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Ronan O'Gara parts ways with Bok World Cup winner after below-par season
By Josh Raisey
La Rochelle have terminated the contract of assistant coach Gurthro Steenkamp by mutual consent following the club’s poor campaign.
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Ronan O’Gara’s side experienced a disastrous season on both the domestic and European front compared to the standards they have set in recent years. After crashing out of the Investec Champions Cup – a competition they won in 2022 and 2023 – at home in the round of 16 to Munster, the west coast outfit failed to make the play-offs in the Top 14, losing to Pau in the final round to miss out on a place.
As a consequence, changes have been made to O’Gara’s back-room staff, with the 2007 World Cup-winning Springbok Steenkamp a casualty.
The South African spent four years on the Atlantic coast, helping build a pack that swept aside all before them in the European game.
In a statement online, La Rochelle said the former prop’s “expertise and high standards played a decisive role in the two Champions Cup titles won in 2022 and 2023,” while also praising him for his work with the academy and U21 sides.
The statement read: “La Rochelle would like to warmly thank Gurthrö for his dedication and hard work over the past four seasons. We wish him the best for the rest of his career, both on and off the pitch.”
La Rochelle are underway with a rebuild on the pitch ahead of next season, and have already recruited stars such as France scrum-half Nolann Le Garrec and Georgia’s Davit Niniashvili from Racing 92 and Lyon, respectively.
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