Wales hand 66-cap prop Paul James full-time scrum coach role after Six Nations audition

Paul James has been appointed Wales men’s full-time scrum coach, the Welsh Rugby Union confirmed, with the 66-cap former prop set to join Steve Tandy’s coaching staff ahead of the inaugural Nations Championship, which begins in July.

James had already been working with the squad on an interim basis during the 2026 Six Nations, and his permanent appointment follows a competitive interview process. He will leave his current role at the Ospreys this summer and work alongside Danny Wilson, who holds responsibility for the lineout and contact area within Tandy’s setup.

A decorated servant of Welsh rugby as a player, James featured at the 2011 and 2015 Rugby World Cups and was part of the squads that won the 2012 Grand Slam and the 2013 Six Nations Championship. He made 232 appearances for the Ospreys — second only on the club’s all-time list — and won four Championship titles and one EDF Energy Cup during his playing career.

Since retiring, James has built a steady coaching record. He joined the Ospreys academy in December 2018 and guided their U18s to Regional Age Grade Championship titles in 2023, 2025 and 2026. He also served as scrum and set-piece coach for Wales U20 in 2021 and has coached Swansea in Super Rygbi Cymru for the past three seasons.

“It was impressive how quickly Paul got up to speed at short notice during the Six Nations and we’re excited to have him with us now full-time,” said Tandy. “Paul is a great coach and I know he will give his all to help accelerate the development of our young squad.”

James expressed enthusiasm for the step up. “I’ve loved my time at Ospreys and Swansea but this is an incredible opportunity and it’s a huge honour to be joining the Wales coaching team. I’m also looking forward to the other side of the role and being able to continue developing players outside of camp.”

WRU Director of Rugby and Elite Performance Dave Reddin described James as “the outstanding candidate” from a highly competitive process, adding that he impressed both as a person and a coach and would contribute to “Welsh Rugby DNA” going forward.