McGowan enjoying life in La Rochelle

AS Connacht face French galacticos Toulouse this afternoon, another native of the province will be in action in France today — 400km north in the coastal town of La Rochelle.

Sligo native Kevin McGowan has no regrets regarding his decision to leave his native province for this rugby-mad region in 2007.

“I was on a development contract with Connacht,” said the 27-year-old McGowan, “and I wasn’t playing as much as I hoped to be playing. I got in touch with an agent and, two weeks later, I was coming here to France for a trial in La Rochelle. They wanted to sign me there and then.”