O'Gara extends La Rochelle contract until 2031

La Rochelle head coach Ronan O'Gara signed a contract extension to remain with the club until 2031. O'Gara, who joined La Rochelle in 2019 after coaching stints at Racing 92 and the Crusaders, initially extended his contract after the team finished as runners-up in the 2021 European Champions Cup final. He subsequently led La Rochelle to consecutive final victories in 2022 and 2023, marking the club's first major trophies.

"My family and I are very happy and proud to continue this adventure with Stade Rochelais," O'Gara said on the club's website. "We have lived through exceptional times and gone through more difficult times together. In each of them, I felt the confidence of the club and the support of our supporters."

O'Gara expressed his strong belief in the club's potential. "I believe deeply in this club, in its players, in its staff and in its ambition. We have already built a lot of things, but I am convinced that the best is still ahead of us," he stated, emphasizing his desire to develop the team further and achieve more victories.

La Rochelle started the new Top 14 season successfully, winning their opening match against Toulouse and achieving a narrow 21-20 victory away at Toulon. The team is set to play against Racing 92 this Saturday. In the previous season, La Rochelle finished sixth in the Top 14, securing a spot in the Investec Champions Cup but faced elimination in the quarter-finals of the domestic playoffs against Stade Francais. In European competition, they were ousted from the Challenge Cup by Ulster in the quarter-finals.