French Top 14 rugby club Stade Francais have confirmed Ireland and Munster legend Paul O'Connell as their new forwards coach.
The club announced the news with a video on Twitter in which the former Ireland captain said, "I'm very happy to be in Paris and working with this great club."
Stade Francais sporting director Heyneke Meyer said: "I'm extremely delighted to welcome Paul to the Stade Francais Paris family. Paul will bring his value and experience to our team thanks to his leadership ability and tactical and technical knowledge. It's a major asset for the club that demonstrates the ambition of Stade Francais Paris."
The 38 year old Limerick native follows in the footsteps of former Ireland and Munster team-mate Ronan O'Gara who also coached in Paris but with Racing Metro 92 between 2013 and 2017.
Paul O'Connell is France bound as he takes on a coaching role with Stade Francais! https://t.co/SWxhoSGNpK
— Off The Ball (@offtheball) August 3, 2018
O'Connell has coaching experience, serving as Ireland under-20s assistant coach in 2017.
He's also no stranger to the French rugby environment, having signed for Toulon in 2015. However, he was forced to retire in February 2016 as a result of injury.
