Ronan O’Gara is going nowhere.
The former Ireland out-half had been linked, in recent months, to coaching jobs at Munster and Ireland but is staying put in Paris.
When O’Gara retired from rugby in 2013, he took heed of advice handed down from a former Munster teammate – Never announce you’re retiring, announce what you are doing next.
That he did. O’Gara told the world he was hanging up the playing boots and stepping into a coaching role. He joined Laurent Labit and Laurent Travers at Racing Métro [now Racing 92] as the club’s skills coach.
Spotting a vacancy for defence coach in his first couple of months, O’Gara put his hand up and told the Laurents that he could do that too.
O’Gara is getting on so well at Racing – a side seriously challenging for Top 14 and Champions Cup honours – that the club has given him another contract.
Bonne nouvelle! @RonanOGara10 prolonge son contrat jusqu'en 2019, son aventure au Racing 92 continue! #RacingFamily pic.twitter.com/Rf9ZfnvJdy
— Racing 92 (@racing92) March 9, 2016
O’Gara will ‘continue the Racing 92 adventure’ until June 2019 at least.
It will be interesting to see if O’Gara takes on any further responsibilities with the club in the coming three years.
He has always stated that he sees his time in France as an apprenticeship, with a view to a head coach job. O’Gara must feel that a longer stint with the Parisiens represents the most prudent path.
