As someone of Romanian descent and a lifelong rugby fan, I just want to say a quick thanks for making such an awesome, informative video that is completely absent of any "digs" or cliche jokes. Seriously great video. Cheers!

Squidge can turn any rugby match into a biography series

Good luck Romania from Wales 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿👌

I am a Springbok fan but watching this made me realize every team has a story and a hardship they had to overcome to get to where they are today. One thing stood out, how the powers that be have held back rugby development so much that many teams that had potential simply fell behind. Zimbabwe and Namibia function because of South Africa but what happened to Kenya's potential? Surely seeing how popular 7s is in Kenya why is WRU not bothered to make programs to grow the game there? How are so many teams still amateur when the game needs to grow? They can't just focus on America and Canada like the rest of the world do not love rugby!!! As for Romania, keep fighting and growing. God Bless.

The first rugby game I ever attended was England-Romania at Twickenham in 2001. As a young Frenchie, I figured I had to support them since their flag looked so much like ours. Things didn't quite go to plan though as they ended up losing 134-0, so it's nice to see how much they've improved since then

Wow, I was not expecting to watch a deep dive into the history and culture of Romanian rugby. What a fascinating video, this is why I love this channel. Thanks squidge!

As a Romanian rugby fan, this was a joy to watch! Congrats on the great research effort you put into it. You're right about the IRB failing smaller rugby nations, not just Romania, by overprotecting the big guns and thinking strictly in terms of money and power, instead of concentrating on growing the game globally. I would love to see a heavily modified qualifying systems that involves all the teams, just like in football, though I know it looks like a pipe dream. It would give smaller teams more chances to play the top dogs and hone their game.

As a romanian rugby player I have really enjoyed the things that you have said about us, like us being able to stand-up repeatedly and go over hard times and still rise up. Also other notable players that think would have deserved a mention would have been: Petru Vladimir Balan ( loosehead prop, double time french champion with the top 14 side Biarritz in 2005 and 2006) ,Marius Tincu ( hooker, won the top 14 in 2009 with Perpignian) and Ovidiu Tonita (back row, also top 14 winner in 2009 eith Perpignian).

Romania toured NZ early as 1975. Argentina hadn't even toured then. They had a pretty good record winning 4 games and losing 3 with a draw with NZ juniors . They managed a win against formidable provincial sides teams like Waikato who had beaten touring sides like the Boks and the Lions, Wallabies and Wales. .Its sad to see how much potential they had as a rugby nation frittered away unnecessarily.

I remember getting up at 2am to "listen" to the live commentary of All Blacks vs Romania first official test. They never allowed camera coverage because they were behind the iron curtain and to this day have only seen snippets.

I hope the Romanian players will receive the recognition they deserve in a close future ! Nice video as always, really enjoyed learning the history of rugby in Romania. Cheers from France

Squidge has this uncanny power of turning anyone into a fan of the most unlikely teams

This is amazing, always love these more historically focused videos! Very impressed by the depth of research and your knowledge

Got tickets to tonga vs romania in lille. As a german with neither tongan, nor romanian ancestry i will support romania, we need more decent rugby nations in europe!

More evidence that this is the best rugby content on the platform. Thanks for your enthusiasm, scholarship and humour

and here how a stranger come and told our story in such a beautiful way. Thank you sir

I'm moving to Romania and can't wait to get involved in the Rugby there.

Yes I have watched a few Romanian games and Cristi Chirica stood out to me as a player to watch. Thanks Squidge I enjoyed that... you have a new sub.

I remember the Romanian teams of the 70s and 80s and it's good to see that they're being recognised. A fairer world would have seen a six nations with them in it in the early 1980s

Thank you Squidge for this Romanian rugby history lesson.

I have tears in my eyes watching this. Thank you so much ❤

these videos giving me a new favourite underdog team every time they appear

This is a great Time for latin rugby with 7 teams getting through to the WC (not even counting Spain). I believe this might be the first time latin countries outnumber the saxon ones in this competition.

