Confirmed: Ronan O'Gara to remain with La Rochelle until 2031

Estimates have put the value of O'Gara's new deal well north of €2million but the Cork man is driven more by unlocking Top 14 success with La Rochelle than his bank balance.

STAYING PUT: Ronan O'Gara has agreed a new four-year contract to remain as La Rochelle's head coach. Pic: Xavier Leoty/AFP via Getty Images

RONAN O'Gara has made an emphatic statement on his coaching future by inking a new four-year contract to remain as La Rochelle manager/head coach until 2031.

The Top 14 club confirmed the agreement Monday first mooted in O'Gara's own column in the Irish Examiner two weeks ago. 

A translated statement reads: "Over the seasons, Ronan O’Gara has played a key role in embedding his exacting standards, vision, and ambition into the fabric of the Stade Rochelais project. Through his day-to-day dedication, Ronan has become a true club man. His bond with La Rochelle, the Marcel Deflandre stadium, and the fans is deep and mutual. Together, Stade Rochelais and Ronan O’Gara have chosen to continue a story that still has many chapters left to write."

The Munster and Ireland legend now has five years under his belt as the No 1 at La Rochelle — seeing out his contract on France's Atlantic coach would make that a full decade.

O'Gara's obsession with cracking the Top 14 is undoubtedly the primary reason for agreeing new terms at the club. No foreign coach has really stamped his authority on the toughest domestic league in world rugby and O'Gara's voracious competitive instincts demands that he keeps going in his pursuit of the club's first title. He has already won two European Cups at the club, defeating Leinster in both finals in Marseille and Dublin.

Estimates have put the value of O'Gara's new deal well north of €2m but the Cork man is driven more by unlocking Top 14 success with La Rochelle than his bank balance. Last season the club went through a frustrating mid-season with injuries, that numbered over 20 at one point. They rallied down the straight and made the play offs before falling to Stade Francais.

La Rochelle have begun this season with two wins from two, and significant wins at that — against Toulouse and in Toulon on Saturday night.

O'Gara has previously professed an interest in the test arena and has been linked with England. Similarly the fact that Leo Cullen is stepping down at the end of the current season seasoned speculation that the Cork man might end up in Donnybrook. O'Gara was prepared to listen to all worthwhile projects but there was a strong sense that Leinster's old guard were decidedly cool on the idea of the Munster man rocking up in Leinster blue from 2027 onwards.

All the while, La Rochelle CEO Pierre Veneyre, with the consent of owner Vincent Merling, has been encouraging O'Gara to begin discussions on a new contract. O'Gara confirmed as much in that Irish Examiner column while also alluding to the fact there were some kinks to be ironed out too.

He wrote: "I’m leaning into the final season of my contract here. In most walks of life that would be front and centre personal priority. Nobody should relish operating under the shadow of an uncertain future, but I’m just fine with it. I want to stay at La Rochelle and finish the job. The Bouclier is far more than ambition now, it’s personal and it’s obsessive.

"I am talking to the club about a new contract. It’s very preliminary and we all need to see how this season progresses. Obviously I’d like to stay but Jess has to be on board with that, the kids have to too. And naturally, the club has to be on board with that. There are things that are important from my perspective, such as full decision-making on the sporting, staff and playing side."

On signing the new deal, O'Gara confirmed, speaking in French, that the family was fully on board.

"My family and I are very happy and proud to continue this journey with Stade Rochelais. We have shared exceptional moments and weathered more difficult times together. Throughout it all, I have felt the club’s trust and the support of our fans. I deeply believe in this club — in its players, its staff, and its ambition. We have already achieved a great deal, but I am convinced that the best is yet to come. I want to keep helping this team grow and winning with Stade Rochelais."

That puts the Top 14 title firmly in his eyeline, as he wrote in these pages.

"We have to win a Bouclier. That is an itch I refuse to leave without scratching. The Top 14 is a monster, and conquering that Everest … the satisfaction from that would be immense."