| Full name | Rugby Club Municipal Universitatea Timişoara | |
|---|---|---|
| Founded | 1949 | |
| Location | Timişoara, Romania | |
| Ground(s) | Stadionul Electromotor (Capacity: 1,000) | |
| President | Alexandru Ilie | |
| Coach(es) | Chester Williams (head coach), Cosmin Cioriciu (assistant coach), Constantin Cristian Miu (assistant coach), Marian Marin (youth team coach) | |
| League(s) | Divizia Naţională | |
| 2011 | 3ed | |
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Rugby Club Municipal Timişoara is a Romanian semi-professional rugby union club from Timişoara, which will play the 2011 season in the Romanian Rugby Championship, the first division of Romanian rugby. The team was Champion in 1972, being the first club outside Bucharest to even achieve this performance. The team is colloquially known as "Universitatea" Timişoara as it has historical ties with the University of Timişoara.
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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.
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, Răţcanu, Priess, Ionică, Ene, Malancu, Neiss, Popovici, Vlad, Ionişă, Arsene.
Since that time, Timişoara was always places among the runners-up of the national standings, promoting student rugby.
Starting the 23ed 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 player of color who won the World Cup in 1995. 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.
After losing to CSM Stiinţa Baia-Mare in the semifinals of the Romanian Rugby Championship score 24 - 22, the guys from Timişoara won the battle for 3ed place against Farul Constanţa's rugby team, score 15-11. Valentin Calafeteanu was the MVP of the game.
Timişoara managed to win the final match of the Gold Cup with 32-10 at Alba Iulia, after losing the semifinals of the Romanian Rugby Championship against the same team, CSM Stiinţa Baia-Mare. Some would say that CSM Stiinţa Baia-Mare didn't win the semifinals as well because the delegation of referees of the match were French this time, and not Romanian as in the semifinals match played at Baia Mare's home stadium.
Note: Flags indicate national union as has been defined under IRB eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-IRB nationality.