“I started looking for accommodation!”

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While the takeover of the Béziers club has been official since November 7, we now know a little more about the contours of the new ASBH project. Participant in the operation, the former 3^e Springboks line Bobby Skinstad spoke to Actu Rugby about the reasons for his involvement in Béziers.

Bobby Skinstad explains his coming to Béziers

Actu : You don't particularly have a pre-existing connection with French rugby, what led you to get involved in Béziers?

Bobby Skinstad: I have been involved in sports investing for a long time. Initially it was more about logistical issues in and around the game, audience management, event coordination, all those things. This led me to focus on team optimization, and I have always worked closely with the clubs where I played, in the field of marketing and development. I started looking to invest in rugby ten years ago, I examined several avenues, particularly in the United States, I held for a time the rights to certain clubs around San Francisco… The It's been a long road, but until now I haven't found the trigger. Some opportunities seem more attractive than they are and I don't have the means to invest where it won't work.

For you, the potential is therefore present. But how do you end up there?

B.S. : Andrew (Mehrtens, editor's note) told me about Béziers during an informal meal. I had come to the region before, especially on vacation, and I love the region. I watched a lot of Pro D2, I followed the clubs that were in Pro D2 and now play in the Top 14 and the Champions Cup. Everything came together at the right time and it piqued my interest. It was a project without a private owner who tried to raise the stakes, my experience with the mayor and the city was wonderful, discretion, precise negotiations… What matters is the future of Béziers and the region, the future of sustainable rugby here. All the boxes are ticked in my eyes and that’s why I’m very excited.

How long have you been working on the project?

B.S. : It had been over eighteen months. I know that the situation, the participation of the town hall, had lasted much longer here, but the project arrived on my desk a little over eighteen months ago.

Long-term convictions

You are talking about a project that ticks all the boxes for you, but your speech also seems very attractive for the Béziers supporters who will be waiting a lot. Does this come with some form of pressure?

B.S. : This comes with great responsibility and I do not take it lightly. If you look at my track record and my background, I'm not the type to jump from one job to another, to go from one opportunity to another. I'm pretty calm, I take my time and that's what I did here. I wouldn't push anyone to get involved, and certainly not me, if I didn't have the conviction that I could make a beneficial contribution in the long term.

Do you have an idea of ​​all the projects that fell through regarding the takeover of the ASBH in recent years?

B.S. : Of course ! There were a lot of promises for the future and funds and above all a lot of difficult results. In my opinion, it is better to moderate expectations and work hard than to have high expectations and not work hard enough. There have been personal tragedies, financial complications, but for us the opportunity remains unchanged. It will be hard, but in the long term I think it will be a great project. Obviously, we won't win the Top 14 next season, but when I look at the region, the players available, I tell myself that there is a good base to start our journey together.

What other elements appealed to you?

B.S. : A fantastic stadium, a magnificent region for tourism, almost untapped in terms of foreign tourism. Very few people think of Béziers as a holiday destination, not just in South Africa or New Zealand but also in the UK. I think we can double or triple the attendance, in line with the work done by the municipality over the last ten years.

Getting to know ASBH

What will be your first steps in the coming weeks?

B.S. : I have to go meet everyone, familiarize myself with how the club works, with the company that sells the tickets and the services. I know all these cogs in the world of sport, but I don't know the ones that are in place here. We are going to draw a roadmap together, with the managers, the sports staff, the players. There will be no change until we have a clear picture of where we are going.

How much time will you be able to devote to ASBH when you don't live here?

B.S. : These next few weeks, pretty much all my time! If you ask my wife, she will tell you that it's already 24 hours a day because that's all I think about. For now, I think I can split my activity here with half working remotely and half on site. I will undoubtedly be present next week for one or two days, same thing the following week, the whole week between the matches against Brive and Montauban (the 2nd week of December, editor's note). And to be complete, I started looking for accommodation so I could come more often.

Climb into the Top 14 and stay there

The ambition announced during the takeover press conference is to be able to aim to climb into the Top 14 in three or four years. Do you think this is feasible?

B.S. : Pro D2 is incredibly tough and I have immense respect for this championship. That's why I don't want to set such a strict objective, a lot can happen. On the other hand, I am convinced that with our resolution, our expertise, we are capable of setting up a project which will lead us to this upward objective. Will it be in three or four years? I don't know. But what interests me above all is to work on a project that will keep us in the Top 14. Financially, going up to come down is a much heavier burden than that of staying in Pro D2 in order to be better prepared for the climb. And between the two, I know which path I prefer to take.

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