Ronan O'Gara to remain in charge of La Rochelle until 2031

RONAN O’GARA HAS signed a new contract with La Rochelle which will see him remain with the French club until 2031.

O’Gara’s contract extension was confirmed by La Rochelle this evening.

The Munster and Irish rugby great first joined the club in 2019 and has been in his current head coach role with the first team since 2021. The new deal takes him up to June 2031, marking a full decade in charge of the Top 14 side.

O’Gara has steered La Rochelle to two Champions Cup title triumphs, 2022 and 2023, but they are still searching for a Top 14 breakthrough, most recently losing the final in 2023.

Advertisement

La Rochelle have started this season brightly, picking up two wins from two outings, a 21-20 victory over Toulon following their opening day success 30-27 against Toulouse.

“My family and I are very happy and very proud to continue this adventure with Stade Rochelais,” said O’Gara on the La Rochelle website.

“We have experienced exceptional moments and weathered some more difficult times together. In each of them, I felt the club’s confidence and the support of our fans. I deeply believe in this club, its players, its staff, and its ambition.

“We have already built a lot, but I am convinced that the best is yet to come. I want to continue to develop this team and win with Stade Rochelais.”

La Rochelle’s statement read:

“This extension is a continuation of a project founded on deep trust, built since 2019 and fuelled by significant moments shared together. It reflects a common desire to pursue the work already begun and to commit to the long term , based on a shared vision and ambition: to sustainably lead the team towards high performance.

“Over the seasons, Ronan O’Gara has helped to firmly establish his high standards, vision, and ambition within the Stade Rochelais project. Through his daily commitment, Ronan has become a true club man. His attachment to La Rochelle, to Marcel Deflandre stadium, and to its supporters is deep and reciprocated.

“Together, Stade Rochelais and Ronan O’Gara have chosen to continue a story with many chapters yet to be written.”