RRI Sports Club – Rugby

An overview of Romania's participation in this year's edition of Rugby Europe Championship

Florin Orban, 20.03.2024, 13:45

The spring season of European rugby competitions has come to a close. For the second year in a row, Ireland won the Six Nations Championship, whereas Georgia won the second-tier competition – Rugby Europe Championship, where Romania ranked 4th.

In the bronze final hosted by Paris on Sunday, “the Oaks” lost to Spain 40-33. Romania scored five tries – two each by Marius Simionescu and Jason Tomane and once by Adrian Mitu.  The Spanish side was superior on all counts, and the Romanians couldn’t help but notice how hard it is to remain in the upper half of Rugby Europe Championship standings.

For the 2024 edition of Rugby Europe Championship, Romania was coached by David Gérard of France, who replaced Eugen Apjok, the first Romanian to coach the national squad in the last few years, who left the team following Romania’s subpar results at the World Cup. “The Oaks” were drawn in Group B. In the first match, they defeated Poland away from home, 20-8. The narrow win compared to the matches of previous years against the Polish side got experts thinking, as did the following match, when Romania won 33-18 against Belgium in Bucharest, at the end of a match fraught with many mistakes and a shaky defense. The deciding match for the group’s winner pitted Romania against Portugal in Bucharest, “the Oaks” losing 49-24.

Ranking second in Group B meant Romania had to play the match against the winner of Group A, Georgia, away from home. In Tbilisi, the host team won 43-5, scoring 7 tries. With this win, Georgia also won the Antim Ivireanu Trophy, which the two teams have been competing for since 2002. Romania then played the bronze final against Spain, just like the previous year. In 2023, however, Romania defeated Spain away from home. (VP)