What Happen To The Oaks, And Who's Fault Is It?

Through the late 70's and early 80's Romania loom up as a large force in rugby. They destroy Wales in Bucharest, over turn France, match Ireland at home, run close to the all blacks and lose owing only to the late drop goal in Cardiff against the greatest Welsh team of all time.

And now? Romania languish in 18th spot behind USA.

Was the fall of communism responsible for the end of Romanian rugby aspiration? Will they return to the top 8? And why didn't European do more to including them and help maintain their position?

Steve Mc Dowell reckons that club rugby in Romania is on par with Senior B club rugby in Auckland. If its like that then theyre lucky to be 18th.

Communism was behind their success as the President made rugby almost compulsory in the army. Take away the compulsory element and I believe playing numbers fell badly.
In the hindsight, the IRB could have tried to bring them into what was the 5 nations before Italy made the progress and overtook them?

All their best rugby player got killed in the cvil war during the eightees, like injured again has pointed out, during communism rugby was compulsory as the dictatorship supported it, all the army, police, fire brigade and the rest were made to compete in rugby and as a result they had a decent side, there is enough support over their thogh to make it big again it just needs help from the bigger nations, it's the same with Georgia, rugby is the national sport there would you believe.

Is that something you know about, or you just read from Wikipedia? Did you spend any time in Romania before or after the communism?

from your original post it looks like you know a bit about Romanian Rugby.

I'm surprised you didnt know the communism connection.

caoimhincentre wrote:from your original post it looks like you know a bit about Romanian Rugby.

I'm surprised you didnt know the communism connection.

Like when I said "Was the fall of communism responsible for the end of Romanian rugby aspiration?" you mean? However I am disappoint that other people copy some information from wikipedia and try to pass off as their own knowledge.

The way I see it is somebody has got to be 18th in the world. Yes, international/european rugby has a responsibility to develop sides but there's a natural wax and wane of some nations (as well as being affected by political unrest and other factors that have a major bearing).

Not everybody can be moving up at the same time. That's sport. I think most us didn't even know Madagascar had a side until recently.

anotherworldofpain wrote:

caoimhincentre wrote:from your original post it looks like you know a bit about Romanian Rugby.

I'm surprised you didnt know the communism connection.

Like when I said "Was the fall of communism responsible for the end of Romanian rugby aspiration?" you mean? However I am disappoint that other people copy some information from wikipedia and try to pass off as their own knowledge.

how do you know they got it from Wiki?

Even if they did what is the difference. you are giving out to someone for seeking information they didnt have to give a more informed answer.

Isn't the Georgian national game Lelo? At least that's the tradiational sport in Georgia. The most popular is football. I've heard this before but I've no idea where it's come from. I know Georgia have an 8 team pro league.

anotherworldofpain wrote:

caoimhincentre wrote:from your original post it looks like you know a bit about Romanian Rugby.

I'm surprised you didnt know the communism connection.

Like when I said "Was the fall of communism responsible for the end of Romanian rugby aspiration?" you mean? However I am disappoint that other people copy some information from wikipedia and try to pass off as their own knowledge.

Is that not how one gains knowledge?

You hear a question, you investigate and broaden your knowledge.

biltongbek wrote:

anotherworldofpain wrote:

caoimhincentre wrote:from your original post it looks like you know a bit about Romanian Rugby.

I'm surprised you didnt know the communism connection.

Like when I said "Was the fall of communism responsible for the end of Romanian rugby aspiration?" you mean? However I am disappoint that other people copy some information from wikipedia and try to pass off as their own knowledge.

Is that not how one gains knowledge?

You hear a question, you investigate and broaden your knowledge.

Exactly my point

caoimhincentre wrote:

biltongbek wrote:

anotherworldofpain wrote:

caoimhincentre wrote:from your original post it looks like you know a bit about Romanian Rugby.

I'm surprised you didnt know the communism connection.

Like when I said "Was the fall of communism responsible for the end of Romanian rugby aspiration?" you mean? However I am disappoint that other people copy some information from wikipedia and try to pass off as their own knowledge.

Is that not how one gains knowledge?

You hear a question, you investigate and broaden your knowledge.

Exactly my point

No worries mate, we will keep on learning and others will just gobsmack thumbsucks. apparently.

