Conor O'Shea Keynote Speaker

Conor O’Shea is Director of Performance Rugby at England Rugby, this role revolves around ensuring English teams are successful in the international game.

He is a former rugby union player, making 35 appearances at fullback for Ireland between 1993-2000 before forging a career in rugby management.

Conor joined the London Irish in 1995 making 127 first-team appearances for the club, scoring 412 points and 62 tries, and winning the Premiership’s Player’s Player of the year award in 1998/99. After his playing career ended in 2000, he remained with London Irish as Director of Rugby and guided Irish to the Powergen Cup in 2002 (the only major trophy London Irish has even won) and in the same year won the Zurich Rugby Director of the Season Award.

Conor left his role as Managing Director at London Irish in 2005 to take up an appointment with the Rugby Football Union as Director of the National Academies. In 2008 he left his position to take up a role with the English Institute of Sport as National Director but two years later returned to rugby taking up his current role as Harlequins’ Director of Rugby in 2010, leading them to the Amlin European Challenge Cup at the end of his first full season in charge in 2011. In 2012 Harlequins were crowned champions of England for the first time in their 146 year history when they won the Aviva Premiership.   After six years with Harlequins, he became Head coach of the Italy national team (2016-2019).