Timișoara Saracens

Timișoara Saracens RCM UVT
Full name Timișoara Saracens RCM UVT
Founded 1949
Location Timişoara, Romania
Ground(s) Stadionul Dan Păltinișanu, Stadion Gheorghe Rascanu (Capacity: 32,972)
President Alexandru Ilie
Coach(es) New Zealand Grainger Heikell
New Zealand Sosene Anesi
League(s) SuperLiga CEC Bank
2015 1st (Champions)
Team kit
Official website
rugby-timisoara.ro

Timișoara Saracens RCM UVT is a Romanian semi-professional rugby union club from Timişoara, which plays in the SuperLiga CEC Bank, the first division of Romanian rugby. The team first won the championship in 1972, becoming the first club outside Bucharest to achieve this performance. The team is colloquially known as "Universitatea" Timişoara as it has historical ties with the University of Timişoara. Grainger Heikell is the current head coach of Timisoara Saracens. Since 2014 the club is a partner of London-based Saracens rugby club.

History

On October 1949, CSUT (Club Sportiv Universitar Timişoara) played its first match in the city of Sighişoara against the local team, match that was won by CSUT with 34-0, the team from Timişoara having the following line-up: Liteanu, Antonescu, Popa, Nistor, Haller, Onciul, Zomborian, Georgescu (player-coach), Dăncescu, Gurti, Kalincov, Barla, Baruch, Balios, Melinte.

Name change and first National title

Starting with the year 1966 the team changes its name from CSUT to Universitatea Timişoara; Mitică Antonescu was in charge of the team at that point. The year 1966 in the start of the ascension for the team from Timişoara. In the 1968-1969 championship the team occupies 5th place, in the 1969-1970 championship the 3ed place, in the 1970-1971 championship the 5th place and in the 1971-1972 championship, Universitatea Timişoara – after 58 years of supremacy from the teams from Bucharest – manages to bring the national title to Timişoara.

It is said that on the 12th of June 1972 (the day the team won the national title) the bells of the Metropolitan Cathedral in Timişoara rang one time more than usual, and on the second day at the gate of the boarding house where the majority of the rugby players of Universitatea Timişoara were living, on a board the following could be read:: “Trecătorule, oprește-te un moment și înclină-te în fața ușii caminului unde trăiesc perlele rugby-ului românesc (translation: Passer-by, stop for a moment and kneel in front of the door of the boarding house where the pearls of Romanian rugby are living)”, the author of it being, at that time student, Nicolae Benga. Here are the artisans of this beautiful achievement: Duţă, Szasz, Cândrea, Peter, Suciu, Gheţu, Iacob, Ceauş, Tătucu, Nedelcu, Vollman, Rășcanu, Priess, Ionică, Ene, Malancu, Neiss, Popovici, Vlad, Ioniţă, Arsene.

Since that time, Timişoara was always places among the runners-up of the national standings, promoting student rugby.

New Coach

Starting the 23rd of January 2012, the team got a new coach in the image of none other than the famous South African ex-rugby player, Chester Williams. Williams, who was nicknamed "The Black Pearl" back in his active years as a player, was the only non-white player who won the 1995 Rugby World Cup. This is his second attempt into the world of Romanian rugby, his first being as the technical director for the rugby team of Dinamo Bucureşti. He was close to taking over the bench of Timişoara in the summer of 2011, but negotiations were put to a hold because of the World Cup that was taking place in New Zealand. In 2014, former New Zealand Heartland XV coach Grainger Heikell took over from Danie de Villiers as head coach of Timisoara Saracens.

3rd place in Superliga (2011)

After losing 22-24 to CSM Stiinţa Baia-Mare in the semifinals of the Romanian Rugby Championship, the team from Timişoara won the match for 3rd place against Farul Constanţa (15-11). Valentin Calafeteanu was the MVP of the game.

