Rumania Emerging As A Rugby Power

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29994, 1 December 1962, Page 9

Rumania Emerging As A Rugby Power

r PHE question “which is "*■ Europe’s first Rugby team?" will be answered when France meets Rumania at Bucharest, says a Polish sports magazine, “SportsPress International.” The match was won by Rumania, 8-0. The magazine says that Rugby is one of Rumania's most popular sports, its traditions dating back to 1912 when Rumanian students brought the first oval ball to their country from Paris. “Between the wars there were six teams in Rumania and in 1924 the national team won a bronze medal at the Olympic Games at Paris.” (The United States won the gold medal when it beat France, 8-0. in the final). "A fast development of Rugby started in 1945. A

great many Rugby teams have been organised at the universities, factories, and in the army. Ait present the first league consists of 12 teams, and 40 teams play in the remaining leagues. For several years Rumanian teams have scored many international successes. “In 1960 Rumania scored a big success, defeating France 11-8 in Bucharest, and the French team is considered tops in Europe and one of the best in the world. A return match was held in Bayonne, France, in 1961. The 5-5 draw was a great success for Rumania. Rumania’s second serious opponent, Italy, was beaten 6-14 in Bucharest this year.

“In 1956 a Bucharest team played seven matches in Britain, winning ail. In 1961 Steaua, another leading team, won an international tournament in Parma where Italian and French teams also competed. The onlyteam which can boast a win over Rumania in the last few years is the champion French club, Beziers, Rumania has won the Peace Cup tournament four times against Czechoslovakian, German and Polish teams.”