La Rochelle sign Gibbes
French rugby club La Rochelle has confirmed ex-All Black Jono Gibbes will join them in November as director of rugby after coaching Waikato in the ITM Cup.
The news was made official yesterday in a tweet by the Atlantic coast club.
Club officials said in a statement: ‘‘Stade Rochelais is proud and happy to formalise the recruitment of Jono Gibbes as Sports Director for the next four seasons.
‘‘The club made the arrival of the former head coach of the Uster [its] priority. For his part, Jono Gibbes showed great interest in the Stade Rochelais project but had to go to New Zealand for family reasons, where he had committed for a few months with Waikato.’’
La Rochelle said it had been confident in the skill of the coaching staff, under the leadership of head coach Gregory Patat to start the season and, ‘‘convinced that Jono Gibbes has the ideal profile’’, offered him the chance ‘‘after reflection, to postpone his taking office to enable him to solve his personal problem and honour his commitment to Waikato’’.
La Rochelle said Gibbes would take over in November.
Five La Rochelle players are in the French team touring New Zealand. The La Rochelle squad also includes former All Blacks Victor Vito and Tawera KerrBarlow and ex-Waikato hooker Hikairo Forbes.
Gibbes, 41, quit his post as Ulster’s director of rugby to return to coach Waikato for family reasons.
He was granted a release by the Northern Island club on compassionate grounds in March, but in May went to La Rochelle to talk to the French Top 14 club about potentially taking over there from former French test prop Patrice Callazo, who will coach Toulon next year.
Gibbes’ visit – three days before Ulster’s PRO 14 playoffs match with Ospreys – was met with some dismay by supporters in Belfast. It also appeared to catch Waikato officials by surprise with Waikato Rugby Union chief executive Blair Foote saying at the time that they were expecting Gibbes to return and ‘‘if something has changed . . . we know nothing about that’’.
Gibbes, who won eight All Black caps, was forced to defend his visit, claiming to BBC Northern Ireland that the team’s buildup had not been compromised because he went to France on the players’ day off.
But former Ulster and Ireland loose forward Stephen Ferris told the BBC that Gibbes had ‘‘some nerve’’.
Waikato announced on May 28 that Gibbes had returned to take up his contract, posting a photograph of the ex-All Blacks lock with coaching assistants Nathan White and Roger Randle.
La Rochelle have appointed four coaches for next season, including former All Blacks lock Jason Eaton – just retired as La Rochelle’s captain – and former France test back Xavier Garbajosa.
Gibbes spent a decade in Europe, first going to Ireland in 2008 as Leinster’s forwards coach.
He was forwards coach at French club Clermont Auvergne from 2014 to 2017 before moving to Ulster as head coach.