Getting Biarritz and Bayonne together ultimately proved tougher than brokering a truce between the Lannisters and what’s left of the Starks.
The two French clubs have battled in the basque region for about a century but next season they will both be languishing in the Pro D2 after Bayonne’s relegation on the final day of the Top 14 campaign. Both teams are in dire need of a cash injection and as Biarritz president, legendary French fullback Serge Blanco wanted to use his considerable clout to merge the two hated rivals to ensure their survival.
This prospect drove fans of both clubs INSANE, as if they actually were two feuding families from Game of Thrones.
And despite being the omnipresent Godfather of French rugby, Blanco couldn’t get the two-thirds majority that was required for the merger and his proposal was defeated. Afterwards, he resigned as president of Biarritz, a position he has held since 2008.
Blanco is known as an important power broker in French rugby, pulling the strings behind the scenes.
In fact, years ago while on an exchange program in Biarritz, I passed the same cafe every day and would see Blanco (or his lookalike) conducting seemingly constant breakfast meetings with other honchos looking like Vito Corleone.
He is the current vice president of the French federation and was one of the key men responsible for choosing Guy Noves as the successor to Philippe Saint-Andre as France coach.
When Blanco started ominously appearing beside Saint-Andre in the coaching box towards the end of the Six Nations, it was obvious what was happening.
It was like Fredo being brought out on the boat at the end of The Godfather Part 2.
After leaving Biarritz, Blanco is being tipped to become the next French rugby president but even all of his immeasurable sway couldn’t get his country’s biggest rugby rivals to come together in peace.
