Ronan O’Gara expects to move to another job outside Ireland when he eventually leaves Paris.

In his column in Friday’s Irish Examiner, O’Gara discusses what an honour it will be when he is awarded the freedom of Cork City next week.

He writes movingly about what it means to come back to his home city, but despite constant links to a coaching job with Ireland or Munster or one of the other Irish provinces, the Racing 92 coach sees himself taking up another position abroad before any return home is likely.

“There’s a fanciful narrative that I hear most times we’re at home in Cork that it’s only a matter of time before I return to a coaching job in Ireland. That every month spent in Paris is a month closer to coming home.

“It’s a nice theory, but it’s nowhere even close to being true. If anything, I feel my career as a coach abroad is just getting started.

“In two years’ time I may (or may not) be at the end of my time with Racing, but there will be another project somewhere before I would have any thoughts of coming back to Cork. Whether that be in France or somewhere else.

“I’d be amazed if the next play was back at home in Ireland. Much as I love Cork.”

Read Ronan O’Gara’s column in Friday’s Irish Examiner