Timișoara Saracens

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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 (1986-06-18) 18 June 1986 (age 38) 22 homegrown player
HK Romania Marian Gorcioaia (1992-08-15) 15 August 1992 (age 32) 1 Romania CSU AV Arad
HK Romania Andrei Rădoi (1987-02-07) 7 February 1987 (age 38) 54 England Ealing Trailfinders
PR Tonga Sione Halalilo (1992-04-28) 28 April 1992 (age 33) Tonga Toloa Old Boys
PR Tonga Semisi Mahe (1995-03-22) 22 March 1995 (age 30) Tonga Toa Saracens
PR Romania Samuel Maris (1985-05-13) 13 May 1985 (age 39) 6 France CA Périgueux
PR Romania Gigi Militaru (1988-08-14) 14 August 1988 (age 36) Romania Știința Petroșani
PR Romania Marian Sabau (1988-08-14) 14 August 1988 (age 36) Romania Știința Petroșani
PR Romania Alexandru Ţăruş (1989-05-09) 9 May 1989 (age 35) 10 Romania RC Brașov
PR Tonga Sione Taupaki (1988-08-11) 11 August 1988 (age 36) Tonga Toloa Old Boys
PR South Africa Johan Van Wyk (1995-01-12) 12 January 1995 (age 30) South Africa Blue Bulls
LK Romania Marian Drenceanu (1990-03-01) 1 March 1990 (age 35) 4 Romania CSU AV Arad
LK Romania Marius Iftimiciuc (1997-08-13) 13 August 1997 (age 27) homegrown player
LK Romania Dorin Lazar (1990-01-23) 23 January 1990 (age 35) 10 Romania CSU AV Arad
LK Romania Valentin Popîrlan (1987-06-12) 12 June 1987 (age 37) 56 Romania CSM Bucuresti
FL Romania Daniel Ianuș (1987-04-11) 11 April 1987 (age 38) 13 Romania Steaua București
FL Romania Randall Morrison (1984-02-12) 12 February 1984 (age 41) 1 South Africa Golden Lions
FL Romania Ionut Muresan (1994-10-09) 9 October 1994 (age 30) Romania Știința Petroșani
FL Romania Vasile Rus (1983-10-20) 20 October 1983 (age 41) 13 France SC Mazamet
FL Romania George Tatarus (1996-05-07) 7 May 1996 (age 29) homegrown player
N8 Romania Stelian Burcea (1983-10-07) 7 October 1983 (age 41) 58 Romania Dinamo București
N8 Tonga Kefu Ikamanu (1993-03-14) 14 March 1993 (age 32) New Zealand Waitohi RFC
N8 Fiji Lemeki Nabalei (1993-08-14) 14 August 1993 (age 31) Fiji Nadi
SH Romania Valentin Calafeteanu (1985-01-25) 25 January 1985 (age 40) 82 Romania Dinamo București
SH Tonga Samiu Muna (1990-04-22) 22 April 1990 (age 35) Tonga Toa Saracens
SH South Africa Lötter Pretorius (1994-03-01) 1 March 1994 (age 31) South Africa Sharks
FH Romania Jody Rose (1986-07-29) 29 July 1986 (age 38) 4 South Africa Golden Lions
FH New Zealand Jack Umaga (1984-06-18) 18 June 1984 (age 40) New Zealand Tasman Makos
CE Romania Marius Istoc (1997-03-29) 29 March 1997 (age 28) homegrown player
CE Romania Paula Kinikinilau (1986-08-30) 30 August 1986 (age 38) 10 New Zealand Otago
CE Tonga Tevita Manumua (1993-02-12) 12 February 1993 (age 32) England Saracens
CE Tonga Sioeli Nau (1988-06-23) 23 June 1988 (age 36) Romania CSM Baia Mare
CE Romania Florin-Vladut Popa (1996-03-27) 27 March 1996 (age 29) homegrown player
CE Australia Brian Sefanaia (1986-08-01) 1 August 1986 (age 38) Australia North Harbour Rays
CE New Zealand Sosene Anesi (1981-06-03) 3 June 1981 (age 43) 1 New Zealand Chiefs
WG Serbia Dimitrije Avramovic (1995-11-30) 30 November 1995 (age 29) Serbia Partizan Belgrade
WG Tonga Tangimana Fonovai (1989-10-25) 25 October 1989 (age 35) Tonga Toloa Old Boys
WG Romania Mădălin Lemnaru (1989-03-26) 26 March 1989 (age 36) 32 Romania CSU AV Arad
WG Tonga Viliami Moala (1981-01-23) 23 January 1981 (age 44) New Zealand Petone Rugby
WG Romania Stephen Shennan (1991-01-07) 7 January 1991 (age 34) 4 Australia Boroondara Redbacks
WG Romania Daniel Zaharia (1995-01-12) 12 January 1995 (age 30) Romania RC Bârlad
FB Romania Gabriel Conache (1991-01-24) 24 January 1991 (age 34) 3 Romania CSU AV Arad
FB Romania Cătălin Fercu (1986-09-05) 5 September 1986 (age 38) 87 England Saracens
FB Romania Marius Simionescu (1997-09-05) 5 September 1997 (age 27) homegrown player

Notable players

See also

External links

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