Aurélien Canot, Media365, published on Thursday November 7, 2024 at 9:07 p.m.
The mayor of Béziers Robert Mesnard announced Thursday that the Irish investment fund Strangford Capital had bought the club, which currently plays in Pro D2. Former All Black Andrew Mehrtens, already a former member of the ASBH, is one of the co-presidents.
Béziers goes under the Irish flag, Andrew Mehrtens among the future new co-presidents of the club. Before looking into the matter of buying London Irish, Strangford Capital acquired the Béziers club. Thursday afternoon, Robert Ménard, the mayor of the city, announced during a press conference held at the Raoul-Barrière stadium that the Irish investment fund had taken over 75% of ASBH. shares. Behind this project led by the Irish consortium are three men, all very well known in the world of sport, particularly rugby: Andrew Mehrtens, Bob Skinstad and Eddie Jordan. The first, whose name inevitably speaks to supporters of the Béziers club having already played in Béziers (during the 2010-2011 season) but also having been its coach for two years, between 2011 and 2013, was present on Thursday during of this press conference which allowed Ménard, visibly delighted with this acquisition, and the ASBH to formalize a sale which had already seemed to have been taking place behind the scenes for several weeks.
Mertens alongside Skinstad and (still) Bachès
The former All Black will be one of the co-presidents of this new era Béziers. To support him, Mertens will be able to count on another big name in rugby: former Sprigboks third row Bob Skinstad. The latter will discover France after a career that he has spent entirely until now at home in South Africa. The Teampresent on site Thursday, tells us that Mehrtens assured that his desire in taking control of the current 7th in the Pro D2 ranking but semi-finalist of the last exercise was in no way to carry out a revolution in due form . The New Zealander who won the title of French Pro D2 champion two years in a row (2008 and 2009) with Racing 92 thus suggested that he wanted to keep the current general director of the club, Arthur Bachès, in his position. .
