Florin Vlaicu

Florin Vlaicu

Vlaicu featuring in a SuperLiga match in 2015
Full name	Florian Adrian Vlaicu
Date of birth	(1986-07-26) 26 July 1986 (age 38)
Place of birth	Bucharest, Romania
Height	1.86 m (6 ft 1 in)
Weight	103 kg (16 st 3 lb; 227 lb)
Rugby union career
Position(s) Fly-half, centre, fullback Current team SCM Timișoara Youth career RC Flamingo București RC Grivița București Senior career Years Team Apps (Points) 2005–2011 Steaua București 38 (189) 2011 RCM Timișoara 0 (0) 2012–2013 Steaua București 8 (59) 2014 Farul Constanța 18 (184) 2015 Olimpia București 10 (89) 2015–2016 Calvisano 14 (86) 2016–2018 Steaua București 21 (201) 2018–2019 CSM București 13 (128) 2019–2021 Steaua București 8 (42) 2021–2022 SCM Timișoara 10 (36) Correct as of 17 October 2021 Provincial / State sides Years Team Apps (Points) 2005–15 București Wolves 54 (306) Correct as of 12 April 2020 International career Years Team Apps (Points) 2006–2022 Romania 129 (1030) Correct as of 13 October 2021

Florin Vlaicu (born 26 July 1986) is a Romanian former rugby union player. He last played as a fly half or centre for Liga Națională de Rugby club SCM Timișoara. He could also play as a fullback, thus being considered a utility back due to his versatility. He is Romania's all time leading point scorer and the most capped player for his nation.

Club career

Vlaicu in 2017 playing for Steaua hitting the ball with his trademark shot

Junior years

Vlaicu started playing rugby at RC Flamingo București, an amateur rugby club that recruited schoolboys suited for the sport. He then moved to local club RC Grivița București, where he continued his junior years.

Senior years

After finishing his junior career he joined local giants Steaua. After 8 seasons with Steaua, with a brief stint with RCM Timișoara for whom he played one single match in 2011, he was signed in early 2014 by RCJ Farul Constanța, where he played for the whole season. Beginning with 2015 a move to local team CSM Olimpia București followed. After an impressive performance at the 2015 Rugby World Cup, Vlaicu was signed by Italian club Calvisano. After just one season with the Italians, Vlaicu returned to home soil, this time joining his former team Steaua. After 2 seasons we was once again signed by CSM București who had big ambitions at that moment in establishing a powerful side in order to capture both SuperLiga and Romanian Cup trophies. In 2019 his third spell with giants Steaua begun following the dissolution of his former club, CSM.[1][2][3][4][5][6]

Provincial / State sides

Vlaicu was also selected between 2005 and 2015 for the State side assembled to play in the European Cups, namely București Wolves.

Vlaicu with Romania in September 2011.

International career

Vlaicu made his international debut in 2006 as a substitute against Ukraine. He played for Romania in the IRB Nations Cup and in their 2007 Rugby World Cup qualifying before appearing for them in the 2007 Rugby World Cup. He played two Tests at the World Cup as a substitute against both Scotland and the All Blacks, scoring a penalty against the latter. He also played at the 2011 Rugby World Cup and the 2015 Rugby World Cup. He reached his 100th cap on 11 March 2017 when Romania played against Belgium in Brussels.[7]

Records

Vlaicu set a series of records during his career. He is the most-capped Romanian player at international level with 129 caps,[8] as well as the all-time caps leader from what World Rugby calls an "emerging nation"—defined in men's rugby as those outside of The Rugby Championship or Six Nations Championship.[9] When he retired in 2022 he was the sixth leading top point scorer in international rugby, with 1030 points.[10] Florin is also the most prolific point scorer for Romania at the Rugby World Cup with 28 points scored over three tournaments.[11] On 13 March 2021 Vlaicu surpassed the 1000 point mark, kicking three penalties to help Romania overcome Portugal in the 2021 Rugby Europe Championship.[12]

Retirement

Vlaicu announced his retirement from rugby at the end of 2022.[13]

Honours

Club

Steaua București

• Liga Națională
  • Champion: 2006
• Romanian Cup
  • Winner (3): 2006, 2007, 2019

RCM Timișoara

• Romanian Cup
  • Winner: 2011[14]

CSM București

• Romanian Cup
  • Winner: 2018

International

Romania

• Rugby Europe Championships
  • Champion (3): 2004–06, 2008–10, 2016–17

See also

• List of leading rugby union test point scorers
• List of rugby union test caps leaders

References

1. LA MULȚI ANI, FLORIN VLAICU!
2. Rugby: Florin Vlaicu şi Otar Turaşvili, achiziţii de marcă ale RCJ Farul Constanţa
3. Florin Vlaicu a semnat cu campioana Italiei. Cel mai bun marcator al României la Mondialele de rugby e mulțumit: „Pentru moment e ce mi-am dorit”. Italienii sunt extaziați: „Așteptăm de la el performanțe excelente”
4. Rugbistul Florin Vlaicu a semnat cu CSM București
5. RCM Timișoara i-a transferat pe Lucaci și Vlaicu de la Steaua
6. Jucatorul etapei a VI-a din SuperLiga CEC Bank: Florin Vlaicu
7. Rugby: Florin Vlaicu va bifa selecția cu numărul 100 în partida de sâmbătă cu Belgia, din REC
8. "Omul-record. Florin Vlaicu va deveni sâmbătă cel mai selecţionat jucător român din istorie". Archived from the original on 2017-04-16. Retrieved 2017-04-15.
9. "Mihai Macovei joins a growing list of test centurions from emerging nations". World Rugby. 2 December 2022. Retrieved 3 December 2022.
10. Florin Vlaicu marcatorul nr 1 în activitate din rugby-ul internațional
11. Romania Rugby World Cup Players Statistics
12. "Report: Late drama as Romania snatch victory in Lisbon". Rugby Europe. Retrieved 13 March 2021.
13. "The retired class of 2022". www.world.rugby. 2023-01-04. Retrieved 2023-01-07.
14. RCM Timişoara a cîştigat Cupa României la rugby

External links

• Florin Vlaicu at ESPNscrum
• Florin Vlaicu at ItsRugby.co.uk
• Florin Vlaicu at European Professional Club Rugby (archived)
• Florin Vlaicu at European Professional Club Rugby
• Florin Vlaicu at Romanian Rugby SuperLiga (in Romanian)