FRANCK MESNEL

If Eden Park remains a brand that is still embodied today, it is thanks to its founding president Franck Mesnel, who is still operational, (also a helicopter pilot by passion and to continue learning), and therefore convinced that to be visionary, relaxed and able to add some touches of fantasy to his daily life, one must be very personally organized, rigorous and respect the collective operating processes of the company or those of his machine, to be able to move forward faster and safely for everyone.

"I am a stakhanovist of instruction, civicism and education which in my opinion are the major factors responsible for the success or failure of a rugby match, a company or a country. It seems to me more effective, interesting and fairer to work according to a long-term plan to really hope to be able to build and win together".

Coming from what he describes as a comfortable but demanding Parisian background in terms of values and education, Franck first studied architecture at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris; and if he ended up postponing his final diploma, it was also to dare seize the opportunity to create his Eden Park brand with Éric Blanc.

Franck Mesnel inherited from his architectural studies, from his watercolorist mother, from his father who was an engineer at heart and business leader, a keen eye for design, decoration, elegance, slightly offbeat subjects and attention to extreme detail.

"It is always by starting from a very rigorous brief, which is in my opinion the basis of all creation, that the latter can achieve its objective safely: to please. Building to deconstruct is a concept I defend because when creation emanates from reflection, culture and solid references, it can then delicately destructure itself, without making too violent a destabilizing revolution. It then also allows supporting communication that can soar towards the most extreme offsets. This is my vision of French Flair! an adaptation in reaction to a situation quickly and precisely analyzed"

The practice of Rugby, completely within this culture, brought him the right balance between rigor and fantasy, central pillars of the Eden Park philosophy, with its demands for quality, durability, and meticulous attention to detail.

As a player, whether for Racing or the French XV, Franck Mesnel was a modern "dynamitero" fly-half armed with some powerful kicks that allowed him to attack the line and sow panic in the opposing defense. "Eighth forward" and instinctive attacker with a powerful kick (not always very accurate!), he was also a destructive tackler, bringing real presence in defense at a time when strategic but more fragile fly-halves often delegated this task to their preferred back rows. 

Author of a meteoric rise from his first season with Racing Club de France, in November 1986, the native of Carrières-sur-Seine was called up to the French team by Jacques Fouroux who very quickly trusted him to face the fearsome All Blacks on tour in France. "I have always had admiration for the All Blacks," he admits. "In my eyes, these men from the antipodes who have succeeded in their melting pot, combining British rigor with the instinct of the Maoris and other Polynesians, practice dream rugby, based on taking individual initiative, by completely empowering the support players who must position themselves at the right level and offer alternatives, a kind of rugby that always moves forward like entrepreneurs!"

Author of a meteoric rise from his first season with Racing Club de France, in November 1986, the native of Carrières-sur-Seine was called up to the French team by Jacques Fouroux who very quickly trusted him to face the fearsome All Blacks on tour in France. "I have always had admiration for the All Blacks," he admits. "In my eyes, these men from the antipodes who have succeeded in their melting pot, combining British rigor with the instinct of the Maoris and other Polynesians, practice dream rugby, based on taking individual initiative, by completely empowering the support players who must position themselves at the right level and offer alternatives, a kind of rugby that always moves forward like entrepreneurs!"

Runner-up world champion in 1987 against these same All Blacks, in the international arena of Eden Park, Franck would have a brilliant career, totaling 56 caps for the French XV (like his scrum-half and number 9 Pierre Berbizier) – most at fly-half, but some also at center alongside his legendary friend Philippe Sella. He would play in three World Cups (1987, 1991, 1995) and win the Five Nations Tournament twice, including the Grand Slam in 1987, only the fourth clean sweep in French rugby history.

Franck will also always remember some rare and very prestigious selections with the French or British Barbarians, or that unique and very exceptional tour in 1989 within a world selection, of which he was the number 10 against the famous Naas Botha and his Springbok partners. Ellis Park in Johannesburg and Newlands in Cape Town will always ring like 2 rough diamonds in his sporting memory.

On the national level, Franck Mesnel would play his entire career for one club – Racing Club de France – and after losing the final against Toulon in 1987, he would be crowned French Champion by winning the final against Agen in 1990, with, obviously a pink bow tie around his neck on that magnificent sky blue and white jersey which was an essential reason for his coming to the legendary Racing Club de France.

Today, as a pioneer and the world's first fashion brand inspired by Rugby, Eden Park remains the undisputed leader in a market it created itself. Its founder Franck Mesnel, influenced by rugby values, is still involved on a daily basis in the development of his company, not only as executive chairman, but also as brand manager, legitimate defender of its very exclusive DNA, and guardian of the brand's eternal spirit.