Ronan O'Gara has apologised following a joke he made about his wife Jessica on Friday night's Late Late Show.

The rugby player was quizzed about his proudest achievement by Ryan Turbidy, with the host asking if he was most proud of his 2,625 points for Munster or having five children under the age of six.

O'Gara responded by saying, "I wouldn’t be nervous getting up on Jessica but I would be nervous kicking a ball".

The joke kicked up some lively discussions on social media - and a giddy response from the studio audience. Now Ronan has taken to Twitter to apologise to his wife and anybody offended by the comment:

Back home in Paris. I have apologised to @jessieog and i'm also sorry if i offended anyone else with my very poor joke on @RTELateLateShow.

— Ronan O Gara (@RonanOGara10) February 16, 2015