Ireland have appointed Sydney-based Joe O’Callaghan as assistant to new head coach Ged Corcoran for the next two Rugby League World Cups.
O’Callaghan, who is head of Elite Pathways and Player Development with South Sydney, is joining Rugby League Ireland as both assistant coach and advisor on domestic development with the aim of helping Ireland reach tier one status.
He will be with the Irish squad throughout the end-of-season World Cup and is contracted to the end of the tournament in France in the autumn of 2025.
RLI chairman Jim Reynolds said: “Joe is very proud of his Irish heritage. He and Ged have got to work immediately and have already developed their framework and preparation plans for our readiness for RLWC2021.”
O’Callaghan said: “I am very excited to be coming on board with Rugby League Ireland.
“After a long career now of coaching and development roles through numerous levels of pathways Rugby League up to the NRL, getting involved with an international programme is something that has interested me for some time and I felt no better way to do this than with a country that holds a special space for me with my family heritage.
“I like the fact that it was RLI’s idea to bring me on with them at this stage until the end of the 2025 RLWC.
“This clearly showed me that they are prepared to be patient and work strategically towards their goal of developing into a tier 1 Rugby League nation both on and off the field, something that I genuinely believe is attainable.”
