Alexandru Penciu
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| Date of birth | 1 November 1932 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Place of birth | Bucharest, Romania | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of death | 11 August 2023 (aged 90) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Alexandru Penciu (1 November 1932 – 11 August 2023) was a Romanian rugby union player and coach, who played as a fullback or centre. Amongst the best players of all time, he was nicknamed "Alexander the Great" (Alexandru cel Mare) in his home country.[1]
Club career
Penciu started his rugby career after the Second World War with Petrolul București as a youth in 1947. In the same year he moved to Locomotiva PPT, where he played from 1947 to 1952, and was promoted to the first team in 1950. He joined
In 1969, Penciu was allowed by the communist authorities to play abroad in Italy. Penciu was a player-coach for Italian side Rovigo. He scored the most points in the Serie A league in 1970-1971 (104 points) and 1971-1972 (124 points).[2]
Penciu retired as a player, in 1973, at the age of 40.
International career
Penciu won 34 caps for
His last international game was on 10 December 1967 in Nantes in the 11–3 defeat against France in the FIRA Nations Cup, where he scored a penalty. It was the second consecutive second-place finish for Romania in the competition, losing twice in a row the title to France, then the only continental European side at the Five Nations Championship.[3]
Coaching career
After retiring as a player, he coached a number of clubs in Canada, France and Italy.[3]
Death
Alexandru Penciu died on 11 August 2023, at the age of 90.[4]
Honours
Club
- Steaua Bucharest
- Romanian League(5): 1953, 1954, 1961, 1963, 1964
- Romanian Cup (4): 1953, 1955, 1956, 1958
International
- Romania
- FIRA Nations Cup runner-up: 1967
See also
References
- ^ Henri Garcia (1978). La Fabuleuse Histoire du rugby. O.D.I.L, France.
- ^ Francesco Volpe, Paolo Pacitti (2008). Rugby 2009. ZESI, Italia.
- ^ a b "Alexandru cel Mare". Romanian Rugby Federation (in Romanian). 30 December 2009. Retrieved 16 April 2013.
- ^ "A murit unul din cei mai valoroși sportivi români ai tuturor timpurilor, supranumit 'Alexandru cel Mare'". Stiripesurse. 12 August 2023. Retrieved 12 August 2023.