The Last Post

Matt Cooper: Johnny Sexton hangs up the boots to step into Paul Coulson’s €8bn packaging behemoth

Ireiland’s out-half’s post-rugby career will start in earnest with Ardagh after he joined on a part-time basis in 2021 as ‘the Cooler’ winds down

Paul Coulson is apparently winding down at the age of 71 and is stepping down as executive chairman of Ardagh. Picture: Jason Clarke

Jonathan Sexton’s post-rugby career will start in earnest with Ardagh, the glass bottle and metal can container manufacturer, once the Rugby World Cup is over; the Irish captain has been a part-time commercial manager there since April 2021. But when he arrives to go full-time, he’s going to find that the main man there, its driving force in recent decades, is heading for the retirement exit.

Paul Coulson – known to many of his friends ...