RONAN O’GARA WAS approached to take up a head coaching job in France’s third division at the end of last season.
The former Ireland and Munster out-half has revealed that he was contacted by Pays d’Aix Rugby Club [PARC], whose president Lucien Simon enquired as to whether O’Gara would be interested in taking over at the Fédérale 1 club.
The Cork man had not yet agreed to join Racing Métro at that stage, but says he declined to accept the chance at PARC due to his lack of coaching experience. The club – based in Aix-en-Provence in the south of France, around 30km from Marseille – is currently performing well in French rugby’s semi-professional third tier and have a chance of being promoted to the Pro D2 at the season’s end.
Despite PARC’s ambitions, O’Gara felt he would be better served by learning his coaching trade as an assistant at first.
One of my friends who lives in Ireland knows the president of Aix-en-Provence well,” the Irishman told La Provence. “He told me about his plan, but before becoming a head coach, I need to build a lot of experience. But maybe in the future, why not coach in Aix?”
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“All the doors are open. In rugby, lots of things can happen. I’m perfectly content at Racing Métro and I plan on staying the distance. Two years, five years… but you never know.”
Ronan O'Gara was approached for head coaching job in France
RONAN O’GARA WAS approached to take up a head coaching job in France’s third division at the end of last season.
The former Ireland and Munster out-half has revealed that he was contacted by Pays d’Aix Rugby Club [PARC], whose president Lucien Simon enquired as to whether O’Gara would be interested in taking over at the Fédérale 1 club.
The Cork man had not yet agreed to join Racing Métro at that stage, but says he declined to accept the chance at PARC due to his lack of coaching experience. The club – based in Aix-en-Provence in the south of France, around 30km from Marseille – is currently performing well in French rugby’s semi-professional third tier and have a chance of being promoted to the Pro D2 at the season’s end.
Despite PARC’s ambitions, O’Gara felt he would be better served by learning his coaching trade as an assistant at first.
“All the doors are open. In rugby, lots of things can happen. I’m perfectly content at Racing Métro and I plan on staying the distance. Two years, five years… but you never know.”
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Aix en Provence Fédérale 1 Future La Provence ROG Ronan O'Gara