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France flanker Betsen to join London Wasps

22/05/2008

London Wasps have announced a genuine coup by signing former France flanker Serge Betsen from Biarritz on a two-year contract.

The 34-year-old, who has been with the Top 14 club since 1996, is considered one of the greatest back-row forwards in the history of the game.

Betsen won 63 caps throughout a distinguished ten-year career for France, including two World Cup semi-final appearances against England in 2003 and 2007.

He scored a total of nine tries for Les Bleus, including one in the last-four match in 2003.

Betsen - who is known as la Faucheuse (the Grim Reaper) for his confrontational style of play – said: "I am very excited about coming to Wasps. I have always admired the English style of rugby, and to play in the Guinness Premiership is something I have always wanted to do.

"This is a tremendous opportunity, not only to come to the UK and play for an English club, but to play for London Wasps, one of the premier clubs in English rugby.

"I am still hungry to achieve on the pitch, and what better place to come than Wasps, who have some of the best coaches and players in England and Europe.

"I am looking forward to working with them, to develop my game and to help win more success for the club."

Betsen's arrival will bolster the Wasps pack, but coincides with the retirement of current Wasps number eight and captain Lawrence Dallaglio.

The former England man's last professional game is set to be the Guinness Premiership final against Leicester Tigers next weekend.

In addition to Betsen, Wasps have also unveiled scrum-half Mark Robinson, who has signed from Northampton Saints after five seasons.

The Kiwi native won three caps for the All Blacks between 1997 and 2001 while playing Super 12 rugby for the Chiefs and Auckland Blues.

London Wasps director of rugby Ian McGeechan said his interest in both Robinson and Betsen had been peaked by the fact that neither would be lost during the periods surrounding international matches.

"These are two high-quality players whose experience is going to be very important to us, particularly in view of the fact that they will both be available to us for every game of the season," McGeechan said.

"As a club that is hit by international call-ups, it is very important that we can call upon players with experience and the right attitude, and we feel that in Serge Betsen and Mark Robinson we have two players who fit the bill massively in that respect."