The rugby league legends who went on to become elite union coaches including Wigan Warriors, Leeds Rhinos icons

Rugby league is quickly embedding itself into the fabric of rugby union, with a number of former players from the 13-a-side code establishing themselves as elite level coaches in the 15-man game.

Here, Love Rugby League looks at some of the former ‘leagueys’ now at the top of the rugby union world…

Shaun Edwards

Wigan Warriors icon Edwards made the leap into rugby union despite never playing the 15-a-side game professionally. Edwards was appointed as Wasps’ defence coach in 2001 and later became head coach in 2005. Across his time with the Midlands outfit, they won four Premiership titles, two Heineken Cups and one European Challenge Cup.

The 57-year-old then reunited with former boss Warren Gatland as he joined Wales, where he was again named defence coach, helping them to win four Six Nations titles.

And after a proposed return to rugby league as Wigan’s head coach fell through, Edwards made the move to France in 2021 as defence coach, where he remains today. He has also helped France win a Six Nations title.

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Andy Farrell

After an incredibly successful career in league with Wigan Warriors, Andy Farrell headed to union to join Saracens. He made his Premiership debut in 2006, and was later drafted into the England squad in 2007. Farrell went onto feature at the 2007 World Cup, and won a total of eight Test caps for England.

Following his retirement, he moved into coaching with Saracens, but was quickly promoted into the England set-up as defence coach, and was given the same post for the 2013 British and Irish Lions tour. He departed England after the 2015 World Cup, and was snapped up by Ireland, where he was initially named as defence coach before being given the top job in 2020.

Now 49, Farrell has since guided Ireland to back-to-back Six Nations titles, and will also head up the British & Irish Lions tour to Australia at the end of next season.

Mike Ford

Ford, currently Oldham RLFC’s managing director, enjoyed a fruitful union coaching career. Joining Ireland as defence coach in 2002, he also held posts with the British & Irish Lions and England at Test level before his return to league.

The 58-year-old’s coaching CV also includes stints at Saracens, Newcastle Falcons, Leicester Tigers and Bath, guiding the latter to the Premiership final in the 2014/15 campaign.

Mike Forshaw

Former Wigan, Leeds, Bradford Bulls and Warrington Wolves man Forshaw hung up his boots in 2004 and moved straight into coaching with the Wire as a strength and conditioning coach.

He also held the same position at Wigan before making the leap into union with Irish outfit Connacht. After three years in the Emerald Isle as defence coach, he was named as Sale Sharks’ defence coach, and was later picked up by Wales in 2023.

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Martin Gleeson

Now back in rugby league with Warrington, working under Sam Burgess, Gleeson also had a brief but successful stint in rugby union.

After impressing as a coach at Salford Red Devils, he joined Wasps in 2019 as attack coach and was quickly picked up by Eddie Jones to join the England staff a year later, where he also headed up the attack.

Gleeson eventually returned to the 13-man game last season on a consultancy basis at Warrington, before becoming a full-time member of staff ahead of the 2024 Super League campaign.

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Sean Long

Current Oldham boss Long has also been involved in rugby union previously. Initially starting his coaching journey in league with Salford, the 47-year-old later had stints with both Samoa and St Helens before crossing codes into union to join Harlequins.

He held the post of attack coach while at the Stoop, and would eventually return to league with Leeds in 2020. The St Helens legend has since taken charge of Championship outfit Featherstone Rovers and this year, he guided Oldham to League 1 title.

Long still holds ambitions to return to union though, exclusively telling Love Rugby League he wants to coach England one day.

Lee Radford

The most recent coach to make the move to union is Radford. After leaving his post as Castleford Tigers boss early into the 2023 season, Radford ended up joining union outfit Northampton Saints as their defence coach.

In his first season in the East Midlands, Radford transformed the Saints’ defence, helping them claim a first Premiership title since 2014.

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Kevin Sinfield

Rounding off our list, Leeds legend Sinfield made the switch to rugby union to join Yorkshire Carnegie in 2015; but he hung up his boots for good in 2016 after just one season in the 15-man game.

After a stint back in rugby league as the Rhinos’ director of rugby, Sinfield joined the coaching set-up at Leicester Tigers as defence coach; where he had an influential role in guiding them to the Premiership title in 2022.

Following Steve Borthwick’s appointment as England head coach, Sinfield was then whisked into the England set-up as defence coach, but has shifted into a skills role following the appointment of Felix Jones.

Despite initially announcing he was leaving at the end of the Japan and New Zealand summer tour, Sinfield has agreed to stay until the end of this year’s autumn internationals, but reports suggest he has also been offered a new three-year-deal with the RFU to remain in Borthwick’s coaching group.

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