Is Ronan O'Gara about to begin life as a coach in France next season?

According to reports today, Toulon and other Top 14 clubs have approached Ronan O’Gara about taking up a coaching role in France.

While speculation still flies around regarding his retirement or otherwise, the Irish Daily Mail (no link available) today report than Ronan O’Gara’s career may be about to take an unexpected turn.

In an exclusive today they report that Toulon, and other Top 14 clubs, fancy taking the 36-year-old over to France in a coaching capacity with 'informal contact' taking place. This would end his playing career and begin what many expect to be the road to one day becoming coach of Munster.

The paper reports that the offer of an extra year as a player in Munster has been turned down by the veteran No 10 and while the province would be loathe to let the experienced O’Gara go, they are understood to have given him their blessing.

Toulon have a backs coach but it is suggested that O’Gara could come in as a skills or kicking coach with them or as a backs or attack coach in another French club.

Castres are cited as one possible team who need backs coach and the paper quotes a source who says that it is much more normal in France for players to go from a high-profile playing career to a high profile coaching role.

O’Gara spoke a few weeks back about how he wanted to coach his native province but that he felt he needed to experience a different culture first. With that in mind, this story makes a lot of sense.