On the subject of learning Who's has the same pronunciation as whose but can be who is or who has depending on the tense. But it needs to be followed by a verb. Here, fault is a noun so the question should be Whose fault is it?

As to the answer, that's a lot more complicated. One thing's for sure, these Eastern European countries make for great rugby packs. There seems plenty of square shouldered muscular types and though rugby is a game catering for lots of different sizes, these teams seem to be as similar in body shape as you can get. In order to make the step up, they need to be involved in a pan-European championship of some description both at a national level and a club or provincial level.

So is it Who's who in the zoo?

Who's on first...

Definitely on first, definitely...

biltongbek wrote:

anotherworldofpain wrote:

caoimhincentre wrote:from your original post it looks like you know a bit about Romanian Rugby.

I'm surprised you didnt know the communism connection.

Like when I said "Was the fall of communism responsible for the end of Romanian rugby aspiration?" you mean? However I am disappoint that other people copy some information from wikipedia and try to pass off as their own knowledge.

Is that not how one gains knowledge?

You hear a question, you investigate and broaden your knowledge.

But I am asking about opinion not get the lecutre copy and paste from Wikipedia. We know already what happen in Romania if we have something about education in our past and some general knowledge. Is not DID it happen? and WERE they DO IT? Is about WHAT were they doing? and WHO'SE didn't stop to it? and WHY?

Yes, AWOP.

anotherworldofpain wrote:

biltongbek wrote:

anotherworldofpain wrote:

caoimhincentre wrote:from your original post it looks like you know a bit about Romanian Rugby.

I'm surprised you didnt know the communism connection.

Like when I said "Was the fall of communism responsible for the end of Romanian rugby aspiration?" you mean? However I am disappoint that other people copy some information from wikipedia and try to pass off as their own knowledge.

Is that not how one gains knowledge?

You hear a question, you investigate and broaden your knowledge.

But I am asking about opinion not get the lecutre copy and paste from Wikipedia. We know already what happen in Romania if we have something about education in our past and some general knowledge. Is not DID it happen? and WERE they DO IT? Is about WHAT were they doing? and WHO'SE didn't stop to it? and WHY?

again how do you know it was copied and pasted from Wiki.

You may have gotten someones opinion but you immediately dismissed it and insulted them

AWOP, just to let you know I did NOT get my information from wikipedia, I got my information from remembering what happened at the time, all the Romanian players got killed during the civil war, that is why Romanian rugby has gone the way it has, it never recovered and football now reigns supreme. If you do not like any of our anwers because they might come from wiki then do not ask us and go and find out for yourself.

Isn't it just a case of who's as in 'who is'?

Didn't even realise Romania were ever so good at rugby, very interesting. Would be awesome if these eastern european countries got competitive. Would just add a new favour. Imagine the tours etc.

EBOP, Zimbabwe was good in rugby once as well, they have a win against the All Blacks.

biltongbek wrote:EBOP, Zimbabwe was good in rugby once as well, they have a win against the All Blacks.

You what!!? Seriously? What's the catch?

No, the question is EBOP the fault is of whom = whose fault is it?

If the verb to be is a stative verb then you can just have the verb to be which is what the joke Who's on first was built around. If it's the present continuous then you need a verb in the continuous like who's playing tonight in the S15?

It's marking time at university so you've caught me in a crabby mood about grammar and spelling I'm afraid. But much like AWOP, my goal only is to educate. Don't shoot the messenger. Blame Wikileaks.

No catch.

The 1949 the Rhodesian Rugby team lead by John Morkel famously beat a touring All Blacks side lead by Fred Allen in Bulawayo 10-8 on 27 July. Three days later they drew with the mighty All Blacks in Salisbury 3-3.

Struth, my world just tipped upside down. Who'd have thought there was a who's gag. I'm still lost Kia, science background me.

ps. And that the ABs had lost to Rhodesia, thanks biltong.

biltongbek wrote:No catch.

The 1949 the Rhodesian Rugby team lead by John Morkel famously beat a touring All Blacks side lead by Fred Allen in Bulawayo 10-8 on 27 July. Three days later they drew with the mighty All Blacks in Salisbury 3-3.

i hope you didnt get this from wiki or some other site and is entirely your opinion

I did.


But to be fair I did know about it before hand.

Was it a dodgy kiwi ref or something

biltongbek wrote:EBOP, Zimbabwe was good in rugby once as well, they have a win against the All Blacks.

