Ronan O'Gara Committed to La Rochelle Rugby Despite Ongoing Speculation
Ronan O'Gara Committed to La Rochelle Rugby Despite Ongoing Speculation
Ronan O’Gara has been linked with Munster and other jobs, but the La Rochelle coach says his focus is on the Top 14 club and future Test rugby ambitions.
Ronan O’Gara’s name has become synonymous with success at La Rochelle, but over the past year the Irish coach has also been a constant subject of speculation about his future.
Despite rumors connecting him to Munster Rugby and potential Test roles, O’Gara has made clear that his focus remains with the French club he has guided to two European titles.
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The 48-year-old coach signed a contract extension that runs through 2027, giving him long-term security at a club that has risen into Europe’s elite during his tenure. O’Gara has admitted that his coaching ambitions extend beyond club rugby, but he has pushed back against reports suggesting he might soon leave La Rochelle.
“I’m here until 2027, and I want to win more with La Rochelle,” O’Gara wrote in an Irish Examiner column late last year. “Munster will always be in my heart, but it’s not in my head right now.”
International Ambitions Remain
O’Gara has openly acknowledged that his long-term goal is to coach at Test level. In December, he told reporters that if he were to leave La Rochelle, it would only be for an international job with Ireland, France or England.
“I’ve been very clear — I want to test myself at the very top of the game,” he said. “That means international rugby.”
While he ruled out interest in the Wales job, O’Gara did not hide that one day leading Ireland would be a career ambition. For now, however, he insists the timing is not right.
Thoughts On Munster Rugby Job
When Graham Rowntree departed Munster last fall, speculation immediately turned to O’Gara returning to his boyhood province. O’Gara played more than a decade at fly half for Munster, winning two Heineken Cups, and remains one of the club’s icons.
But the coach quickly ended the discussion. He ruled himself out of contention, urging Munster to look internally for leadership and pointing to Mike Prendergast and Denis Leamy as potential successors.
“Munster doesn’t need me at this moment,” O’Gara said. “They already have people in place who understand the culture and are ready for the challenge.”
Staying Put In Top 14, France
O’Gara’s La Rochelle side has faced struggles in recent form, but he has reiterated that his focus is on building a long-term project. After winning the Champions Cup in 2022 and 2023, the club is still chasing a Top 14 title under his guidance.
“The project isn’t finished here,” O’Gara said this spring. “It’s not over at La Rochelle. My job is to reset, rebuild and compete for more trophies.”
For now, speculation about O’Gara’s next step will continue, especially as national team vacancies emerge. But his commitment to La Rochelle appears firm, with the coach balancing his immediate goal of more silverware in France against his longer-term ambition of stepping into international rugby.
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