One of many really nice All Blacks goes unnoticed by passers-by as he sits outdoors an old style Mayfair pub simply across the nook from The Ritz.
The hustle and bustle of the guts of London – as Christmas buyers dance across the metropolis’s enterprise gurus – fits Andrew Mehrtens to a tee.
He’s used to being busy. On the day we meet, the now 51-year-old former fly-half has simply arrived from Paris through Eurostar following conferences with French rugby officers.
Mehrtens, the most effective No 10’s to have ever performed the sport, was effortlessly languid on the sphere. He spent his time attempting to keep away from the massive hitters.
Nowadays, he’s one among them off the pitch, combining his sporting gravitas and finance curiosity as a central a part of a consortium buying a number of rugby golf equipment the world over.
Mehrtens, alongside System 1 entrepreneur Eddie Jordan and ex-South Africa No 8 Bobby Skinstad, have the potential to be a rugby equal of types to the Metropolis Soccer Group – whose groups embrace Premier League giants Manchester Metropolis, Girona, New York Metropolis and Melbourne Metropolis. There isn’t any such present mannequin of shared possession in rugby.
Former All Blacks fly-half Andrew Mehrtens just lately spoke to Mail Sport in Mayfair, London
Mehrtens scored 967 factors for New Zealand throughout a 70-Check profession between 1995 and 2004
At the beginning of November, Mehrtens, Jordan and Skinstad took their first steps by taking a controlling stake in French second division facet Beziers, the place Mehrtens ended his enjoying profession.
Mehrtens is eager to level out Beziers stays his No 1 precedence. But it surely appears unlikely the group he’s a part of – which is backed by Northern Eire-based personal fairness agency Strangford Capital – goes to cease there.
Jordan is an investor and adviser to Strangford and continues to be so regardless of revealing earlier this month he has been cruelly battling a ‘fairly aggressive’ type of most cancers.
Former Gallagher Premiership facet London Irish, one among three victims of English rugby’s monetary disaster in 2022, stay of curiosity to the consortium. So too do Worcester and Wasps, who like Irish went out of enterprise, however have designs on returning to a brand new, revamped second tier under the Premiership.
‘I like these types of pubs and the contemporary, winter air,’ Mehrtens says, sipping a lime and soda. ‘I am not ingesting in the meanwhile, however the environment in these locations remains to be interesting to me!
‘I’ve simply bought a lot occurring proper now that it is good to maintain a transparent head. Plus, it is helped me shift just a few kilos!’
The amicable Mehrtens is rugby royalty, however he introduces himself as ‘Mehrts’.
‘I met Eddie for the primary time on the World Rugby awards in Monaco,’ he says. ‘It was superior. He brings a completely huge private model with him. Individuals wish to have interaction with you when you may have that.
Mehrtens and F1 entrepreneur Eddie Jordan, pictured (left) subsequent to Sebastian Vettel in 2016, are a part of a bunch that might turn out to be rugby’s reply to the Man Metropolis possession mannequin
Bobby Skinstad, pictured enjoying for Transvaal Cats in 2003, can also be concerned within the enterprise
‘Strangford have been involved with Irish and discussions are persevering with, as they’re throughout various golf equipment who’ve just lately been within the Premiership.
‘Most of that centres round monetary viability. If there comes a time when there’s a chance to do one thing, I would like to be concerned. However I am letting that play its course.
‘Our focus is certainly Beziers. It is actually essential we state that. Some other membership acquisitions by Strangford is not going to be to the detriment of Beziers.
‘But when you will get a mannequin the place you will get some good efficiencies by having one proprietor of a number of golf equipment and Strangford see these alternatives, then we’ll have a look at it. If it may be of profit to Beziers for us to have a community of golf equipment, then that is a great factor.
‘I am actually curious concerning the Metropolis Group mannequin, significantly how they ring-fence their help between completely different golf equipment.’
