O’Gara denies he bound for US

RONAN O’GARA has no intention of jumping Ireland’s ship for American football in the foreseeable future.

O’Gara will be involved with Ireland in Cardiff next Saturday, hopefully against England in Dublin the following week and again for the World Cup campaign.

Although O’Gara admitted being approached several weeks ago by the Miami Dolphins to discuss a move to American football, he made it clear yesterday his priorities lay with playing for Cork Constitution, Munster and Ireland.

Media reports linked O’Gara with a $12m, four-year move to Miami, and the 25-year-old, who has been capped 27 times for Ireland, as well as playing on the last Lions tour to Australia, confirmed he had initial talks with the American outfit.

O’Gara was contacted by Dolphins owner Wayne Huizenga, who made his fortune through the Blockbuster video chain and who is a regular visitor to Ireland to play golf at Waterville and the Old Head of Kinsale.

He wants a kicker for his team and targeted O’Gara, not only because of his prodigious ability, but also because he was born in San Diego and is entitled to hold an American passport.

But O’Gara insists he will be sticking with rugby for the foreseeable future.

“My only interest at the moment is to play rugby at the highest level. The timing of this news wasn’t the best, but the issue is closed as far as I’m concerned.

“After an initial approach, I have not been in contact with anyone in America. No agents from the club have since been in contact with me and I have not been in contact with them. They may ring me or they may not.

“I won’t be thinking about it, because my only concern now is to help Ireland through the remaining games of the Six Nations. I want to play for Ireland and I want to play for them in the World Cup.

“I haven’t given the slightest thought to what might happen later in my life. This thing appears to have snowballed beyond belief and my only concern is to make sure that nothing gets in the way of Ireland’s future

success.”

Meanwhile, O’Gara denied rumours he was concussed as he helped Cork Constitution to a comprehensive AIB League victory over Carlow at Temple Hill over the weekend.

“I don’t know where that came from. I got a knock on my face and I have a slight black eye as a result.

Otherwise, there is nothing wrong for me and I’m looking forward to being involved with Ireland in some way next weekend against Wales.”