Rob Irimescu (born 1 March 1996) is an American-born rugby union player who plays for CSM Știința Baia Mare in the Liga Națională de Rugby and the Romanian national team.
| Full name | Robert Irimescu | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Date of birth | 1 March 1996 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | New York City, USA | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 183 cm (6 ft 0 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 105 kg (231 lb; 16 st 7 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| School | Xavier High School | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| University | Pennsylvania State University | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Club career
editAfter playing for five years at Pennsylvania State University,[1] upon his graduation Irimescu would sign for Rugby New York, after spending time with amateur side New York Athletic Club.[2]
Rugby New York
editHe joined his hometown side at the end of 2019,[3] he went on to make his debut for the Major League Rugby side in the first round of the 2020 season, coming off the bench against the New England Freejacks.[4]
Old Glory DC
editSigning for rival side Old Glory DC in 2022, he went on to feature in all 16 of Old Glory's matches, being named in the Starting XV for 11 of them.[5][6] He signed for CSM Știința Baia Mare to help his international ambitions.
CSM Știința Baia Mare
editHe joined CSM Știința Baia Mare in 2023 making his debut against CSA Steaua București.[7][8]
International career
editHis first appearance was for Romania A against Italy A in 2023, before going on to make his debut for the national side against Poland in the 2023 Rugby Europe Championship, coming off the bench to score a try. He played in the following 2 Rugby Europe Matches against Belgium and Portugal, coming off the bench in his alternate position, as a flanker in both.
He was named in the Romanian squad for the 2023 Rugby World Cup warmups. He eventually came off the bench against Georgia.
He went on to be named in the final 33-Man Roster, playing in the 2023 Rugby World Cup. On September 17th, he came off the bench against South Africa, making his World Cup Debut. A few weeks later he cracked the first XV for the first time against Scotland, and closed out his World Cup Campaign by coming off the bench against Tonga.
In 2024, he continued his campaign for the Oaks, by being selected in the 2024 REC Squad, where he featured in 3 matches. He went on to earn his 10th cap, in his final match against Spain.
In the summer of 2024, he was selected to play against the United States and Canada. He played in both games, coming off the bench. Irimescu went on to defeat his home nation in Chicago, winning the Pershing Cup, 22-20 on July 5th, 2024.
Personal life
editBorn in New York to two Romanian parents, Nicoleta and Gabriel Irimescu, who both come from Constanța.[9] His father grew up playing rugby in Constanta. He frequently visited Constanta every summer. Although he lived in the United States his whole life, he moved to Romania in January 2023 to help his international ambitions.[10]
He graduated from Penn State with a Master’s Degree in Accounting, a Bachelor’s in Finance, and a Bachelor’s in Accounting.
References
edit- ^ "Robert Irimescu - Men's Rugby". Penn State Athletics. Retrieved 2023-07-30.
- ^ "Rob Irimescu". Americas Rugby News. Retrieved 2023-07-30.
- ^ "Rugby United New York Signs Rob Irimescu". djcoilrugby. 2019-09-19. Retrieved 2023-07-30.
- ^ "Rugby United New York Re-Signs Rob Irimescu". djcoilrugby. 2020-08-12. Retrieved 2023-07-30.
- ^ "Old Glory DC Adds Rob Irimescu". djcoilrugby. 2021-12-13. Retrieved 2023-07-30.
- ^ "Old Glory DC Signs Rob Irimescu". Old Glory DC. 2021-12-13. Retrieved 2023-07-30.
- ^ "Irimescu Robert | CSM Stiinta Baia Mare | Taloner". Rugby Romania (in Romanian). Retrieved 2023-07-30.
- ^ "RUGBY. Robert Irimescu va juca la CSM Știința Baia Mare". Glasul Maramuresului (in Romanian). 2023-03-19. Retrieved 2023-07-30.
- ^ "Rob Irimescu – Meet the New York-born hooker who plays for Romania". rugby-network. Retrieved 2023-07-30.
- ^ "RUGBY. Robert Irimescu va juca la CSM Știința Baia Mare". Glasul Maramuresului (in Romanian). 2023-03-19. Retrieved 2023-07-30.
External links
edit- Robert Irimescu at All.Rugby
- Robert Irimescu at ItsRugby.co.uk