Sam O'Connor (born 11 December 2001) is a Welsh

rugby union Rugby union football, commonly known simply as rugby union in English-speaking countries and rugby 15/XV in non-English-speaking world, Anglophone Europe, or often just rugby, is a Contact sport#Terminology, close-contact team sport that orig ...

player who plays as a loosehead prop for the

Scarlets The Scarlets () are one of the four professional Welsh rugby union teams and are based in Llanelli, Wales. Their home ground is the Parc y Scarlets stadium. They play in the United Rugby Championship and in European Professional Club Rugby c ...

Professional career

O'Connor was part of the

Bath Bath may refer to: * Bathing, immersion in a fluid ** Bathtub, a large open container for water, in which a person may wash their body ** Public bathing, a public place where people bathe * Thermae, ancient Roman public bathing facilities Plac ...

academy, before joining the Welsh Exile programme. He moved to Wales to study at

Llandovery College Llandovery College () is a coeducational independent boarding and day school in Llandovery, Carmarthenshire, Wales. The college consists of Gollop Preparatory, Senior School and Sixth Form. It was previously known as "Welsh College, Llandovery" ...

, while also signing a

academy contract. In May 2022, O'Connor traveled to New Zealand to play for Linwood RFC in the northern off-season, along with fellow academy player Eddie James. On 24 September 2022, O'Connor made his competitive debut for the Scarlets against

Ulster Ulster (; or ; or ''Ulster'') is one of the four traditional or historic provinces of Ireland, Irish provinces. It is made up of nine Counties of Ireland, counties: six of these constitute Northern Ireland (a part of the United Kingdom); t ...

, coming off the bench in the final minute to play alongside his brother Harri. O'Connor started for the Scarlets in a friendly against

Saracens file:Erhard Reuwich Sarazenen 1486.png, upright 1.5, Late 15th-century History of Germany, German woodcut depicting Saracens ''Saracen'' ( ) was a term used both in Greek language, Greek and Latin writings between the 5th and 15th centuries to ...

on 10 March 2023. While part of the Scarlets academy, O'Connor has also played for affiliated sides

Llanelli RFC Llanelli Rugby Football Club () is a Welsh rugby union club founded on 30 March 1872. The club's historic home ground was Stradey Park in Llanelli, but they moved in 2008 to the new Parc y Scarlets in adjacent Pemberton. The club song is " ...

and

Carmarthen Quins Carmarthen Quins Rugby Football Club () are one of two Welsh rugby union clubs based in Carmarthen in West Wales, the other being Carmarthen Athletic. They currently play in the Super Rygbi Cymru and are a feeder club for the Scarlets regional ...

. O'Connor has represented Wales U18. O’Connor scored his first try for the Scarlets on 13 September 2024, as a replacement in a pre-season friendly against

. On 19 June 2025, O’Connor signed his first senior Scarlets contract, joining the first team for the 2025–26 United Rugby Championship.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:OConnor, Sam 2001 births Living people Welsh rugby union players Rugby union props Llanelli RFC players Carmarthen Quins RFC players Scarlets players 21st-century Welsh sportsmen People educated at Llandovery College