Racing statement: Nolann Le Garrec signs for La Rochelle

Stuart Lancaster’s Racing 92 have confirmed that France scum-half Nolann Le Garrec will leave Paris at the end of the 2024/25 campaign and will link up with Ronan O’Gara’s La Rochelle for the following two seasons.

The 22-year-old, who made his club first-team breakthrough in the 2020/21 campaign, has since gone on to be capped on five occasions by Fabien Galthie’s French national team. He will now move to La Rochelle next July to replace Tawera Kerr-Barlow, whose current contract expires in the summer of 2025.

A statement read: Nolann Le Garrec, who arrived at the Racing training centre in 2017 from RC Vannes, has just announced to us that he will join Stade Rochelais from the 2025/26 season. The whole club and Nolann will have at the heart of closing of this adventure with the always strong ambition of Racing 92 to win titles.”

From Vannes, where his family still lives, Le Garrec hinted in a recent rugbyrama.fr interview that he could indeed be leaving when his Racing contract expired.

"I owe a lot to Racing. That's something I have in mind. I grew up there and they gave me a lot of resources. But I also worked a lot on the side. Success is a balance between the club and the player. We are in a professional world and things can change. We'll see."