Donnacha Ryan looks set to join Ronan O'Gara's coaching team at La Rochelle next season after Racing 92 confirmed he would not return for them as a player.
The 37-year-old second-row, who played alongside O'Gara at Munster and won 47 caps for Ireland, has spent the last four seasons in Paris.
Ryan and Simon Zebo, who will return to Munster this year after three at Racing, both played in the French side's Champion Cup final defeat to Exeter last October.
Discussing players whose contracts had expired, Racing owner Jacky Lorenzetti told French radio station RMC Sport: "François Trinh-Duc will play in Bordeaux for a year, Donnacha Ryan is joining La Rochelle as a coach, Antonie Claassen will be a player-coach at Suresnes, Dominici Bird has unfortunately returned to New Zealand for personal reasons."
Ryan has reportedly agreed a three-year deal at La Rochelle, who lost both the Top 14 and Champions Cup finals to Toulouse this year.
O'Gara has been promoted to director of rugby at the Atlantic-coast club following Jono Gibbes' departure to Clermont.
