La Rochelle: Carmignani leaves the staff with immediate effect

Carmignani was already absent on Saturday in Lyon, for La Rochelle’s bonus-point win (16-28).

According to the club statement, the coach “wished to give a new direction to his career” as part of discussions on next season’s staff. L’Equipe revealed in late September that neither Carmignani nor attack coach Sebastien Boboul would be retained, while Ronan O’Gara has signed until 2031. The club had offered him a role with the youth teams.

155 games in yellow and black

Carmignani played 155 games for La Rochelle between 2005 and 2012, including 21 in the Top 14 in 2010-11, before finishing his career at Beziers (43 Pro D2 games). He returned to the club in 2018 as academy coach, then joined O’Gara’s senior staff and was part of the two European titles in 2022 and 2023, as well as the 2023 Top 14 final.

A name linked with Fiji

His next move is not known. His name has been linked in recent months with the Fiji national team, which has just appointed Jake White as head coach.