LONG READ Is it finally time for Romania to rise from their rugby slumber?

Romanian rugby is finally on the rise. From the doldrums of the 2023 Rugby World Cup, when Ireland, South Africa and Scotland inflicted crushing defeats, to the record losses suffered since against more evenly matched opposition in Urugay, Chile and Portugal, the Stejarii are ready to re-establish themselves on the international scene.

After a losing the Rugby Europe Championship third-placed play-off narrowly to Spain, Romania enjoyed a much more positive start to the Nations Cup. They earned a 36-36 draw against previous conquerors Uruguay and clinched a last-gasp win over Samoa. They resumed their campaign with a narrow 43-38 loss to Tonga in an entertaining affair in Bucharest, but the trajectory is a positive one.

1️⃣4️⃣ noiembrie, data la care România va întâlni SUA în Nations Cup, are o semifica?ie aparte în istoria rugby-ului românesc. În urm? cu 50 de ani, România învingea Fran?a cu 15-12, un moment special care va fi onorat la pauz? 👉 https://t.co/Hq7u9aN5RB.
#RugbyRomania https://t.co/uPY99eAlHa

— Rugby Romania (@RugbyRomania) November 11, 2026

It is worth asking whether this revival was driven by the nature of the Nations Cup itself, a tournament which carries significance beyond rankings alone, offering tangible rewards in the form of trophies and the chance to build momentum towards next year’s Rugby World Cup. It also adds a competitive edge the tours of the past sometimes lacked. That doesn’t mean players and staff didn’t take their July and November outings seriously, but competing for honours and places on the table can have a greater impact on mindset.

You need only look at how Romania pushed themselves to the limit to secure that draw with Los Teros, closing ranks while the home team desperately pursued a win. Or how they chased victory against Samoa, using every last ounce of energy to drive Alexandru Savin over the try line.

To better understand Romania as a Nations Cup case study, we need to bring local voices into the spotlight.

‘It raises the competition, for sure’

Logan Weidner, who spent most of his life in Canada with his American father and Romanian mother, earned his first call-up to the Romanian team this year, debuting against Georgia in Tbilisi. Since then, the utility forward has consistently featured in David Gérard’s matchday squads, facing all four Nations Cup opponents to date. In the lock’s opinion, the Nations Cup derives much of its special significance from the simple fact these fixtures are not isolated encounters but part of a unified competition.

“It raises the competition, for sure. At the end of the day, there’s something to win, as it is a full-fledged tournament. It is really good to have teams who are in the same boat, all battling to get better. It is a competition that’s very beneficial for us.”

After experiencing his first Rugby Europe Championship, Weidner had to wait just a few months to savour something new: a tour to South America with Romania in the first tranche of Nations Cup matches.

“Getting out of the country with my teammates to experience new places and challenges helped us bond,” he says. “Playing in these different host countries, it’s a different atmosphere. Facing Chile on their home turf was unreal, for example.

“It was a competitive, tense and tough environment playing down there in South America. Our staff was great at finding the right balance between hard training and decompressing.”

Weidner wastes little time in selecting Romania’s last-gasp victory over Samoa as his standout memory.

“It was a very big win for us and the country. It really solidified all the hard work we put in throughout the last couple of years. It showcased our progression, and now we have to build on it going forward.

“The draw against Uruguay was also bittersweet, although when we got to the locker room we thought, ‘how did that happen?’ as we missed a couple of opportunities to win the game.”

Romania will host USA and Canada as the inaugural Nations Cup concludes this month, with Weidner playing his first matches in front of a Romanian crowd.

“After getting a draw and a win in July, we want more, as we feel more confident,” he said.

‘We want even more games’

“The Nations Cup is great for all of us.”

Romania’s head coach and former France international Gérard isn’t shy in his support for the tournament.

“We get to play different teams from different environments. We are so used to playing against teams like Portugal and Georgia that when we get to clash with sides from other parts of the world, it brings a fresh challenge to us. My only complaint, which isn’t a big complaint, is the competition is so exciting that we want even more games.”

For the head coach, however, it isn’t just about what happens on the pitch. Off-field matters are as important, and he expressed his gratitude for the way Chile and Uruguay treated their rivals during July.

“We felt a huge respect coming from our hosts. They made excellent use of their resources to provide great conditions for us and the other nations to train, work, play and relax. From a coaching standpoint, I liked the way we were treated.”

Gérard who took the reins after the last World Cup, has been knee-deep in the business of raising Romanian rugby. The Stejarii were once a formidable team on the national circuit, famously defeating France (twice), Wales and Scotland between 1980 and 1991. Gérard is eager for them to evolve their identity, rather than the traditional reliance on set-piece and forward power. Though it hasn’t been easy for staff or players, the successes of the past 10 months have given vindication to a side with lofty goals.

“I was very proud of how we went for it against Samoa,” Gérard says. “After qualifying for the World Cup, we had to endure some tough months, but the team overcame it, and we all woke up at the right time. I was so excited in the seconds before we scored that I ran down from the coaching box to the sideline, screaming, ‘go to the posts, score next to the posts,’ since we needed to convert the kick as well.

“We scored 15 tries in three games – how could we not be happy with that? We are working hard to change our team’s mentality, as we need to play rugby. It isn’t enough to just go for the lineout, scrum and driving maul when rugby is much more than that. We have to take risks and attack. And that’s what the Nations Cup enabled us to do.”

On another note, the competition’s return this November will also provide valuable preparation for the World Cup, exposing the team to new challenges that will test the squad’s adaptability, as Gérard states.

“We need to create a habit of looking for solutions while we are training and working in the same place, far away from home. We have to react and be ready for whatever challenge arises, like jet lag, an issue that we will have to deal with next year in Australia.”

Gérard regards a “positive November” as two wins from three, meaning his side would have to defeat their North American rivals on successive weekends.

“USA is a team few want to face right now and Canada has a roster that works closely together. It is going to be great.

“When I first arrived, we beat USA on their home turf, but last year they beat us in Bucharest. So, we are tied, and that second round of the November window will be like a final! At the same time, Romanian fans will be excited as they hear USA and think, ‘Oh, USA! They are big!’, which creates even more expectations.”

The view from the stands

The local rugby community has been abuzz for weeks.

Bogdan Berneaga is a Stejarii superfan, and owner of the Fire and ExtraTime pubs in the Romanian capital. He has travelled to support the side at World Cups and believes the arrival of the Nations Cup will win hearts.

“There’s a good chance once people get used to the new format, it’ll become increasingly exciting. We rugby fans are rather conservative, set in the old ways. Change is not always our cup of tea, but it could become our pint of beer.

“Test matches were always interesting; they might matter a bit more for teams like Romania in terms of rankings and positioning for future tournaments, but only time will tell us how influential the Nations Cup will be for all of us.”

Romania is taking the required steps to regain their once-respected status across the rugby landscape. The Nations Cup has already aided their effort and will continue to play a critical role. With fans feeling the team edging closer to its targets, and players and staff looking more in tune with each other, the Stejarii will attack their final November challenges with ravenous hunger.