Serge Betsen

{{Short description|France international rugby union player (born 1974)}} {{Use British English|date=August 2013}} {{Use dmy dates|date=June 2024}} {{Infobox rugby biography | name = Serge Betsen | image = Jubilé Chabal-Nallet - 20150604 - Serge Betsen.jpg | caption = Betsen in 2015 | birth_name = Serge Betsen-Tchoua | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1974|3|25|df=yes}} | birth_place = [[Kumba, Cameroon|Kumba]], Cameroon | death_date = | death_place = | height = {{convert|1.83|m|ftin|abbr=on}} | weight = 98 kg (15 st 6) | ru_currentclub = [[Biarritz Olympique]] | position = [[Flanker (rugby union)|Flanker]] | amatyears1 = 1985–1996 | amatteam1 = [[Club Sportif de Clichy]] | repyears1 = 1997–2007 | repteam1 = [[France national rugby union team|France]] | repcaps1 = 63 | reppoints1 = 45 | years1 = 1996–2008 | years2 = 2008–2012 | clubs1 = [[Biarritz Olympique|Biarritz]] | clubs2 = [[Wasps RFC|London Wasps]] | apps1 = 172 | apps2 = 79 | points1 = 65 | points2 = 35 | website = http://www.sergebetsen.net }} '''Serge Betsen Tchoua''' (born 25 March 1974) is a former French [[rugby union]] player who played as a [[Flanker (rugby union)|flanker]] for [[Wasps RFC|London Wasps]] and [[Biarritz Olympique|Biarritz]] at club level and for {{nrut|France}} internationally.

He is generally considered to be one of the top flankers of the professional era (post-1995) of rugby union.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/rugby/rugby-news/betsens-the-best-un-2407448|title=Betsen's the best 'un|last=WalesOnline|date=26 February 2005}}</ref>

== Career ==

Born in [[Kumba, Cameroon|Kumba]], [[Cameroon]], of partial [[Bamileke people|Bamileke]] heritage, Betsen moved to France with his mother and six siblings when he was nine, settling in the [[Clichy, Hauts-de-Seine|Clichy]] suburb of Paris. He played his first competitive rugby for the local Clichy based Club Sportif before joining the southern giants Biarritz when he was just 17.

Betsen made his first appearance for France aged 23 in 1997, as a replacement against {{nrut|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 was regarded as one of the fiercest tacklers in the game, and was also renowned for his high work-rate on the field.

Betsen's finest moment came during the [[2002 Six Nations Championship]], in the match against {{nrut|England}}, when his relentless man-marking of [[Jonny Wilkinson]] eventually resulted in the [[Fly-half (rugby union)|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."<ref name="Barnes">{{cite news | last=Barnes | first=Stuart | url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/rugby/article3216345.ece | title=Master of mayhem Serge Betsen will be sorely missed | date=20 January 2008 | publisher=The Times| location=London}}{{dead link|date=September 2024|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> France went on to win the [[Grand Slam (rugby union)|Grand Slam]]<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.planet-rugby.com/Story/0,18259,3559_3052709,00.html | title=Betsen confirms his retirement | date=16 January 2008 | publisher=Planet-Rugby.com | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080522000554/http://www.planet-rugby.com/Story/0,18259,3559_3052709,00.html | archive-date=22 May 2008 }}</ref> 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.

In 2005 he was cited following an incident during Biarritz's [[Heineken Cup]] match against [[Wasps RFC|London Wasps]] in which Wasps [[Centre (rugby union)|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".<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2005/02/10/1299714.htm | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080407065815/http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2005/02/10/1299714.htm | url-status=dead | archive-date=7 April 2008 | title=Betsen free to play against England | date=10 February 2005 | publisher=ABC News|location=Australia}}</ref>

Betsen was renowned as a fearless tackler,<ref name="Barnes" /> 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 [[Stade Toulousain|Toulouse]]. Despite this, he continued 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 [[Guinness Premiership|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 was retiring from international rugby with immediate effect.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/7188528.stm | title=Betsen calls time on France duty | date=17 January 2008 | publisher=BBC Sport}}</ref>

On 11 May 2008, it was revealed he was signing for [[Wasps RFC|London Wasps]].<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/rugby_union/article3908583.ece | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080726213123/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/rugby_union/article3908583.ece | url-status=dead | archive-date=26 July 2008 | title=Sackey worry for Wasps | date=11 May 2007 | publisher=The Times| location=London | first=David | last=Parsons | access-date=23 May 2010}}</ref><ref name="Wasps sign French ace">{{cite web|url=http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,12321_3596348,00.html|title=Wasps sign French ace|publisher=Sky Sports|date=22 May 2008|access-date=22 May 2008}}</ref>

Betsen made a good start with Wasps performing well and earning respect from the Wasps supporters, for the A side whilst recovering from injury, before moving into the first XV. During the 2009 6 Nations championship he was made Wasps captain in the absence of the senior England players and friend Rafa Ibanez (though retirement caused by injury). The club announced that he would share the captaincy for the remainder of the 2008/09 season with [[Phil Vickery (rugby union)|Phil Vickery]], and he put in excellent performances as captain, being awarded two man of the match awards in quick succession.

Betsen left London Wasps in June 2011 and announced his retirement from rugby at his "Jubilee" game in Biarritz on 6 June 2012.

Betsen signed with London Scottish as defence coach for the 2012–2013 season.

Betsen is a member of the 'Champions for Peace' club, a group of more than 90 famous created by Peace and Sport, a Monaco-based international organization placed under the High Patronage of H.S.H Prince Albert II. This group of champions, wish to make sport a tool for dialogue and social cohesion.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.peace-sport.org/our-champions-of-peace/|title = The Champions for Peace, one of our fundamental founding pillars}}</ref>

He also created the Serge Betsen Academy in 2004. This charity aims to help underprivileged children in Cameroon, his native country. On top of introducing the children to Rugby, the charity supports the children's education and access to basic healthcare.

In 2013, he created another charity, the French Legends, which reunites former rugby internationals and professionals in order to participate in charity matches and events to support other charities.

In 2008, he started Serge Betsen Consulting and in 2015, he created Serge Betsen Rugby, a multisport coaching programme for the French schools of London.

== References == {{reflist}}

== External links == {{Commons category}} * [http://www.sergebetsen.net/ Official site] * [http://www.sergebetsenrugby.com/ Coaching programme in London] * [http://www.sergebetsenacademy.org/ Serge Betsen Academy site] * {{in lang|fr}} [http://www.frenchlegendsrugby.com/ French Legends site] * [http://sporting-heroes.net/rugby-heroes/displayhero.asp?HeroID=1611 List of caps, 1997–2002] * [http://sporting-heroes.net/rugby-heroes/displayhero.asp?HeroID=1612 List of caps, 2003] * [http://sporting-heroes.net/rugby-heroes/displayhero.asp?HeroID=2031 List of caps, 2004–present]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Betsen, Serge}} [[Category:1974 births]] [[Category:Biarritz Olympique players]] [[Category:Cameroonian emigrants to France]] [[Category:French expatriate rugby union players in England]] [[Category:France international rugby union players]] [[Category:French rugby union players]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:Rugby union flankers]] [[Category:Wasps RFC players]] [[Category:2003 Rugby World Cup players]] [[Category:2007 Rugby World Cup players]] [[Category:20th-century French sportsmen]]