Amazing video! I learned so much about my native country's rugby history. Thank you ❤

great analys, thank you, i would like to see film abut zimbabwean rugby history also

Keith Quinn commentating the final clip there of Stefan Constantin (hope I got his name correct) at the 1987 Rugby World Cup. Great commentator, knew infinite minutiae about players🙂. Really interesting, loved the history of Romanian rugby.

Good to see how Romania is doing from then until now, hopefully they sort out the defensive issues to at least be competitive against these three teams 🇮🇪 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🇿🇦

That as a hell of a good review -awesome research!

Great bio... ill be watching a few romanian games this year for sure now. Always top shelf from squidge

Were waiting for your Springbok video. Come come come.

In the 80s there were even talks of Romania being admited to play in the 5 nation tournament

Love this style of video you do on the less well thought of teams, I loved the one you did on italy too. They are so inspirational. Got me totally hyped for the world cup! I really hope you are making a GOOD living at this. The analysis, the history, the research is way beyond what any proffesional pundit or tv channel has ever had to offer. I would love and hate for you to be on one of the big channels. Can we get a video on whether Scotland will make it out of the group of death?

Thank you for this video, Hope Romania does very well at RWC

What a range of kits in that video. The yellow one with the waist patterning is gorgeous, but the stripy one is absolutely rancid.

Only squidge would decide it's necessary to look into a 20 year old financial scandal at a domestic team to preview a country's world cup chances. Keep doing what you do

Thanks for the history lesson. I needed that.

Well that was simply wonderful. Thanks.

Thanks a lot. Great video

Great day when Squidge uploads

I genuinely squealed with delight when I saw this upload haha

I so love your video essays & always come away having learned more about the sport I adore - thank you! Keeping my fingers crossed for a great performance by the Romanian Squad 😊

Really enjoyed this!

Come on squidge, do a Munster one!!

Haven’t watched the last two squidge videos cause there was bad crushed dreams vibes, so delighted to see this

this was wonderful. i cannot wait for the others!

Multumesc, Squidge!

thank you Squidge Rugby !

saw that Sqidgy posted at work, had to take my break immediately!

I asked for this video like 3 years ago and the man delivered.

Awesome!!

Absolutely love these videos, Can't remember if there is an australia one up yet, but looking forward to that so I can send it to my brother out there :D. These videos are also just making me so gaddamn excited for what should be a good world cup :D (Still hoping Ireland can make it to the final and win :D )

"Packed in like fish-fingers into Tadhg Furlong" Nice one!

Very interesting deep dive into Romania. I’d love to see more competitive European teams

new squidge upload yay

More countdown to world cup videos!!🎉

The game is maturing into something really cool. It's evident that a time is coming when a with a well implemented game plan, with proper study of the opposition and what works best for your individual players and as a team can result in a win no mater who is playing. Given that your players have the physical and mental ability to execute the plan for 80 minutes of course. It's going to be an era where rugby smarts and tactics really come into play.

Foarte bine 🇹🇩!

Can’t wait to see what they do in rugby World Cup. Pool B. Tonga vs Romania will be epic.

Squidge the le(d)gend! Love your videos and I can't wait for your Bokke video

cannot wait for the wc

Heads up for pronunciation advice Squidge! Vlaicu is pronounced Vl-eye-coo and Baia Mare is Buy-a Mahr-ay. Keep up the great work!

Andy Robinson was just announced as Bath 'contact coach' today

"Grand slam Scotland"? Thank you for saying it, and then saying it again.

Welcome back, Romania. Kick butt.

