Kiwi forwards coach Aaron Dundon swaps Ireland for Wales

Scarlets have hired the vastly-experienced Aaron Dundon as the region’s lead forwards coach ahead of the 2026-27 season.

Born in New Zealand and a former Leinster player, Dundon joins Scarlets from the back-to-back URC champions, having previously worked in Ireland with Ulster and the national U20s team.

Dundon also has coaching experience in France with La Rochelle and back home in the NPC with the Tasman Makos.

He will work closely alongside Scarlets’ current specialist lineout coach Albert van de Berg, and Bradley Davies (contact area).

“Joining a club with the history, ambition and identity of the Scarlets is a fantastic opportunity and one I’m incredibly excited about,” said Dundon.

“I’m looking forward to working closely with Dwayne Peel, Nigel Davies and the rest of the coaching team to help drive the club forward.

“My coaching philosophy is built on relentless preparation, attention to detail and creating a set-piece that gives the team a genuine platform to play. With a physical and dominant set-piece, the talented players in this squad can express themselves and play the exciting and expansive brand of rugby the Scarlets are renowned for.

“There’s a huge amount of potential within this group. The club has a fantastic squad which is building and I’m excited by what we can achieve together. The passion and backing of the Scarlets supporters are well-known throughout the game globally and I can’t wait to get started and help strengthen the team and build performances the region identifies with and is proud of.”

Scarlets’ interim director of rugby Nigel Davies added: “Aaron is someone who has been highly recommended by people whose opinions I trust enormously. Every conversation came back to the same qualities; his technical expertise, his preparation, attention to detail and ability to develop forward packs that consistently perform under pressure.

“He has developed within one of the strongest coaching systems in world rugby and has worked alongside some outstanding coaches throughout his career. Just as importantly, he is passionate about developing players, building strong relationships and continually driving standards. He is a forward-thinking coach who challenges standards, embraces innovation and builds strong relationships with players.

“We wanted someone who could lead our entire forwards programme while ensuring every area works together. Aaron brings that leadership, but he also understands the importance of collaboration.

“Albert (van den Berg) is doing an outstanding job at Scarlets in developing our team to have one of the strongest lineouts in the URC competition and his expertise remains a hugely important part of our coaching group. Bringing Aaron into the environment allows us to build on those strengths while creating greater alignment across every aspect of our forwards play.”

Emyr Phillip (scrum/academy lead) will now move to a full-time role leading the Scarlets Academy in 2026-27.