RONAN O’GARA IS set to extend his La Rochelle contract until 2027, according to multiple reports in France.
The Munster and Ireland legend has been linked with the England job of late, though Midi Olympique and Rugbyrama are among those reporting that he is due to commit to the Top 14 club he led to its first-ever Champions Cup title last season
The news is unconfirmed by La Rochelle, though, where O’Gara is contracted until 2024.
It would be a major boost for the French outfit, as outlined by The42‘s Murray Kinsella in an article from the Champions Cup launch in London yesterday.
Within, Jules Favre spoke about himself and his team-mates backing the former Ireland out-half all the way and shared his hopes O’Gara will stay on.
“Yes, for sure, because he has given us a lot,” the La Rochelle wing said. “He has made the club grow, so for sure it would be bad news for us. But for him, it is good news because he does his best to have an international team.
“It’s like me as a player: I really want to play for the French team and perform and he wants to train the best players.”
“He is a great coach,” he added. “He started with Racing in France with the defence, and he went to New Zealand [to the Crusaders] after that to improve himself as a backs coach. Now he is in his prime.
“It represents a lot because he is wedded to the Champions Cup. He brings an extra understanding of European competition that perhaps we didn’t have before.
“We realised that the Champions Cup title can unite all the people, the players, and the staff, everybody. It was a huge feeling and in the stadium in Marseille we had all the crowd in the Stade Rochelais jersey, like a yellow wall. When they gave us the trophy it was a really good moment.”
O’Gara, who is currently serving a 10-week ban for “harming the best interests of rugby,” has been linked with the England job after next year’s World Cup — or maybe even sooner if the under-fire Eddie Jones is sacked.
Another former Munster man, Donnacha Ryan, works alongside him as La Rochelle’s forwards coach.
