Lender assists rugby star with specialist property development

Lender assists rugby star with specialist property development




Specialist lender Regentsmead has teamed up with former All Black and Cardiff Blues No8 and captain Xavier Rush to develop four Grade II-listed barns in south Wales.

Xavier trained as a builder before becoming a professional rugby union player and has completed listed conversions before.

Ashley Ilsen, head of lending at Regentsmead, said: “It’s great to team up with Xavier and work together on a very specialist project.

“It was really impressive seeing some of Xavier’s completed projects and he clearly knows how to take on listed buildings, an area that a lot of lenders shy away from.

“Hearing some of the stories from his time as an All Black has made working with Xavier a really fun experience.

“We are looking forward to seeing the end product and hopefully working together for many years to come.”

A view of the rugby star's specialist barn conversion.

Located near Aberthaw in south Wales, the barns are expected to achieve a gross development value of over £1m.

The initial loan was on a 12-month term, though Regentsmead and Xavier have since agreed to renew the deal.

Xavier was introduced to Regentsmead by one of the lender’s longstanding introducer partners.

Sam Howard, chief operating officer at Regentsmead, added: “As a rugby fanatic and having watched from behind the sofa as Xavier and the All Blacks beat England in 2004, it is an honour to meet him in person and have the opportunity to work closely with him on this exciting project.

“Regentsmead is committed to providing a five-star service, hopefully on a level that Xavier is used to from his scrum-half.”

The barns are expected to go on the market in early 2017.

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