlets over the past two years that he has been offered this opportunity. We were aware that both Joe Schmidt and the IRFU had identified Simon some time ago and as a result of his and the Scarlets progress over the last two seasons, this chance has come his way.

“In the same spirit that we gave our full support to the WRU and Mark Jones for him to join as Wales’ Backs Coach for the Six Nations winning team in 2013, we also completely understand Simon’s ambition to test himself at the highest level.

“What was also important to Simon and the Scarlets was to ensure that we have everything in place for next season. It’s been vital to retain Simon throughout our pre-season and into the first phase of our competitions so that we have an effective hand-over and ensure the game structures the coaching group have worked through in the off-season, along with our strengthened squad, gel well together.

“As Scarlets we thank Simon for his huge contribution as a player and most recently as our coach for all that he has done to represent this Region at the highest level; he has worked with huge integrity, dedication and passion and wish him all the best in his international coaching career.

“It’s a challenge for any business environment operating in a truly competitive environment to retain talented people – of course that’s particularly the case in professional sport where performance is all. The only thing guaranteed to be constant is change – so it’s essential to have robust structures and effective succession planning in place.”

Biography Simon Easterby

Age: 38

Harrogate RFC: 1995 – 1997

Leeds Carnegie: 1998 – 1999

Llanelli / Scarlets: 1999 – 2010; 196 appearances

Ireland, flanker 2000 – 2008: 65 caps

British and Irish Lions 2005: 2 caps

Assistant Coach Scarlets: September 2010

Head Coach Scarlets: July 2012