shambles
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Massive Faka’up
Episode 4 in the long-running and very confusing telenovela that is the 2018 Rugby Europe Championship. If the European qualifiers for the 2019 World Cup are series one of Twin Peaks, then we are now at the bit where we see Leland seeing Bob in the mirror. (I think.)* If you don’t know what’s been… Continue reading
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Events, dear boy
Chaos reigns in European Tier 2 rugby. Continue reading
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Howells and Moffat vote to leave, not remain ‘ere … [ouch, sorry]
Romania’s national rugby team’s coaches resign after a 50-point win, and why the Oaks are in serious danger of failing to qualify for Japan 2019. Continue reading
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Those were the days
The British football monthly When Saturday Comes runs a feature in the back, where they review a season from times gone by and track what has happened since then to selected teams and individuals. I thought it would be fun to do that for the Romanian league. Let’s see if I’m right. Cast your mind back… Continue reading
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Clash of the… clash of the…
“Coming up this week: the giants of Charlton play host to the titans of Ipswich… making them both seem normal size.” …as David Mitchell says so portentously in this marvellous clip. This Saturday – Rapid v Steaua – is a clash between giants and titans, two of the biggest clubs in the country facing off… Continue reading
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Grounds for complaint
Saturday 14th January 2017 should have been a big day for Romanian club rugby. Stade Francais, champions of France in 2015, were coming to Timișoara to play a European Challenge Cup game. The hosts, Timișoara Saracens, are the best (and richest) team in the Romanian game: champions three out of the last four years. The 36-man squad for… Continue reading
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Fotbalnomics part 1
The football business in Romania In my endless quest to find out what the hell is going on in Romanian football, I’ve been researching the financial side of things – which, let’s face it, is probably the dominant facet of the game. Certainly the actual ball-kicking element is not much to shout about as far… Continue reading
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Liga 2 can be fun too (?!)
As promised, after last week’s Liga 1 checkup, today we take a look at the crazy lower divisions, and (believe it or not) some good practice in Romanian football… Continue reading
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That essential Liga 5 (p)review
You read it here first (I assume). Not one, not two, but three Rapid Bucharest successor clubs were registered for the new season in the bottom tier of the football pyramid in the capital, Liga 5. One has already ditched its claims to rapidity, but two remain. A curious and disheartening state of affairs… Continue reading
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Are Rapid going gently?
More crazy shenanigans in the shambles of Romanian football this week. As if it wasn’t frustrating enough watching what goes on on the pitch at Rapid Bucharest, the nightmarish close-season action is taking place in court. Continue reading
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I like books. I like words. I like maps. I like football (mostly Romanian).
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