RRI Live!

Listen to Radio Romania International Live

Romanian rugby, an unprecedented success

Romanias national rugby squad has won this years edition of the Rugby Europe Championship, the second-tier European inter-nations competitions

Romanian rugby, an unprecedented success
Romanian rugby, an unprecedented success

, 20.03.2017, 13:59

It may not have the status and reputation of the team that caused a great furor in the 1980s, when it used to play memorable games against the then great European teams, yet the national rugby team has recently registered a most notable success.



This past Sunday, following the narrow, 8-7 win against Georgia in Bucharest, Romania emerged as winner of this year’s Rugby Europe Championship, the second-tier European inter-nations competitions. However, the competition stands way below the Six Nations Championship.



Following the 38-41 defeat they sustained against Germany in the debut fixture, which acted as a wake-up call for the Romanians to regain their poise and resolve for their remaining fixtures in the aforementioned event, the national squad beat Spain, 13-3, then they thrashed Russia, 31-10, and went on to crush Belgium, 33-17.



According to the final rankings, the Romanian national rugby team ended the competition on a par with Georgia, as each team had 19 points on their record sheet. However, the Oaks, as they are also known, won the tournament, thanks to their direct confrontation win.



Romania also took an important step forward ahead of their participation in the 2019 edition of the World Cup, which is held every four years and which the Oaks have never missed out on, so far.



In another move, thanks to the success in the match against Georgia, an all-time as well as a regional rival, the Romanians have also won the Antim Ivireanu Cup, a trophy that goes to the winning side in direct confrontations, on a yearly basis. No less than seven years have the Oaks been waiting to grab a win against Georgia, a team pundits describe as having made a tremendous progress in the last decade and which is highly likely to gain a place among the Six Nations Championship hopefuls.



Although is suffers from chronic under-financing, just like many other sports disciplines, Romanian rugby is alive and kicking; our players were able to put on remarkable shows thus compelling recognition at European level. Furthermore, the 4,000 fans attending the match against Georgia stand proof of the fact that rugby can still stir an interest in its fans and not only. And all that, in a country where football remains the unchallenged king of sports and where stands are empty even for first league rugby games. Even under such circumstances, and deprived of a level of financing capable of providing a safe future, Romanian rugby continues to churn out players who are held in high esteem in strong European championships across Europe.



For instance, as early as the 1990s, the French domestic championship, described as a first-rate one, has signed up Romanian rugby players on a regular basis. To date, there are a few Oaks playing in France, while other Romanian rugby players have been included in the line-ups of Italian or English sides.



European Commission (photo: © European Union - Source: EC - Audiovisual Service / Photographer: Christophe Licoppe)
Today in the News Thursday, 21 November 2024

Political agreement on the new European Commission

    The leaders of the three major political groups in the European Parliament have given the green light to the members of the next...

Political agreement on the new European Commission
Photo: aep.ro
Today in the News Thursday, 21 November 2024

13 for Romania

    In Romania, presidential elections usually spark the greatest interest and emotions. Even more so this year, when the two rounds of the...

13 for Romania
Gas consumption in the EU (Credits: magnascan-pixabay-com)
Today in the News Wednesday, 20 November 2024

Romania’s natural gas, available for trading

On Tuesday, the Romanian company Romgaz launched its first issue of bonds on the Bucharest Stock Exchange, worth 500 million EUR. Romgaz is the...

Romania’s natural gas, available for trading
Photo: roaep.ro
Today in the News Tuesday, 19 November 2024

Romania ahead of the presidential election

Next month, President Klaus Iohannis will end his second and last five-year term in office according to the Romanian Constitution. The so-called...

Romania ahead of the presidential election
Today in the News Tuesday, 19 November 2024

Romania’s Prime Minister on a visit to Brussels

NATO welcomes Romania’s continuous efforts and its significant contribution to strengthening the Alliance and Euro-Atlantic security, NATO...

Romania’s Prime Minister on a visit to Brussels
Today in the News Monday, 18 November 2024

Downward forecast from the European Commission

Romania’s economic growth estimate has been recalculated by the European Commission (EC), at a value well below the initially established...

Downward forecast from the European Commission
Today in the News Monday, 18 November 2024

35 years since the fall of the Berlin Wall

The fall of the Berlin Wall, 35 years ago, represented for Romanians an encouragement in their fight for freedom, and the removal of the Iron Curtain...

35 years since the fall of the Berlin Wall
Today in the News Friday, 15 November 2024

European minimum wage in Romania

The law on the introduction of the European minimum wage in Romania was promulgated by President Klaus Iohannis. Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu has...

European minimum wage in Romania

Partners

Muzeul Național al Țăranului Român Muzeul Național al Țăranului Român
Liga Studentilor Romani din Strainatate - LSRS Liga Studentilor Romani din Strainatate - LSRS
Modernism | The Leading Romanian Art Magazine Online Modernism | The Leading Romanian Art Magazine Online
Institului European din România Institului European din România
Institutul Francez din România – Bucureşti Institutul Francez din România – Bucureşti
Muzeul Național de Artă al României Muzeul Național de Artă al României
Le petit Journal Le petit Journal
Radio Prague International Radio Prague International
Muzeul Național de Istorie a României Muzeul Național de Istorie a României
ARCUB ARCUB
Radio Canada International Radio Canada International
Muzeul Național al Satului „Dimitrie Gusti” Muzeul Național al Satului „Dimitrie Gusti”
SWI swissinfo.ch SWI swissinfo.ch
UBB Radio ONLINE UBB Radio ONLINE
Strona główna - English Section - polskieradio.pl Strona główna - English Section - polskieradio.pl
creart - Centrul de Creație Artă și Tradiție al Municipiului Bucuresti creart - Centrul de Creație Artă și Tradiție al Municipiului Bucuresti
italradio italradio
Institutul Confucius Institutul Confucius
BUCPRESS - știri din Cernăuți BUCPRESS - știri din Cernăuți

Affiliates

Euranet Plus Euranet Plus
AIB | the trade association for international broadcasters AIB | the trade association for international broadcasters
Digital Radio Mondiale Digital Radio Mondiale
News and current affairs from Germany and around the world News and current affairs from Germany and around the world
Comunità radiotelevisiva italofona Comunità radiotelevisiva italofona

Providers

RADIOCOM RADIOCOM
Zeno Media - The Everything Audio Company Zeno Media - The Everything Audio Company