In the Ceausescu days there were 60 or 70 clubs in Romania ? these days there are around 12 in a population of 22 million
If English rugby thinks it has a problem or two, spare a thought for Romania. As recently as the 1980s England's next opponents were beating France, Wales and Scotland and had a strong case for admission to the old Five Nations championship. These days there are a mere 12 half-decent clubs in a country of 22 million inhabitants. "There are only a few big towns where rugby survives," says Romeo Gontineac, the national coach and former captain of the now fallen Mighty Oaks.
It is as much a cautionary political tale as a sporting one. During the Ceausescu era, rugby was seen as a way of proving to the world that Romania was a country to be reckoned with. The army embraced it as their major sport and facilities were funded by the ruling Communist regime. "Before 1989 we said our game was amateur but really we were professional," says Gontineac. "Now we say we're professional but actually we're amateur."
The road back is a long and winding one. The impressive Gontineac, who played in four World Cups before retiring at the end of the 2007 World Cup, reckons it may take 20 years to re-establish the infrastructure ? "Everything went down, deep down" ? which disappeared with the collapse of the Ceausescu era.
The former All Blacks prop Steve McDowall, now part of the Romania coaching team, reckons the game has all but skipped two generations. "It's very difficult because the government is more focused on its own interests rather than sport in general. All sports are suffering, not just rugby. We need to get into the schools but they're basically concrete classrooms, they don't have fields. It is going to be really tough going into the next World Cup."
The Romanian team's official spokesman, Lucian Lorin, is equally honest. "We have our goals and objectives for the long term but at the moment we're just trying to build a solid foundation."
According to Gontineac, it is lucky Romania qualified for this particular tournament. "If we hadn't come here, I think rugby would struggle even more than it is. I'm sure our game against Scotland will excite some kids to play." The next step, possibly, is an IRB-funded high-performance academy which could assist promising players, coaches and back-up staff from Georgia, Ukraine, Romania, Kyrgyzstan, Turkey and elsewhere. "There have been discussions but at the moment it's all very fragmented, with every country very protective of its own area," says McDowall. "The IRB don't want to get involved in governance, which is fair enough, because there's a lot of politics involved."
Suddenly, though, the Romanians face a more immediate dilemma. Should they get thrashed on Saturday by England, who beat them 134-0 when the sides last met, at Twickenham in 2001, it will dissolve the feelgood vibe generated by their stirring effort against the Scots, who came close to losing before edging home 34-24. On the other hand, Romania's biggest game of the tournament is their final pool match, against rivals Georgia in Palmerston North on Wednesday week. The team to face England may have to be tweaked accordingly.
It is a hard call for Gontineac, disappointed by his side's first-half display against Argentina last Saturday. The Pumas went on to win 43-8 and the management are seeking greater physical commitment against England. "We want a bit of respect, which is important," the coach muttered.
"We want to show the rugby we can play. Everything starts with the scrum; after that we have to conserve the ball." Ask him if he ever ponders what might have been had Romania entered the Five Nations and he sighs deeply. "I'm sad but at the same time I'm realistic. In 1989 we had 60 or 70 clubs, there's a huge difference now. We haven't got the players, the coaches or the teachers."
Alas, poor Romeo. If ever a team needs a bit of love it is the downtrodden rugby men of Romania.
Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2011/sep/19/romania-rugby-world-cup-2011-gontineac
Willis McGahee Corey McIntyre Joe McKnight Rashard Mendenhall
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