Giant 6'9 English lock to join Test trio at ProD2 big-spenders

Biarritz Olympique continues to bolster its roster for the upcoming Pro D2 season, and their latest addition is the English second-row player Charlie Matthews.

The club’s president, Jean-Baptiste Aldigé, announced the signing, further strengthening the team’s lineup with the former Harlequins and Wasps forward.

The joins Biarritz after limited game time with the Londoners this season. Listed by various sources somewhere betwen 202cm and 207cm, his towering presence will add significant size and physicality to Biarritz’s forward pack in the upcoming season.

The Quins Academy graduate, who re-joined the West London side in August following two years in Japan, added eight caps to take his club tally to 172 matches. He ammassed 164 appearances of those caps the Famous Quarters between 2009 and 2018, earning 109 starts before moving to Gallagher Premiership rivals Wasps ahead of the 2018/19 season.

This signing follows the recent acquisitions of other notable players like Mohamed Haouas, Jonathan Joseph, and Rhys Webb, which have generated excitement with the fans – and in the case of Haouas, no little controversy. The tighthead was recently convicted of beating his wife, which resulted in a deal to join Clermont from Montpellier being torn up.

The big names joining suggets Biarritz Olympique are determined to assemble a competitive squad as they prepare to compete in the Pro D2 and reassert themselves as a force in French rugby.

With his new contract signed until 2025, Matthews will have ample opportunity to showcase his skills.