WHILE IT WASN’T necessarily part of his grand plan when he brought the curtain down on his distinguished career as a professional rugby player, former Ulster lock Alan O’Connor has been enjoying a sustained transition into the world of coaching over the past 12 months.

Back on 24 June, 2025 – a matter of weeks after playing his 212th and final game for Ulster in an interprovincial clash with Munster in the United Rugby Championship – O’Connor was appointed as head of rugby development at the Ballymena Academy school in County Antrim. Fast forward to January of this year and the Skerries native also found himself taking up a role as forwards coach with the Ireland women’s rugby team in advance of their 2026 Six Nations Championship campaign.

“I didn’t really think too far ahead because I had another year in my contract and that got cut loose from Ulster. Just the way it is, money just went elsewhere.

“I coached in Ballymena three years ago now, and we did really well and I really enjoyed it,” O’Connor explained at the IRFU’s High Performance Centre yesterday. “Got those contacts and then the guys who I’d worked with three years ago are still there. Then they wanted to bring me in as well, so that worked out alright.

“The principal, he knows [IRFU Performance Director] David Humphreys quite well. I think they had a conversation and basically he offered me to come down to meet Scott [Bemand].

“So I met Scott. [I] actually met him up at one of the Applegreens, had a brief chat about a few bits and bobs and a couple of weeks later, then, we got an offer through. Gillian McDarby [the IRFU’s Head of Women’s Performance and Pathways] then rang me and put me in line to come in for the Six Nations.”

In joining the Ireland women’s coaching set-up, the multi-tasking O’Connor has taken over as forwards coach from Alex Codling – who took up a full-time position with the Munster men’s team last autumn after previously combining a consultant role in the southern province with his Irish commitments.

Considering the groundwork that was put in by Codling during his time on the international scene, O’Connor, who has played for Ballymena in the All-Ireland League since retiring from the professional game, believes Ireland’s forward play under his watch is a case of evolution rather than revolution.

“I came down in January time for a day and a half camp. I got a bit of a feel for what we could do. Alex Codling, he did a great job for… I think he was in for 18 months. So I didn’t change too much. I’m looking to build on what’s already there in terms of the foundation that they’ve put in, in the past while.

“Fogs [scrum coach Denis Fogarty] is doing a great job with the forwards as well, with all the contact stuff. Scays [defence coach James Scaysbrook], he’s doing a great job with the contact work in and around defence and a bit of our maul as well. So he’s a great help too.”

Following outings to date at London’s Twickenham Stadium, the Dexcom Stadium in Galway and Stade Marcel-Michelin, Clermont, O’Connor will be back on familiar ground this Saturday when Ireland welcome Wales to Affidea Stadium in Belfast for a round four encounter in the Six Nations.

As it stands, O’Connor is only signed on with Ireland until the end of the current championship and isn’t certain if he will be involved beyond that point. Yet having missed out on picking up an Ireland senior cap during a professional career that spanned a 13-year period – he did represent his country at the U20s grade in 2012 – O’Connor is loving being part of an international environment for the time being at least.

“I don’t know what the plan is there yet, but… from my point of view, I’ve loved working with them. So we’ll have to see,” O’Connor added.

“Being involved with Ireland is class. Whenever they put it to me, I was like, ‘I’d love to be involved’. As a player, it was always the end goal.

“Trying to play for your country, represent your country. I never got there. I was announced in a couple of extended squads, but that was it. Never actually got in, never actually played. To be involved with Ireland in any way is an honour and I’m buzzing to be here.”