CSA Steaua București (rugby union)

CSA Steaua București is a professional Romanian rugby union club from Ghencea, south-west Bucharest, which plays in the Liga Națională de Rugby, the first division of Romanian rugby. They are the most successful rugby union team in the Romania with 24 championship titles and 15 cup titles to their name. Steaua București`s annual operating budget for the 2020-21 season is approximately 925,000 Euros.[1]

This article is about the rugby club. For the sports club, see CSA Steaua București.
Steaua București
Full nameClubul Sportiv al Armatei Steaua București
Nickname(s)Steliștii
Militari (The Military Men)
Roș-albaștrii (The White and Reds)
Founded1948 (1948)
as CCA București
LocationBucharest, Romania
Ground(s)Stadionul Steaua II (Capacity: 2,000)
PresidentŞtefan-Răzvan Bichir
Coach(es)Ștefan Acsinte
Captain(s)Florin Surugiu
League(s)Liga Națională de Rugby
20212nd
1st kit
2nd kit
Official website
www.csasteaua.ro/jocuri-sportive/rugby/
Active departments of CSA Steaua
AthleticsBasketballBoxingCanoe & Kayak
CyclingEquestrianFencingFootball
GymnasticsHandballHockeyJudo
KarateKenpōMotorcyclingPentathlon
RowingRugbySamboShooting
SwimmingTaekwondo WTFTable tennisTennis
VolleyballWater PoloWeightliftingWrestling

History

The Steaua București rugby club was founded in 1948, under the wing of the CSA Steaua București sports club that had been founded by the Romanian Army the previous year, and had traditionally consisted of members drawn from ranks of the army, hence their nickname, the military men.[2]

Steaua established crosstown rivalries with Dinamo București and Grivița Roșie București before winning the team's first Romanian Cup in 1950. The team won the league and cup double in 1953, and by the late 1950s, Steaua was winning domestic titles with regularity. Over the years, the team has also claimed success at the European Championships, winning two European Cups.[2]

Over the years, Steaua București has produced several players that have represented the Romanian national rugby team including Daniel Barbu, Marin Ionescu, Alexandru Penciu, Rene Chiriac, Paul Ciobănel, Adrian Mateescu, Mircea Braga, and Răducu Durbac.[2]

Honours

Domestic
  • Liga Națională de Rugby:
    • Winners (24) (record): 1949, 1953, 1954, 1961, 1963, 1964, 1971, 1973, 1974, 1977, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1992, 1999, 2003, 2005, 2006
    • Runners-up (12): 1955, 1956, 1960, 2002, 2004, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2018–19, 2021
  • Liga Națională de Rugby: (in 7 players)
    • Winners (13) (record)
  • Cupa României
    • Winners (15) (record): 1950, 1952, 1953, 1955, 1956, 1958, 1974, 1977, 1978, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2013, 2019
    • Runners-up (5): 1954, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2015
  • Cupa Regelui:
    • Runners-up (2): 2016, 2018
Players of CSA Steaua and Timișoara Saracens seen engaged within a scrum in a match during the 2016–17 SuperLiga in April 2017.

European
  • FIRA European Cup
    • Winners (2): 1966, 1973[2]

Friendly
  • Cupa Victoriei
    • Winners (1): 1960
  • Cupa Păcii
    • Winners (1): 1964

Current squad

The CSA Steaua București squad for the 2022 Liga Națională de Rugby season is:[3]

Note: Flags indicate national union as has been defined under WR eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-WR nationality.

Player Position Union
Florin Bărdașu Hooker Romania
Tudor Butnariu Hooker Romania
Dragoș Lucan Hooker Romania
Vlad Bădălicescu Prop Romania
Vasile Bălan Prop Romania
Marius Lungu Prop Romania
Ionuț Pîrvu Prop Romania
Bogdan Doroftei Lock Romania
Virgil Ghenea Lock Romania
Mario Arvinte Back row Romania
Cristi Boboc Back row Romania
Dragoș Ser Back row Romania
Damian Strătilă Back row Romania
Kamil Sobota Back row Romania
Matthew Tweddle Back row Ireland
Eseria Vueti Back row Fiji
Player Position Union
Sorin Pândichi Scrum-half Romania
Florin Surugiu (c) Scrum-half Romania
Tudor Boldor Fly-half Romania
Daniel Plai Fly-half Romania
Taniela Rawaqa Fly-half Fiji
Cristian Bumbac Centre Romania
Jone Nasalo Centre Malaysia
Vlăduț Popa Centre Romania
Fonovai Tangimana Centre Romania
Hinckley Vaovasa Centre Romania
Ngoni Chibuwe Wing Zimbabwe
Ionuț Dumitru Wing Romania
Cosmin Iliuță Wing Romania
Robert Neagu Wing Romania
Sioeli Lama Fullback Romania
  • Senior 15s internationally capped players are listed in bold.

See also

References
  1. "CSA Steaua București`s annual team budget for the 2020-21 season". 9 February 2021. Retrieved 3 May 2021.
  2. "History" (in Romanian). CSA Steaua București Rugby. 2013. Archived from the original on 25 October 2013. Retrieved 25 January 2015.
  3. "Steaua București". Retrieved 28 January 2021.
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