Romania Cup (2011 & 2014)

RCM Timişoara won the Romania Cup, after a 32-10 victory against CSM Stiinţa Baia-Mare. The match took place in the city of Alba Iulia, on Cetate Stadium. Timisoara Saracens took back the Romania Cup in 2014 with a victory over CSM Stiinţa Baia-Mare at Cluj Arena

Achievements

Current squad

2016

Timisoara Saracens
Pos. Nat. Name Date of birth (age) Caps Former club
HK Romania Eugen Căpăţână 18 June 1986 22 homegrown player
HK Romania Marian Gorcioaia 15 August 1992 1 Romania CSU AV Arad
HK Romania Andrei Rădoi 7 February 1987 54 England Ealing Trailfinders
PR Tonga Sione Halalilo 28 April 1992 Tonga Toloa Old Boys
PR Tonga Semisi Mahe 22 March 1995 Tonga Toa Saracens
PR Romania Samuel Maris 13 May 1985 6 France CA Périgueux
PR Romania Gigi Militaru 14 August 1988 Romania Știința Petroșani
PR Romania Marian Sabau 14 August 1988 Romania Știința Petroșani
PR Romania Alexandru Ţăruş 9 May 1989 10 Romania RC Brașov
PR Tonga Sione Taupaki 11 August 1988 Tonga Toloa Old Boys
PR South Africa Johan Van Wyk 12 January 1995 South Africa Blue Bulls
LK Romania Marian Drenceanu 1 March 1990 4 Romania CSU AV Arad
LK Romania Marius Iftimiciuc 13 August 1997 homegrown player
LK Romania Dorin Lazar 23 January 1990 10 Romania CSU AV Arad
LK Romania Valentin Popîrlan 12 June 1987 56 Romania CSM Bucuresti
FL Romania Daniel Ianuș 11 April 1987 13 Romania Steaua București
FL Romania Randall Morrison 12 February 1984 1 South Africa Golden Lions
FL Romania Ionut Muresan 9 October 1994 Romania Știința Petroșani
FL Romania Vasile Rus 20 October 1983 13 France SC Mazamet
FL Romania George Tatarus 7 May 1996 homegrown player
N8 Romania Stelian Burcea 7 October 1983 58 Romania Dinamo București
N8 Tonga Kefu Ikamanu 14 March 1993 New Zealand Waitohi RFC
N8 Fiji Lemeki Nabalei 14 August 1993 Fiji Nadi
SH Romania Valentin Calafeteanu 25 January 1985 82 Romania Dinamo București
SH Tonga Samiu Muna 22 April 1990 Tonga Toa Saracens
SH South Africa Lötter Pretorius 1 March 1994 South Africa Sharks
FH Romania Jody Rose 29 July 1986 4 South Africa Golden Lions
FH New Zealand Jack Umaga 18 June 1984 New Zealand Tasman Makos
CE Romania Marius Istoc 29 March 1997 homegrown player
CE Romania Paula Kinikinilau 30 August 1986 10 New Zealand Otago
CE Tonga Tevita Manumua 12 February 1993 England Saracens
CE Tonga Sioeli Nau 23 June 1988 Romania CSM Baia Mare
CE Romania Florin-Vladut Popa 27 March 1996 homegrown player
CE Australia Brian Sefanaia 1 August 1986 Australia North Harbour Rays
CE New Zealand Sosene Anesi 3 June 1981 1 New Zealand Chiefs
WG Serbia Dimitrije Avramovic 30 November 1995 Serbia Partizan Belgrade
WG Tonga Tangimana Fonovai 25 October 1989 Tonga Toloa Old Boys
WG Romania Mădălin Lemnaru 26 March 1989 32 Romania CSU AV Arad
WG Tonga Viliami Moala 23 January 1981 New Zealand Petone Rugby
WG Romania Stephen Shennan 7 January 1991 4 Australia Boroondara Redbacks
WG Romania Daniel Zaharia 12 January 1995 Romania RC Bârlad
FB Romania Gabriel Conache 24 January 1991 3 Romania CSU AV Arad
FB Romania Cătălin Fercu 5 September 1986 87 England Saracens
FB Romania Marius Simionescu 5 September 1997 homegrown player

Notable players

See also

External links

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Sunday, April 17, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.