IRFU chief David Humphreys: Ronan O'Gara will be candidate for Leinster top job
La Rochelle head coach Ronan O'Gara shakes hands with Con Cullen, son of Leinster head coach Leo Cullen, right. Pic: David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile
He might bleed red, but Irish Rugby performance director David Humphreys says Munster legend Ronan O’Gara will “of course” be considered a candidate to replace Leo Cullen when the Leinster stalwart departs the province following the 2026-27 season.
After three decades as a player and a coach at Leinster, Cullen recently announced he would step away as head coach at the end of next season.
The decision will be profoundly felt throughout the club after his deeds first as a player and then as a coach, which have seen Leinster become the powerhouse they remain today. The province lost in this year’s Champions Cup, before bouncing back to win the URC.
Just who takes over has been a question many have been asking ever since the late June announcement.
But Humphreys, who sparred for the out-half role with O’Gara for years, said the respected coach would certainly be in the mix and added that they recently met each other to talk about the Munster man’s future.
“I met ‘ROG’ two or three months ago when La Rochelle were in Belfast, and we talked about where his coaching ambitions were,” Humphreys revealed in a media briefing with a handful of journalists in Sydney ahead of Saturday’s Nations Championship fixture against Japan in Newcastle.
“He's done what so many good coaches have done – he has gone, he has left Ireland, he has got experience throughout the world, he's been successful. So of course, I would say he'll be a candidate for every job that comes up in Ireland.
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“And we're in a fortunate position that - you said it earlier about Irish coaches versus foreign coaches - we have got some really, really good Irish coaches and somebody coming into the Irish system, because it is slightly unique, it's definitely a positive in terms of where the recruitment goes.
“But there will be a long list of very well qualified coaches, of which I would assume ROG will be one.”
While the Irish Rugby Football Union will be involved in finding Cullen’s replacement, Humphreys said Leinster, in particular Guy Easterby (COO) and Shane Nolan (CEO), would lead the process.
Munster fans would likely spit out their coffee at the thought of seeing O’Gara swap the red for Leinster’s blue, but many believe it could be the former out-half’s best chance to put his name up in lights to eventually take over from Andy Farrell following the 2031 World Cup.
O’Gara’s personality, experience and coaching success – he won a title as an assistant with the Crusaders, before leading La Rochelle to the top of Europe – makes him the perfect figure for Leinster to go after too.
Former Leinster star Felipe Contepomi, who will lead Argentina through to next year’s World Cup, has also been thrown up.
As has Stuart Lancaster, who has already made a difference at Connacht and previously worked wonders under Cullen at Leinster as his right-hand man.
But Humphreys turned the focus on Lancaster’s strong finish at Connacht.
“Yeah, look, we brought Stuart into Connacht for a very good reason,” he said. “He's one of the best coaches around, and you've seen yourself the impact that he's made in Connacht.
“I think that there's huge potential down there, he's excited by what he's done, he's enjoyed bringing a lot of these young players through, and now it's about where he can take Connacht over the next few years.” So when will Cullen’s successor be announced?
“I think like all appointments, as soon as possible is the word,” he said. “We know it's going to be somewhat difficult with the World Cup and trying to find someone that may or may not be in international rugby.”
Despite the vague response, Humphreys isn't sweating.
“As you'd expect with a club like Leinster, a province like Leinster, there will be no end of high-quality coaches and directors of rugby who are available and who would like the job, and then it comes down to being very clear as to what Leinster and the IRFU would like in that position,” he said.
Humphreys added that Cullen’s legacy went far beyond the trophies that he’s won as a player and a coach.
“The impact he's had as a player and as a director of rugby is unbelievable,” he said.
“Yes, some people will make it all about trophies, but it's not about that. You look at the work that he's done, the environment that he's created in Leinster, the club that he's created in Leinster, the number of players that have come through the pathway to play for Ireland. And not just play for Ireland, play for Leinster, play for all the other provinces.
“So I think that he has had an unbelievable career and he will definitely be missed. And the legacy that he leaves, he will leave big shoes to fill.”
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