Andy Farrell became a dad at 16 – his famous brother-in-law also captained England

Farrell and wife Colleen were still teenagers when Owen was born in September 1991. The pair were just 16 and still at school, something highlighted in The Irish Times' profile of Owen and the Farrell family.

Just weeks after becoming a father, Farrell made his senior debut for Wigan, beginning a remarkable career which would eventually take him from rugby league superstar to Ireland head coach.

Andy and Colleen married in 1995 and went on to have four children together.

However, there is another huge rugby name on Colleen's side of the family.

Colleen is the older sister of former Wigan Warriors and England rugby league captain Sean O'Loughlin.

O'Loughlin spent his entire senior career with Wigan and became one of the club's modern greats.

He also represented Great Britain and England, with the forward appointed England captain in 2014.

It created a remarkable family connection.

O'Loughlin captained England in rugby league, while his nephew Owen would later do the same in rugby union.

The pair have always been close. O'Loughlin previously spoke about watching Owen develop from a rugby-mad youngster into an international star, telling Sky Sports that his nephew always had a huge determination and "will to win".

Andy Farrell and Sean even played together for Wigan.

Farrell once joked that he had actually babysat O'Loughlin when he was five, long before they became teammates at one of rugby league's biggest clubs.

Andy Farrell and Colleen both grew up around Wigan and became parents when they were only 16.

Former Wigan star Kris Radlinski has previously recalled seeing a young Owen around the club while Farrell trained.

“Andrew and Colleen were young parents and that brings its different issues,” Radlinski said.

However, bringing Owen into training was never considered a problem. The youngster quickly became a familiar face around the Wigan squad.

The family eventually moved south after Andy switched codes and joined Saracens.

Owen followed him into rugby union and went on to become an England captain and British & Irish Lion.

The family dynamic became even more unusual once Andy took charge of Ireland.

Farrell has previously admitted that facing an England side containing his own son could be difficult for the rest of the family.

“The hardest part is certainly for Colleen,” he said.

He added that Owen's siblings had “unbelievably mixed emotions” when England and Ireland faced each other.

Andy and Colleen now have four children together – Owen, Elleshia, Gracie and Gabriel.

The eldest of the four needs little introduction.

Born in September 1991, Owen followed his father into professional rugby.

He went on to captain England and represent the British & Irish Lions, while enjoying huge success at club level with Saracens.

Owen's rugby education actually began in league. As BBC Sport detailed in a profile of Farrell and George Ford, he played for famous amateur club Wigan St Patrick's as a youngster.

Rugby certainly runs deep in the family. His father represented England in both codes, while uncle Sean captained England in league.

Elleshia is one of Andy and Colleen's two daughters.

Unlike her father and older brother, she has largely remained outside the sporting spotlight.

She has still been spotted supporting the family at some of Andy's biggest moments, including Ireland's Grand Slam celebrations in Dublin in 2023.

Gracie is Andy and Colleen's other daughter.

She has also maintained a relatively private life, with far less publicly known about her than older brother Owen.

Both sisters have experienced the unusual situation of watching their father coach Ireland against teams featuring their brother.

It's something Andy has openly discussed when talking about the mixed emotions inside the Farrell household.

Youngest son Gabriel could yet add another chapter to the family's rugby story.

He has been developing as a rugby player at Blackrock College in Dublin.

In 2026, Gabriel was named as part of the school's Junior Cup leadership group, another significant step in his development.

Whether he eventually follows Andy and Owen into the professional game remains to be seen, but there is certainly no shortage of rugby pedigree.

His father represented Great Britain and England in rugby league before playing rugby union for England. His brother captained England in union, while uncle Sean O'Loughlin captained England in league.

And the family tree goes even deeper.

Owen's grandfather on Colleen's side, Keiron O'Loughlin, also played hundreds of games in rugby league, while the wider Farrell family has produced several professional players.

Few families can claim a rugby CV quite like it.