Simon Easterby
Encyclopedia
Simon Easterby is an English
-born Irish
rugby union
footballer. He plays for Scarlets, for whom he is a player-coach, and is a recently retired Ireland
international. His regular position is at blindside flanker
, but he is equally adept on the openside.
and his mother Irish
. He is the brother of Guy Easterby
, also an Ireland international. He was educated at Ampleforth College
in North Yorkshire
.
victory over Scotland
at Lansdowne Road
in 2000 and 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 in November 2001. In 2002 he played a part in the first ten 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 and Samoa.
He has been virtually ever-present for Ireland since then; he has to date received 65 caps and scored 40 points. Described as the "elder statesman among Ireland's back-row options", one newspaper suggested that "[2007] could well be Easterby's last Six Nations campaign" As it turned out, Easterby played in one more Six Nations Championship in 2008, after which he retired from international rugby to concentrate on his club career.
, after Lawrence Dallaglio
fractured his ankle in the first game of the tour. He forced his way into the Test team and covered himself in glory. He took over the leadership duties for the 2005 Autumn series in the absence of injured duo Brian O'Driscoll
and Paul O'Connell
.
He has been part of the West Wales region since 1999. Easterby, who made his debut for Ireland in the 2000 Six Nations and retired from Test match rugby after the 2008 tournament, has lived and breathed rugby at the top level for more than a decade.
On retiring, Easterby was officially confirmed as the Scarlets new Defence Coach and signed a two-year contract with the region.
who played for the Neath Rugby Football Club
and for the British and Irish Lions
. Sara Rees 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.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
-born Irish
Rugby union in Ireland
Rugby union is a popular team sport played in Ireland. The sport is organised on an all-Ireland basis with one team, governing body and league for both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland...
rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
footballer. He plays for Scarlets, for whom he is a player-coach, and is a recently retired Ireland
Ireland national rugby union team
The Ireland national rugby union team represents the island of Ireland in rugby union. The team competes annually in the Six Nations Championship and every four years in the Rugby World Cup, where they reached the quarter-final stage in all but two competitions The Ireland national rugby union...
international. His regular position is at blindside flanker
Flanker (rugby union)
A flanker is a position in the sport of rugby union. Flankers play in the forwards, and are generally classified as either blindside, or openside flankers; numbers six and seven respectively. The name comes from their position in a scrum in which they flank each set of forwards...
, but he is equally adept on the openside.
Early life
Easterby's father is EnglishEngland
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and his mother Irish
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. He is the brother of Guy Easterby
Guy Easterby
Guy Easterby is a former rugby union player for Ireland. He is currently team manager of Leinster alongside head coach Josef Schmidt.His father is English and his mother Irish...
, also an Ireland international. He was educated at Ampleforth College
Ampleforth College
Ampleforth College in North Yorkshire, England, is the largest Roman Catholic co-educational boarding independent school in the United Kingdom. It opened in 1802, as a boys' school, and is run by the Benedictine monks and lay staff of Ampleforth Abbey...
in North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire is a non-metropolitan or shire county located in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England, and a ceremonial county primarily in that region but partly in North East England. Created in 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972 it covers an area of , making it the largest...
.
Ireland
Easterby made his first international appearance in a Six NationsSix Nations Championship
The Six Nations Championship is an annual international rugby union competition involving six European sides: England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales....
victory over Scotland
Scotland national rugby union team
The Scotland national rugby union team represent Scotland in international rugby union. Rugby union in Scotland is administered by the Scottish Rugby Union. The Scotland rugby union team is currently ranked eighth in the IRB World Rankings as of 19 September 2011...
at Lansdowne Road
Lansdowne Road
Lansdowne Road was a stadium in Dublin owned by the Irish Rugby Football Union that has been the location of a number of sports stadiums. It was used primarily for rugby union and for association football matches as well as some music concerts...
in 2000 and 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 in November 2001. In 2002 he played a part in the first ten 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 and Samoa.
He has been virtually ever-present for Ireland since then; he has to date received 65 caps and scored 40 points. Described as the "elder statesman among Ireland's back-row options", one newspaper suggested that "[2007] could well be Easterby's last Six Nations campaign" As it turned out, Easterby played in one more Six Nations Championship in 2008, after which he retired from international rugby to concentrate on his club career.
British and Irish Lions
Easterby received a call-up to the 2005 Lions tour to New Zealand2005 British and Irish Lions tour to New Zealand
In 2005 the British and Irish Lions rugby union team toured New Zealand for the first time since 1993, playing 7 tour matches against first and second division clubs from the National Provincial Championship series, 1 tour match against the national New Zealand all Māori club, and 3 official test...
, after Lawrence Dallaglio
Lawrence Dallaglio
Lorenzo Bruno Nero "Lawrence" Dallaglio, OBE is a retired English rugby union player and former captain of the English national team. He played as a flanker or number eight for London Wasps and never played for another club, having arrived at Sudbury as a teenager...
fractured his ankle in the first game of the tour. He forced his way into the Test team and covered himself in glory. He took over the leadership duties for the 2005 Autumn series in the absence of injured duo Brian O'Driscoll
Brian O'Driscoll
Brian O'Driscoll is an Irish professional rugby union player. He is the current captain of the Ireland Rugby team and captained Leinster Rugby until the start of 2008 season. He also captained the British and Irish Lions for their 2005 tour of New Zealand...
and Paul O'Connell
Paul O'Connell
Paul O'Connell is an Irish rugby union player who plays lock for Munster and Ireland. He also captained the British and Irish Lions on their 2009 tour to South Africa.-Early life:...
.
Club career
In August 2010 Easterby was forced to retire through a knee injury at the age of 35. He captained the Scarlets for five consecutive seasons and played more than 50 European games, 201 games (19 tries) for Llanelli and the Scarlets and remains Ireland's most capped flanker with 65 caps for his country plus the honour of two British and Irish Lions caps.He has been part of the West Wales region since 1999. Easterby, who made his debut for Ireland in the 2000 Six Nations and retired from Test match rugby after the 2008 tournament, has lived and breathed rugby at the top level for more than a decade.
On retiring, Easterby was officially confirmed as the Scarlets new Defence Coach and signed a two-year contract with the region.
Personal life
Easterby is married to Sarra Elgan Rees, the daughter of ex-rugby player Elgan ReesElgan Rees
Harold Elgan Rees is a former Welsh international rugby union player. He toured with the British Lions to New Zealand in 1977, when he had yet to be capped by Wales, and South Africa in 1980 and at the time played club rugby for Neath...
who played for the Neath Rugby Football Club
Neath RFC
Neath Rugby Football Club is a Welsh rugby union club which plays in the Welsh Premier Division. The club's home ground is The Gnoll, Neath. The first team is known as the Welsh All Blacks because of the team colours: black with only a white cross pattée as an emblem...
and for the British and Irish Lions
British and Irish Lions
The British and Irish Lions is a rugby union team made up of players from England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales...
. Sara Rees 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.