i Never Knew - Biarritz Olympique

ercrugby.com has been researching the club from the Pyrénées Atlantiques...

THE BIRTH OF BIARRITZ OLYMPIQUE

In 1898, Mr Hum-Sentoure founded a club called, 'The Jules Ferry High School Old Boys' (L'amicale des anciens de Jules Ferry) which practised gymnastics, wrestling, boxing, fencing, weight training, swimming, pelote basque and rugby.

In 1902, this association took the name of 'Biarritz Stade', with Mr Hum-Sentoure as president and Mr Auguste Dyherassary as secretary.

Rugby became the number one sport in the school, and in 1903, the 'Biarritz Stade' bought the Aguiléra pitch (the current name of the ground), which had previously been the property of a shooting club.

In 1909, because of internal problems and, personality disputes, a dissident association was created: the 'Biarritz-Sporting Club'.

This sparked a 'war' between the two clubs, and as the city of Biarritz had become the owner of Aguiléra, Police were eventually needed in order to calm members of both teams who each claimed each that they were the sole users of the pitch!

So Mr Pierre Forsans, a member of parliament and mayor of Biarritz arranged a meeting with the presidents of both 'Biarritz Stade' and Biarritz Sporting-Club', and ordered the merger of the clubs into one - it was done on April 26 1913, with M. Campagne as president.

HONOURS

Biarritz won the French champions in 1935, 1939, 2002, and were runners -up in 1992

They were French cup winners in 1937 and 2000.

Biarritz's 75-25 mauling of Cardiff in Round 6 of the 2002/3 season set the club record for the most tries in a European match at 13.

THE FANS

Biarritz's average crowd in the Parc des sports Aguiléran is 8 000, with full capacity 15 000.

Biarritz have created a club song over recent years - 'Aupa BO' - Go BO in Basque.

The vocal supporters are also to be found shouting on a low tempo: 'Béééééééééééoooooooooooo!' to urge their side on.

PLAYERS

Lock Ovidiu Tonita is a capped Romanian international, the only non-French international in the squad.

The 200/3 Heineken Cup squad has nine full French internationals.

Lock Olivier Roumat is the oldest player in the squad, born on 16th of June 1966

The heaviest player in the squad is prop Sotélé Puleoto with a recorded weight of 19st 5lb (123 kg)

FAMOUS FORMER PLAYERS

Former players that have represented the club include star names such as...Serge Blanco, Richard Pool-Jones, Joe Roff, Glenn Osborne, Patrice Lagisquet, Laurent Rodriguez

Their leading Heineken points scorer is Rugby League convert Franco Botica with 99 points from seven matches.

He once scored 25 points in one game (v Edinburgh Reivers in the 2000/01 season)

THE BIARRITZ OLYMPIQUE AND THE PAYS BASQUE

Located in the extreme south of the French Atlantic coast, Biarritz is the biggest town in the 'Pyrénées Atlantiques' department. But it is, above all else, the easy living, seaside town of the Pays Basque, a historical region which spreads over the Spanish border.

The Pays Basque is a hotbed with rugby-playing towns such as Bayonne, Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port or Saint-Jean-de-Luz. Rugby is part of the Basque identity, along with bullfighting, the Basque racket sport Pelote Basque, and traditional Basque singing and dancing.

The Basque language is one of the most enigmatic for language specialists because of its lack of known roots - Pays Basque is written "Euskadi" in Basque.

The Basque colours are red, white and green, and the Basque flag bears a white cross.

WEBSITE OF BIARRITZ OLYMPIQUE

www.bo-pb.com