Yeah, I heard that Wales have beaten NZ too. I think that was just somebody having me on though.

sugarNspikes wrote:

biltongbek wrote:EBOP, Zimbabwe was good in rugby once as well, they have a win against the All Blacks.

Yeah, I heard that Wales have beaten NZ too. I think that was just somebody having me on though.

Can't find any record on wiki though.

EBOP wrote:Was it a dodgy kiwi ref or something

Probably some home grown SA referee.

biltongbek wrote:

sugarNspikes wrote:

biltongbek wrote:EBOP, Zimbabwe was good in rugby once as well, they have a win against the All Blacks.

Yeah, I heard that Wales have beaten NZ too. I think that was just somebody having me on though.

Can't find any record on wiki though.

If it's not on wiki it didn't happen

It was so long ago we may as well just erase it from historical records

sugarNspikes wrote:

biltongbek wrote:

sugarNspikes wrote:

biltongbek wrote:EBOP, Zimbabwe was good in rugby once as well, they have a win against the All Blacks.

Yeah, I heard that Wales have beaten NZ too. I think that was just somebody having me on though.

Can't find any record on wiki though.

If it's not on wiki it didn't happen

Then again I don't don't they go back very far, only about 50 years or so.

EBOP wrote:It was so long ago we may as well just erase it from historical records

No problems, I have already erased the last two years of Springbok rugby from my memory.

biltongbek wrote:

EBOP wrote:Was it a dodgy kiwi ref or something

Probably some home grown SA referee.

Same same

EBOP wrote:

biltongbek wrote:

EBOP wrote:Was it a dodgy kiwi ref or something

Probably some home grown SA referee.

Same same

I suppose you're right, six of one or half a dozen of the other.

Here you go EBOP: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wfmvkO5x6Ng.

What's that Kia? Not working for some reason.

That's the who's on first joke with Abbott and Costello. Try this one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nti08LWtxJI&feature=fvwrel

kiakahaaotearoa wrote:That's the who's on first joke with Abbott and Costello. Try this one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nti08LWtxJI&feature=fvwrel

Genius! Throw it to Who!?

EBOP wrote:It was so long ago we may as well just erase it from historical records

But then you would need to erase Wales last win too! And it would be a veritable whose who of recriminations if you try that on here!

You go first base AWoP

It dates from the 1950s but the comedy is still relevant not to mention genuinely funny. It'd make a good dictation actually. I imagine many people would get a lot of it wrong.

Nice try AWOP but it's Who's who although your version is pronounced the same.

There is another joke here about genuinely funny from the 50's but still going on, but I wont making it because some thin skin person might be getting upset again.

some thin skin person might get upset???? lol

I skimmed over the replies and everything I know about Romanian rugby has probably been covered.

Most of the Romanian players were employed by the Police or Army, and were paid just to play rugby. In other words they were fully professional athletes but were paid by the government.

The communist regime did back rugby, but when it fell apart, so did the rugby in Romania. As stated quite a few players were killed in the revolution. Though to be fair Romanian rugby was still pretty strong up until 1994 then it started to go down hill rapidly, and players left the game in droves and most of their clubs folded. Another big problem they had was all their decent players went to France when the game went professional and then refused to return for International duty because the French clubs refused to pay them if they were away and the Romanian team couldn't. So it became a situation where any decent lad that brke through into the Romanian team went to play in France and didn't come back, so they could never build a consistent team.

The situation is not unlike what happened to their football team they had 2 clubs in their capital Burcharest, Steaua and Dynamo, one represents the Army, the other the police, and all the best players went to those teams.

I have read very differing stories about Romania, apparently they were asked to join the 5 Nations but declined. Though I have also read they they wanted to join but the British countries did not want to travel to Eastern Europe to play.

In their peak they had something like 13,000 players and over 100 clubs. Today they have 10,000 players and 90 clubs (according to the IRB website) so it is not too far behind their heyday. Though in the mid 90's they were down to 30 something clubs and a few hundred players, so the game nearly died out there.

Romania in rugby,like Hungary in Soccer were used as Propaganda tools of the Sov Bloc during the Cold war. Composed of Army personnell to prove THERE way was best.Like the Olympics when it was a race how many Medals USAv USSR won to prove supiriority.Or the Germanic Super Race of Adolf Hitler when the Berlin Wall camedown there was a cultural back lash.