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Back to the future again for Biarritz
The Rugby Paper
|June 22, 2025
THE decision, when it came, was no great surprise.
ProD2 side Biarritz, relegated for financial reasons shortly after the end of their campaign, learned on Friday that they had been reinstated on appeal - but would start next season with a three-point deduction.
In a statement on its website, the club said it was, "proud and relieved" to learn of its survival in the second-tier of French rugby, which came less than a week before the players were due to start returning to training.
"It is the culmination of a lot of work by all local stakeholders: partners, members, town hall, employees, and investors," it went on. "Staying in the league is the first step, and we will now officially launch this [new] season with determination."
It's a slightly complicated and boringly financial story, but basically - Biarritz, which had changed hands for a nominal €1 in May 2024 was short some €750,000 on its budget at the end of the 2024/25 season. That, and the fact the club could not provide guarantees of future investment, was enough for the league's financial watchdog to pull the plug.
This story is from the June 22, 2025 edition of The Rugby Paper.
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