Cool video! You pictured the wrong Dave Ellis though. That's the Kiwi skills coach, not the former France defence coach. Great series though

Great video, pity they stalled more or less. Would be good if the got back to their top days, though. The group of good tier 2 countries is growing. At U18 and U20 level, Spain, Portugal and The Netherlands are quite a bit better. These are the countries to watch in the REC in the future, next to Georgia off course.

what a video! It really looks like history repeating itself with the world rugby new competition they are putting forward, shutting down entry to competitive sides like Georgia, Spain, Portugal and Romania... The only way to grow the game is to invest in competitive sides, not in competitive markets. Markets will follow and will be a result of more competitive sides. Georgia, portugal, romania, uruguay deserve equal treatment to countries like USA.

Great video- not sure about the "oaks" tree like jerseys though

amazing how there is only one video the webb ellis cup

What about the underdogs, Os Lobos it would be nice to see a video on how they've accomplished their second ever spot in the RWC and to see what they might bring to the world of rugby...

Hit the notification quicker than Hassell-Collins got dropped from the England squad

Waiting chile

10:24 ❤

Where can I buy that jersey?

Oh for what could have been, Comescu has/had so much to answer for. Never the less from small acorns do giant Oaks grow.

Concerned for the potentially crippled Irish team that MIGHT make it out of pool B.

Do a video about Portugal rising up the ranks in rugby please

Can we get some more Fiji content😊

Gwan munster!

One thing you missed, romania was supposed to join the 6 nations tournament or the 5 nations as it was in the 90s

🎉

I was privileged to have seen Romania in person in 2015, they lost to Italy in the first half but won the second half. So close.

How many Bok fans appreciate that these guys call themselves the Okes?😁

I dont know what is coming up for Romania, but history is repeating itself, they have been ignored by conservative 6 nations and WR, and that is why Romanian rugby experienced degradation. The same thing is happening with Georgia now, even though Georgia has made much more serious investment in local rugby, building rugby bases and stadiums for almost every big Clubs in Georgia, in total, 14 huge rugby stadiums, and Georgian rugby is also doing well, but WR is still ignoring Lelos. So, I am afraid history will repeat itself and without serious competition, Georgia will degrade after while. And look at this new tournament that is coming up, WR totally ignoring every tr2 nations and giving everything to these 12/14 teams that in world rankings are under Georgia, and no prospect for going up. WR has still didn't learn lesson, WR is governed by stupid old mentality dudes that think only about themselves, not about growing rugby globaly. But WR is happy to add rich countries, OOO yes, money,money, money..

Another saffa.... Man I just love seeing underdog teams rise higher and higher. My fav is japan but I really Wana see rugby gain field in the US, asia and the majority of the EU who haven't really given it a chance. Edit: I think holding the WC in countries like japan and the US in 2031 is amazinggg for the sport

God bless our boys 🫡

Can you do one on Manu Samoa? And other pacific nations ?

Why am I not surprised that the IRB played a part in the decline of Romanian rugby? God....i despise the IRB. Rugby must be hands down the most mismanaged major team sport in the world.

Can you do a new video about Canadian rugby

How can they rise again? End corruption, organise nationwide scouting for players, actually pay decent wages, change the coach and get more exposure to international games

I rly wish the 6 nations included more teams. Obviously some teams will be dominated, but it will give more teams the minutes they need to properly improve. Like how is rugby supposed to grow when so many teams aren't even able to practice as a team together? Or even another rugby nations tournament?

Still for a second world cup in a row even if they are worst than spain they got their spot in the office and not in the field so not expecting anything from the top 3/4 in tier 2

100/100

Fish fingers into tadhg furlong 😂😂😂

Do a vídeo about Portugal

Hope they can get back to their former glories

After this World cup Romania are back down to Earth they have been obliterated against the big three.

When Ireland played Romania in 2015 in Wembley Stadium there was 90,000 people attending, the largest amount at a Rugby Match ever.

oh wait shit i'd missed that about alfie wtf

Spain deserved more imo. They qualified fairly in terms of sport. The player they got kicked out for only played a few minutes against the neatherlands, and spain beat them by quite a bit. Also, the spanish federation where cheated by the players club