Romanian Rugby

[dragos03]

Steaua - Farul Constanta 13-18 (6-3)
Tries: Florin Ionita / Renaud Van Neel, Nemia Ranuku
Conversions: Danut Dumbrava / Florin Vlaicu
Penalties: Danut Dumbrava (2) / Florin Vlaicu (2)
Man of the match: Renaud Van Neel (Farul)
Highlights: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5p3bEKcqZ4

Baia Mare - CSM Bucuresti 20-14 (10-11)
Tries: Csaba Gal, Stefan Ciuntu / Johnny Sola
Conversions: Luke Samoa (2) / -
Penalties: Luke Samoa (2) / Andrei Filip (3)
Man of the match: Luke Samoa (Baia Mare)
Highlights: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_ZqaHxueAg&noredirect=1

RCM Timisoara - U Cluj 33-11 (26-3)
Tries: Jack Umaga, Stephen Shennan, Daniel Carpo, Randall Morrison, Marian Gorcioaia / Cristian Murgoci
Conversions: Valentin Calafeteanu (2), Gabriel Conache (2) / -
Penalties: - / Ionut Mazare (2)
Man of the match: Cristian Murgoci (U Cluj)

The league seems very close and competitive this season, there were two very close matches this round and even the Timisoara vs Cluj game was not the expected trashing.

Other news:
- the Saracens website has started to report Timisoara's results, hopefully this will increase the visibility of Romanian rugby in England.
- Serbian club Partizan Belgrade (whose U16 team already competes in the Romanian youth leagues) wants to enter a partnership with U Cluj and aims to become a professional club in the future. There have been some rumors last year that a Belgrade club wanted to go pro and bid to enter the Superliga.
- prop Andrei Ursache has signed a new 2-year contract with Carcassone, after the club avoided relegation from Pro D2.
- even if Ealing was relegated, hooker Andrei Radoi has signed a new contract with them. He said he feels very well at the club but is aware that playing in the third division might make him lose his place in the national team.
- Tarbes has signed 20-year old prop Tudor Stroe from Pau espoirs, he is considered a great prospect and was monitored by Toulon and Grenoble. He was born in France but has an obvious Romanian name, the FRR should keep an eye on this player.

 

[Jayatron]

The league seems very close and competitive this season, there were two very close matches this round and even the Timisoara vs Cluj game was not the expected trashing.

Other news:
- the Saracens website has started to report Timisoara's results, hopefully this will increase the visibility of Romanian rugby in England.
- Serbian club Partizan Belgrade (whose U16 team already competes in the Romanian youth leagues) wants to enter a partnership with U Cluj and aims to become a professional club in the future. There have been some rumors last year that a Belgrade club wanted to go pro and bid to enter the Superliga.
- prop Andrei Ursache has signed a new 2-year contract with Carcassone, after the club avoided relegation from Pro D2.
- even if Ealing was relegated, hooker Andrei Radoi has signed a new contract with them. He said he feels very well at the club but is aware that playing in the third division might make him lose his place in the national team.
- Tarbes has signed 20-year old prop Tudor Stroe from Pau espoirs, he is considered a great prospect and was monitored by Toulon and Grenoble. He was born in France but has an obvious Romanian name, the FRR should keep an eye on this player.

Very interesting, any more details on this?

 

[dragos03]

I don't have any more details and I don't think it will happen soon. But it's good to hear that they have this ambition.

A Moldovan franchise was invited to enter the Superliga this season and it almost happened (they could not find enough funds in the end). I'm pretty sure that the invitation stands for next year as well, hopefully they can find additional financing sources.

It would be awesome if the Superliga would develop into a regional competition in the future but the level of rugby in the countries around Romania is very low at the moment. For example, U Cluj (one of the weakest Superliga clubs) has played a friendly away against the Hungarian senior national team before the start of the season and trashed them 51-3. The FRR has a plan to send Romanian coaches and fitness trainers to raise the level of rugby in the area (especially in the Balkans) but it will be a very long process.

 

[dragos03]

Superliga Round 7 starts today and continues this weekend:

U Cluj vs Baia Mare (May 9, 17:00 local time, live on TVR Cluj, http://www.tvrplus.ro/live-tvr-cluj and http://www.rugbytv.ro)
Probable teams: http://www.super-liga.ro/informatii-meci/?im=2109

CSM Bucuresti vs Steaua (May 10, 10:00 local time, live on TVR2 and http://www.rugbytv.ro)
Probable teams: http://www.super-liga.ro/informatii-meci/?im=2107

Dinamo vs RCM Timisoara (May 11, 11:00 local time, live on http://www.rugbytv.ro)
Probable teams: http://www.super-liga.ro/informatii-meci/?im=2111

I am curious if CSM can beat Steaua, it will be an interesting match. The other two games appear very one-sided.

