St Helens suffer fresh coaching exit with rugby union switch confirmed

St Helens assistant coach Eamon O’Carroll has become the latest rugby league coach to take up an opportunity in rugby union, joining Welsh URC side Scarlets as defence coach at the end of the 2026 Super League season.

His move to Llanelli, as first reported by Love Rugby League, follows major off-field changes at the Parc y Scarlets, following the appointment of Nigel Davies as interim director of rugby.

He will join up with his future employers in October, but will be involved in the planning of their pre-season programme ahead of the next rugby union campaign.

Commenting on joining the Scarlets, O’Carroll said: “The opportunity to join Scarlets was one that really excited me. I’ve always tried to challenge myself throughout my career and step outside my comfort zone because that’s when I feel I do my best work.

“Scarlets is a great club with huge history, strong values and clearly means everything to its supporters and the whole region in West Wales.

“After meeting Nigel, Dwayne and Cubby, I felt a real connection straight away. They care deeply about the club and what they’re trying to build. I was really impressed by their vision for the future and the honesty around where the club is now and where it wants to get to. Culturally, I felt the team at Scarlets are my kind of people, with values that match and I am excited to get started.”

Scarlets interim director of rugby, Davies, added: We are absolutely delighted to bring Eamon to Scarlets.

“First and foremost, he is an outstanding coach. He has worked within elite high-performance environments at the top of professional rugby league and has built a stand-out reputation for his energy, attention to detail, work ethic and ability to develop players and drive standards every day.

“What also stood out to us was his character. He is passionate, demanding, highly competitive and has a genuine enthusiasm for helping players improve. He will bring a huge amount of energy to our environment.”

“His experience in title-winning elite professional environments has been built around those principles. His teams are known for their work ethic, their physical commitment and their willingness to compete for every moment of the game.