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 is approximately 1,925,000 Euros.[1]

Steaua București
Full nameClubul Sportiv al Armatei Steaua București
Nickname(s)Steliștii
Roș-albaștrii (The Blue and Reds)
Militarii (The Militaries)
Founded1948; 76 years ago (1948)
as CSCA București
LocationBucharest, Romania
Ground(s)Stadionul Steaua (Capacity: 31,254)
PresidentȘtefan Răzvan Bichir
Coach(es)Viorel Lucaci
Captain(s)Dragoș Ser
League(s)Liga Națională de Rugby
20222nd
1st kit
2nd kit
Official website
www.csasteaua.ro/jocuri-sportive/rugby/

History

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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

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Domestic

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  • 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 (13): 1955, 1956, 1960, 2002, 2004, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2018–19, 2021, 2022
  • Liga Națională de Rugby: (in 7 players)
    • Winners (13) (record)
  • Cupa României
    • Winners (16) (record): 1950, 1952, 1953, 1955, 1956, 1958, 1974, 1977, 1978, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2013, 2019, 2022
    • 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

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

Current squad

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Steaua București Liga Națională de Rugby squad

Props

Hookers

Locks

Back row

Scrum-halves

Fly-halves

Centres

  •   Pablo Casas
  •   Tomás Ferreyra
  •   Melle Haanstra
  •   Isaak Welch

Wings

Fullbacks

(c) denotes the team captain, Bold denotes internationally capped players.
* denotes players qualified to play for Romania on residency or dual nationality.

See also

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References

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