View source for Simon Easterby

{{short description|Irish rugby union coach and former player|bot=PearBOT 5}}
{{Use British English|date=August 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2015}}
{{Infobox rugby biography
| name           = Simon Easterby
| image          = Ireland vs Georgia, Rugby World Cup 2007 What's the Plan Boss.jpg
| caption        = Easterby (scrum cap, back) playing for [[Ireland national rugby union team|Ireland]]
| birth_name     = Simon Easterby
| birth_date     = {{birth date and age|1975|7|21|df=y}}
| birth_place    = [[Harrogate]], Yorkshire, England 
| height         = {{convert|1.93|m|ftin|abbr=on}}
| weight         = {{convert|100|kg|stlb|abbr=on}}
| ru_position    = [[Flanker (rugby union)|Flanker]]
| years1         = 1998–1999 |clubs1 = [[Leeds Tykes]]           |apps1 = 27 |points1 = 40
| years2         = 1999–2003 |clubs2 = [[Llanelli RFC|Llanelli]] |apps2 = 83 |points2 = 65
| provinceyears1 = 2003–2010 |province1 = [[Scarlets]] |provinceapps1 = 118 |provincepoints1 = 30
| repyears1      = 2000–2008 |repteam1 = [[Ireland national rugby union team|Ireland]] |repcaps1 = 65 |reppoints1 = 40
| repyears2      = 2005      |repteam2 = [[British & Irish Lions]]                     |repcaps2 = 2  |reppoints2 = 5
| coachyears1    = 2012–2014 |coachteams1 = [[Scarlets]] 
| coachyears2    = 2014–2021 |coachteams2 = [[Ireland national rugby union team|Ireland]] (forwards) 
| coachyears3    = 2021–     |coachteams3 = [[Ireland national rugby union team|Ireland]] (defence)
| coachyears4    = 2025–     |coachteams4 = [[Ireland national rugby union team|Ireland]] (interim head coach)
| ru_coachupdate = 31 January 2025
| relatives      = [[Guy Easterby]] (brother)<br/>[[Sarra Elgan]] (wife)<br/>[[Elgan Rees]] (father-in-law)
| school         = [[Ampleforth College]] 
}}
'''Simon Easterby''' (born 21 July 1975) is a professional [[rugby union]] coach and former player. He is currently the interim head coach for the [[Ireland national rugby union team|Ireland national team]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.irishrugby.ie/ireland/men/management/ |title=Management |publisher=[[Irish Rugby Football Union]] |accessdate=15 February 2021 }}</ref>

==Early life==
Easterby's father is English and his mother Irish, so had Irish citizenship from birth.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/adoption-crisis-1.256371 |title=Adoption crisis |work=[[Irish Times]] |date=16 March 2000 }}</ref> He is the younger brother of [[Guy Easterby]], also an Ireland international. He was educated at [[Ampleforth College]] in North Yorkshire.<ref>{{cite book|editor-last=Tozer|editor-first=Malcolm|title=Physical Education and Sport in Independent Schools|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QVCvtcUo4Y0C|publisher=John Catt Educational|date=2012|isbn=9781908095442|pages=293}}</ref>

==Club career==
Easterby captained the [[Scarlets]] for five consecutive seasons and played more than 50 European games, 201 games (19 tries) for Llanelli and the Scarlets. He had been part of the West Wales region since signing from [[Leeds Tykes]] in 1999. In August 2010, Easterby was forced to retire through a knee injury at the age of 35.

==International career==
Despite being born in England, Easterby turned down the opportunity to play for [[England national rugby union team|England]] under [[Clive Woodward]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Gault |first1=Matt |title=The 'rugby student' stepping up to lead Ireland |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/articles/cx2k5n5kgxlo |website=BBC Sport |access-date=31 January 2025}}</ref> 

===Ireland===
Easterby made his first international appearance in a [[2000 Six Nations Championship]] victory over [[Scotland national rugby union team|Scotland]] at [[Lansdowne Road]]. He then became a regular in the side, being ever-present for the remainder of that Six Nations competition. Easterby then played in all three of the games during the summer tour but he missed all of the following season due to injury and did not return until the game against Scotland in September 2001. After Ireland's defeat, he lost his place but he did win a cap as a replacement against [[Samoa national rugby union team|Samoa]] in November 2001. In 2002, he played a part in the first 10 of Ireland's games – eight as a starter – but after that, he lost his place and he did not return until playing in two tests during the summer tour of 2003 against [[Tonga national rugby union team|Tonga]] and Samoa.

Following injuries to [[Paul O'Connell]] and [[Brian O'Driscoll]] he was named captain for the [[2005 end-of-year rugby union internationals|2005 Autumn internationals]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Gault |first1=Matt |title=The 'rugby student' stepping up to lead Ireland |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/articles/cx2k5n5kgxlo |website=BBC Sport |access-date=31 January 2025}}</ref>

He was virtually ever-present for Ireland since then; he has received in total 65 caps and scored 40 points. He was described as the "elder statesman among Ireland's back-row options" in 2007.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.irishtimes.com/sports/rugby/6nations/2007/team_profiles/easterby.html |title=Six Nations 2007 – Simon Easterby |work=Irish Times |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20121011182722/http://www.irishtimes.com/sports/rugby/6nations/2007/team_profiles/easterby.html |archivedate=11 October 2012 }}</ref> Easterby played in one more Six Nations Championship in 2008, after which he retired from international rugby to concentrate on his club career.<ref>{{cite news |title=Easterby quits international game |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/irish/7301699.stm |website=BBC Sport |date=17 March 2008|access-date=17 March 2008 }}</ref>

===British & Irish Lions===
Easterby received a call-up to the [[2005 British & Irish Lions tour to New Zealand|2005 Lions tour to New Zealand]] after [[Lawrence Dallaglio]] fractured his ankle in the first game. He was selected twice for the test team and scored a try in the second test in Wellington.