It seems that Timisoara will add Saracens to the name of the club (a good idea in my opinion). The Saracens website posts frequent updates on Timisoara, even if no partnership agreement has actually been signed yet. This article claims that we'll see the first effects of the partnership very soon:
http://www.saracens.com/timisoara-partn ... t-success/

 

[dragos03]

U Cluj - Baia Mare 8-33 (3-11)
Tries: Bogdan Salagean / Ionut Botezatu (2), Luke Samoa, Shane Spring, Constantin Ene
Conversions: - / Luke Samoa
Penalties: Ionut Dimofte / Luke Samoa (2)
Man of the match: Csaba Gal (Baia Mare)

CSM Bucuresti - Steaua 22-14 (6-11)
Tries: Cosmin Ratiu / Danut Dumbrava
Conversions: Daniel Statulescu / -
Penalties: Andrei Filip (5) / Stefan Patrascu (3)
Man of the match: Cosmin Ratiu (CSM Bucuresti)

Dinamo - RCM Timisoara 10-54 (10-14)
Tries: Paula Kata / Gabriel Conache, Sosene Anesi, Madalin Lemnaru, Valentin Popirlan (2), Victor Dumitru, Stephen Shennan
Conversions: Teodor Nitu / Gabriel Conache (4), Catalin Fercu (3)
Penalties: Teodor Nitu / -

The invasion of Tongan players in the Superliga continues and Dinamo has signed three of them:
- flanker Kata Paula Fala (4 caps) - looks like a solid transfer and scored a try on his debut
- flanker Kata Siaosi Simeone Kau ( could find little about him, appears to be an ex-rugby league player in the Auckland Premier League)
- scrumhalf Siotame Manu (ex-Marist, found almost nothing about him)

 

[dragos03]

Catalin Fercu is starting tonight as winger for the Saracens reserve team in their match vs Gloucester. Fercu (who normally plays as fullback for Romania and Timisoara) is an excellent player who never got much recognition outside Romania because he refused past transfer offers (from Northampton, Castres or Bayonne) due to his fear of flying. Not sure if this means that Saracens will sign him and there was no mention of this at all in the Romanian media.

Other transfers of Romanian players:
- lock Alin Coste has signed for Carcassone (Pro D2) after his former club Bourg-en-Bresse got relegated.
- veteran flanker Ovidiu Tonita is wanted by Perpignan. He was a part of the squad that won the club's last ***le in 2009 and played the Top 14 final in 2010.

 

[dragos03]

Saracens - Gloucester 45-12

Catalin Fercu scored 4 tries for the Saracens and is surely the man of the match.

 

[djwizard84]

Catalin Fercu scored 4 tries for the Saracens and is surely the man of the match.

well, I think there's no doubt about it

 

[Croket66]

According to this : http://www.super-liga.ro/superliga/echipe/dinamo/
Dinamo Bucuresti signed a 5th tongan, Fe'ofa'aki Holo'ia, lock, born 1990.
He played the last RWC7's and IRB Seven's circuit last 2 seasons
Some highlights on youtube : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSDgzhxO2-A
He looks fast and really powerfull

He is the 17th tongan to play in Super Liga.

 

[dragos03]

CSM Bucuresti - Farul Constanta 28-34 (14-31)
Tries: Nathan Paila (2), Tudor George, Nicolae Barbu / Eugene Jantjies, Otar Turashvili, Petru Tamba, Eseria Vueti
Conversions: Andrei Filip (4) / Florin Vlaicu (4)
Penalties: - / Florin Vlaicu (2)

A crazy game, Farul was leading 31-0 but then the hosts scored 28 unanswered points and could have won it at the end. CSM did miss a number of important players like Surugiu or Alex Mitu.

 

[dragos03]

Dinamo - Baia Mare 9-41 (3-22)
Tries: - / Cristian Dinis, penalty try (2), collective try, Michael Wiringi, Kuselo Moyake
Conversions: - / Luke Samoa (2), Michael Wiringi (2)
Penalties: Siotame Manu (3) / Luke Samoa

U Cluj - Steaua 13-21 (3-7)
Tries: Claudiu Curca / Adrian Udroiu, Laurentiu Cocarla, Vasilica Pascu
Conversions: Ionut Dimofte / Danut Dumbrava, Stefan Patrascu (2)
Penalties: Ionut Dimofte (2) / -

Mihaita Lazar will play in the Top 14 final with Castres again after a dramatic semifinal. Lazar entered the match late in extra time but had an important contribution at the end.

