La Rochelle head coach Ronan O’Gara has signed a contract extension to keep him at the club until 2031.

O’Gara arrived at the club in 2019 after coaching spells with rival Top 14 side Racing 92 and New Zealand outfit Crusaders.

Following defeat in the 2021 European Champions Cup final, the former Ireland international signed an initial extension before guiding La Rochelle to back-to-back final wins in 2022 and 2023 – the club’s first major silverware.

“My family and I are very happy and proud to continue this adventure with Stade Rochelais,” O’Gara told the club 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.

“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.

“I want to continue to grow this team and win with Stade Rochelais.”

La Rochelle have made a winning start to the new Top 14 season, defeating Toulouse on the opening weekend before a 21-20 away win in Toulon on Saturday.

They return to action this Saturday against Racing 92.

Last season, La Rochelle finished sixth in the Top 14 to secure a return to the Investec Champions Cup before bowing out of their domestic play-offs at the quarter-final stage at the hands of Stade Francais.

In Europe, they dropped into the Challenge Cup where they were eliminated by Ulster in the quarter-finals.