At a time when rugby is struggling financially throughout the globe – until your title is Invoice Sweeney – and the game’s conventional buildings are liable to being blown up by the creation of a brand new, insurgent league, Mehrtens acknowledges membership possession generally is a expensive enterprise.
However there isn’t any doubt Strangford’s curiosity within the sport is an effective factor. Now based mostly in Paris, Mehrtens’ enjoying profession ended with Beziers after stints with Harlequins, Toulon and Racing 92.
Mehrtens, who additionally does media work, took all 4 of these golf equipment to promotion after a glittering stint in his homeland with the Crusaders and New Zealand. It’s unsurprising that given the robust state of the nation’s home sport, Strangford have begun their rugby work in France.
Mehrtens and his companions might finally construct one thing just like the Metropolis Soccer Group
The Metropolis Soccer Group present has main stakes in a number of golf equipment, together with Man Metropolis, Melbourne Metropolis, Mumbai Metropolis, New York Metropolis, Troyes and Palermo
‘After we went into Beziers, our monetary advisors had been decided to show there was no sustainable or financially viable rugby asset there,’ Mehrtens says.
‘Then they regarded on the French market, the way it’s thriving, the tv income that goes with it, they usually modified their minds! I’ve loved this possession group coming collectively as a result of it has very a lot been like a rugby group – completely different folks, completely different expertise.
‘We’ve got finance specialists in addition to those that know sport from a special perspective – significantly Eddie and Dan McKeown who set-up Strangford. They clearly know F1 very nicely which is among the greatest world sports activities. Rugby could be very completely different to F1, however hopefully, we will faucet into that experience.
‘We have needed to get the suitable folks in the suitable roles. I assume that is the place me being a former fly-half is available in. As a No 10, you need to use the useful resource round you on the sphere.
‘That is what I’ve tried to deliver to possession. I am not the one who’s going to run a rugby membership day-to-day. We have specialists to do this. However what I do have is world rugby information and a community I can use to assist us achieve success. With membership possession, I really feel like I could make use of the 20 years I had within the sport.
‘We have some grunt behind us when it comes to our funding. However firstly, these are passionate rugby individuals who do not contemplate a return from a solely monetary perspective. We’re in it for the suitable causes.’
A New Zealand legend who was born in South Africa, Mehrtens has an intricate information of French rugby. After our first assembly was curtailed, Mehrtens was battling a equally busy, however altogether completely different problem after we subsequent caught up through phone.
‘The times are fairly labour intensive right here,’ Mehrtens says, taking a stroll by way of Paris to attempt to tire out his two just lately born new arrivals.
Discussing his plans for rugby membership possession, Mehrtens mentioned: ‘We’re in it for the suitable causes’
‘The twins are filled with power. There’s hardly time to breathe!’
Mehrtens needs to take Beziers – who’ve been topped French champions 11 occasions – again into the TOP14. They’re at present difficult the second division’s leaders. From there, the chances appear limitless and world too.
Skinstad has admitted golf equipment are available for purchase in England in addition to in America, South Africa and Australia.
‘Take a look at the second tier in European rugby – Germany, Georgia, Portugal and Spain have all bought golf equipment,’ Mehrtens says. ‘There’s Tel Aviv Warmth in Israel.
‘You need to suppose they’d all profit from enjoying in an expanded United Rugby Championship.
‘As these franchises develop, you are going to get a number of membership ownerships. It would not need to be majority possession, however there could possibly be shared mental property round gamers and techniques and efficiencies gained from centralised capabilities in areas resembling ticketing, sponsorship and social media. I can actually see that taking place.
‘It is new and thrilling. I used to be very lucky that with each group I performed for in Europe, we bought promoted. It was an amazing feeling of accomplishment.
‘And that is what we wish to do with possession, beginning with Beziers. They have unbelievable historical past – 10 of their titles got here in a 14-year interval. I do not really feel it is altruistic of me to become involved, however on the identical time it is not essentially a monetary aim both. I’ve a real ardour for Beziers and for rugby.’