Serge Betsen has turned his back on Biarritz after 17 years of service to sign a two-year deal at Wasps. The French flanker admitted that, though it was a wrench, he felt the time was right for a change of scene. "I have been with Biarritz for the past 17 years and with [coach] Patrice Lagisquet for 10 years. They brought me a lot but I need something else," he said.

The 34-year-old, who retired from international rugby in January, will join ex-Les Bleus captain Raphaël Ibañez at Wasps, but claimed he was drawn to the London club by the chance to play a more English style of rugby. "The Anglo-Saxon culture fascinates me," he admitted. "It would have perhaps been easier to sign for Toulon or someone else in France, but I wanted to take a risk and discover something different - another language, another style of rugby.

"I have experienced a lot of happiness [at Biarritz]. I became a rugby player of the highest level, a father and the head of a business. But I already had this desire to leave and discover other things."

Betsen, who was born in Kumba in Cameroon, won 63 caps for France, captaining the side twice, and earned a reputation as a player with a fearsome tackle and a relentless work-rate. He has won the Six Nations three times, including two grand slams in 2002 and 2004.