 

[dragos03]

Farul - U Cluj highlights


Superliga Day 9

Steaua - Dinamo 10-11 (7-3)
Tries: Sakalia Sosefo / Siosi Kata
Conversions: Stefan Patrascu / -
Penalties: Stefan Patrascu / Teodor Nitu, Siotame Manu
Full match: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2tV1mH9RpQ

Farul Constanta - U Cluj 69-17 (41-0)
Tries: Eugene Jantjies, Robert Neagu (2), Florin Vlaicu, David Faamita (2), James Semple (2), Nicolae Nere / Cristian Murgoci, Romulus Boar, Paul Petucher
Conversions: Florin Vlaicu (7), Dale Sabbagh (2) / Ionut Mazare
Penalties: Florin Vlaicu (2) / -
Man of the match: Renaud Van Neel (Farul)

Baia Mare - RCM Timisoara 20-20 (7-13)
Tries: Mihai Dico, penalty try / Vasile Rus (2)
Conversions: Luke Samoa (2) / Catalin Fercu, Gabriel Conache
Penalties: Luke Samoa (2) / Catalin Fercu (2)
Man of the match: Sione Fakaosilea
Highlights: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=636781253071080

This was probably the most interesting round of the season so far. Dinamo got a shocking but well-deserved first victory away at big rivals Steaua. Steaua has sacked head coach Marin Mot before the match and are rumored to be looking for a foreign coach. In Constanta, Farul managed the biggest win of the season and already had the bonus point after the first 12 minutes. Cluj did not give up though and at least scored three tries of their own in the second half. The big Baia Mare - Timisoara derby was a tense match, decided by a penalty try awarded in extra time and strongly disputed by Timisoara. Baia Mare remains unbeaten at home for years and will surely win the regular season.

 

[dragos03]

On Sat May 31 at 20.00 local time, RCM Timisoara returns to the Dan Paltinisanu Stadium for the match against Steaua. With enough promotion, I think this game could shatter the previous attendance record for a Superliga match. The club will also use the event to try to raise funds for the flood victims in neigbouring Serbia (the players have already donated for this cause).

There seems to be some advertising for the match around the city:

In other news, it seems that flanker Mihai Macovei has signed with Massy (a club promoted to Pro D2 this season).

 

[dragos03]

CSM Bucuresti (currently 4th in the Superliga) has signed former All Blacks prop Campbell Johnstone (3 caps, ex-Ospreys, Biarritz and Crusaders).

He will be the second ex-All Black in the league, there's also Sosene Anesi at RCM Timisoara.

 

[BasqueBete]

Hi, what do you think about the match dinamo v constanta?

Wll Constanta win by 18 pts or more do you think ?

 

[dragos03]

Constanta will win for sure but dunno about the margin. They are a pretty romantic team who start matches very strong but then they tend to relax and allow the oposition to come back into the game. If they take this seriously, they should easily put at least 18 on Dinamo though.

Can you bet on these games? That's quite surprising.

 

[BasqueBete]

Yes, bet365

 

[BasqueBete]

And have Constanta picked their strongest team .?

 

[dragos03]

These are the announced squads:
http://www.super-liga.ro/informatii-meci/?im=2127

Farul Constanta has two players away with the Fiji national team and a winger is injured but otherwise it looks like their strongest squad.

 

[dragos03]

Superliga Day 10

RCM Timisoara - Steaua 21-13 (7-7)
Tries: Madalin Lemnaru, penalty try, Daniel Carpo / Sakalia Sosefo
Conversions: Gabriel Conache (3) / Stefan Patrascu
Penalties: - / Danut Dumbrava (2)
Man of the match: Daniel Carpo
Full match: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RGodcNLVhSk&list=UUr9zhnwmEgwHR6QW3onmVOQ

Dinamo - Farul Constanta 10-23 (3-18)
Tries: Andrei Cristea / Eseria Vueti (3)
Conversions: Teodor Nitu / Florin Vlaicu
Penalties: Siotame Manu / Florin Vlaicu (2)
Man of the match: Eseria Vueti
Highlights: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H77i-BGotn0

U Cluj - CSM Bucuresti 19-29 (12-12)
Tries: Cristian Murgoci / Niculae Barbu (2), Cosmin Ratiu, Valentin Ivan
Conversions: Ionut Dimofte / Daniel Statulescu, Marian Ispir (2)
Penalties: Ionut Dimofte (3) / Daniel Statulescu
Dropgoals: Ionut Dimofte / -

The league will take a long break now due to the international tests (Romania plays in the IRB Nations Cup against Ireland A, Russia and Uruguay). The clubs will continue to play with weaker squads in the Romanian Cup, which also includes second division teams.

In other news, Alin Petrache has been elected as president of the Romanian Olympic Commitee. As a result, he will resign from his position of president of the Romanian Rugby Federation (FRR). I think Petrache has done an amazing job at the FRR and has managed to revive Romanian rugby from the brink of collapse. I hope he will be able to increase funding for rugby from his new position and that another good administrator will be elected at the helm of the union.

Not sure if I should continue with these updates on Romanian rugby, the interest seems to be very low.