Serge Betsen
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| Serge Betsen | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Personal information | |||
| Full name | Serge Betsen Tchoua | ||
| Date of birth | 25 March 1974 | ||
| Place of birth | Kumba, Cameroon | ||
| Height | 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in) | ||
| Weight | 98 kg (15 st 6) | ||
| Nickname | La faucheuse | ||
| Occupation(s) | Professional Rugby Footballer; Owner of the Kemana spa in Biarritz | ||
| Rugby union career | |||
| Playing career | |||
| Position | Flanker | ||
| Amateur clubs | |||
| 1985-1996 | CS Clichy | ||
| Professional clubs | Caps | (points) | |
| 1996-2008
2008- |
Biarritz Olympique | ||
| National team(s) | Caps | (points) | |
| 1997-2007 | France | 63 | (45) |
| Official Website | |||
| http://www.sergebetsen.com | |||
Serge Betsen Tchoua (born 25 March 1974 in Kumba, Cameroon) is a French rugby union footballer who plays as a flanker for London Wasps at club level and formerly for France internationally. He is generally considered to be one of the top flankers of the professional era (post-1995) of rugby union.
[edit] Career
Betsen moved to France with his parents when he was nine, and played for Biarritz since he was 17. Unlike many flankers, he plays on both sides of the scrum with equal vigor. He is also regarded as one of the strongest tacklers in the game, and is renowned for his high work-rate on the field.
Betsen made his first appearance for France in 1997, as a replacement against Italy, but did not receive his second call-up until the 2000 Six Nations Championship. Thereafter he became a regular starter in the national team.
Nicknamed la Faucheuse (the Grim Reaper), Betsen's finest moment came during the 2002 Six Nations Championship, in the match against England, when his relentless man-marking of Jonny Wilkinson eventually resulted in the fly-half's replacement and paved the way for a 20–15 victory. Later, England's coach, Clive Woodward, said of Betsen: "“He is the only player that I can say was the single-handed reason we lost a match." [1] France went on to win the Grand Slam [2] and Betsen was named France's International Player of the Year. He was an automatic selection for the 2003 Rugby World Cup and scored France's only try in the semi-final loss to England, but he was cited for kicking scrum-half Matt Dawson and was subsequently banned for six weeks.
In 2005 he was cited following an incident during Biarritz's Heineken Cup match against London Wasps in which Wasps centre Stuart Abbott suffered a broken leg; the complaint was dismissed after a disciplinary hearing found that "the trip, while intentional, was not premeditated" and had happened "in the heat of the moment". [3]
Betsen was renowned as a fearless tackler, [1] but with increasing age he started to pick up more frequent injuries and he missed the 2005 Autumn internationals after fracturing his cheekbone in a match against Toulouse. Despite this, he continues to be a formidable tackler: in the 2007 Six Nations Championship, which France won, he completed 56 tackles, 12 more than any other player in the tournament.
Toward the end of the 2005 season, Betsen held talks with English club Leicester Tigers about a possible move from France, but in the end he decided to stay at Biarritz and signed a new three-year contract.
On 16 January 2008 Betsen announced that he would be retiring from club rugby at the end of the 2007–08 season, when his contract with Biarritz ends, and was retiring from international rugby with immediate effect. [4].
On 11 May 2008, it was revealed that reports of his retirement were premature. He is to sign for London Wasps.[5][6]
Amongst some supporters this has caused consternation given his previous history with the club, including being cited in 2005 by Wasps following the breaking of Stuart Abbott's leg[7].
[edit] References
- ^ a b Barnes, Stuart. "Master of mayhem Serge Betsen will be sorely missed", Times Online, 20 January 2008.
- ^ "Betsen confirms his retirement", Planet-Rugby.com, 16 January 2008.
- ^ "Betsen free to play against England", ABC News, 10 February 2005.
- ^ "Betsen calls time on France duty", BBC Sport, 17 January 2008.
- ^ "Sackey worry for Wasps", Times Online, 11 May 2007.
- ^ Wasps sign French ace. Sky Sports (2008-05-22). Retrieved on 2008-05-22.
- ^ "Wasps cite Betsen over Abbott's fractured leg", The Independent, 12 May 2008.
[edit] External links
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