==Coaching==
On retiring in 2010, Easterby was officially confirmed as the Scarlets' new defence coach and signed a two-year contract with the region. In June 2012, Easterby was confirmed as the new head coach for the Scarlets, following the departure of [[Nigel Davies (rugby union)|Nigel Davies]] to [[Gloucester Rugby|Gloucester]].

His long association with the Scarlets came to an end in July 2014 when he was confirmed as Ireland's new forwards coach, replacing the outgoing [[John Plumtree]].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.irishrugby.ie/ireland/32151.php#.U8e9qFbRjwI. |title=Easterby Appointed As Ireland Forwards Coach |publisher=Irish Rugby Football Union |date=17 July 2014 |accessdate=17 July 2014 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160316220617/http://www.irishrugby.ie/ireland/32151.php#.U8e9qFbRjwI. |archivedate=16 March 2016 }}</ref>

===Ireland===
In 2021, he switched from Ireland's forwards coach to defence coach. He took on the role of interim head coach in December 2024 while [[Andy Farrell]] took charge of the [[2025 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia]].<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/simon-easterby-confirmed-as-interim-ireland-head-coach/a1830918051.html|title=Simon Easterby confirmed as interim Ireland head coach|date=17 September 2024|work=Irish Independent|accessdate=18 September 2024}}</ref> In February 2025, he took charge of his first game in the role in the opening round of the [[2025 Six Nations Championship|2025 Six Nations]] with a 27–22 victory against England.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Thornley |first1=Gerry |title=Simon Easterby takes positives but mindful of lapses on first day as Ireland interim boss |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/rugby/2025/02/01/simon-easterby-takes-positives-but-mindful-of-lapses-on-first-day-as-ireland-interim-boss/ |newspaper=The Irish Times |access-date=3 February 2025}}</ref>

==Personal life==
Easterby is married to [[Sarra Elgan]], the daughter of ex-rugby union player [[Elgan Rees]] who played for [[Neath RFC]], [[Wales national rugby union team|Wales]] and the [[British & Irish Lions]]. Former Scarlets and Wales full back [[Matt Cardey]] was best man at the wedding. Sarra Elgan Easterby is a TV presenter and a fluent Welsh speaker. Their daughter, Soffia, was born in 2007, and their son, Ffredi, was born in 2009.<ref name="player-coach">{{cite news |title=Former skipper moves into coaching role |url=http://www.scarlets.co.uk/features/NewsDetails.aspx?ID=941 |publisher=Scarlets |date=13 July 2009 |access-date=14 July 2009 }} {{Dead link|date=October 2010|bot=H3llBot}}</ref>

In August 2014, Easterby was one of 200 public figures who were signatories to a letter to ''[[The Guardian]]'' expressing their hope that Scotland would vote to remain part of the United Kingdom in September's [[2014 Scottish independence referendum|referendum on that issue]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2014/aug/07/celebrities-open-letter-scotland-independence-full-text |title=Celebrities' open letter to Scotland – full text and list of signatories |work=The Guardian |date=7 August 2014 |access-date=26 August 2014}}</ref>

==Honours==
===As Coach===
*'''[[Triple Crown (rugby union)|Triple Crown]]'''
**[[Triple Crown (rugby union)#Winners|Champion]]: [[2025 Six Nations Championship|2025]]
*'''[[Millennium Trophy]] ([[History of rugby union matches between England and Ireland|England–Ireland]])'''
**[[Millennium Trophy#Results|Champion]]: 2025
*'''[[Centenary Quaich]] ([[History of rugby union matches between Ireland and Scotland|Ireland–Scotland]])'''
**[[Centenary Quaich#Results|Champion]]: 2025

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.irishrugby.ie/coaches/32300.php Simon Easterby] IRFU

{{Scarlets coaches}}
{{Ireland 2003 Rugby World Cup squad}}
{{British and Irish Lions 2005}}
{{Ireland 2007 Rugby World Cup squad}}
{{Ireland 2015 Rugby World Cup squad}}
{{Ireland national rugby union team captains}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Easterby, Simon}}
[[Category:1975 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Easterby family|Simon]]
[[Category:English people of Irish descent]]
[[Category:Irish people of English descent]]
[[Category:Rugby union players from Harrogate]]
[[Category:Rugby union flankers]]
[[Category:Irish rugby union coaches]]
[[Category:Irish rugby union players]]
[[Category:Ireland international rugby union players]]
[[Category:Ireland national rugby union team captains]]
[[Category:Irish Exiles rugby union players]]
[[Category:British & Irish Lions rugby union players from Ireland]]
[[Category:Scarlets players]]
[[Category:Scarlets coaches]]
[[Category:People educated at Ampleforth College]]
[[Category:English rugby union coaches]]
[[Category:English rugby union players]]
[[Category:2003 Rugby World Cup players]]
[[Category:2007 Rugby World Cup players]]