Valeriu Irimescu (3 November 1940 – 10 March 2026) was a Romanian rugby union player and coach.[1]
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| Born | 3 November 1940 Bucharest, Romania | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Died | 10 March 2026 (aged 85) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Playing career
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Irimescu began playing rugby at a young age in Bucharest, joining the junior ranks of Grivița Roșie. His senior club career was largely spent with Grivița Roșie, one of Romania's dominant teams of the era, with which he won multiple national championships and the FIRA European Champions Cup in 1964.[2]
A versatile back, Irimescu played as a fly-half at club level and occasionally as a fullback, while also representing Romania as a centre. He later had spells abroad in France with clubs such as Paris UC and SC Angoulême.[2]
Irimescu made his debut for the Romania national team in 1960 and went on to earn 32 caps, scoring 65 points.[1] He was a key leader during Romania's "golden generation", occasionally captaining the side and contributing to notable victories against leading European opponents.[3] He was best remembered for his performance in Romania's historic 15–14 victory over France at Bucharest in 1968, scoring all of his team's points, which earned him international recognition.[4]
Coaching career
editAfter retiring from playing, Irimescu transitioned into coaching, becoming one of the most influential figures in Romanian rugby. He served as head coach of the Romania national team from 1973 to 1986, overseeing a period of sustained success in European competitions.[5]
Under his leadership, Romania won several editions of the FIRA Trophy (European Nations Cup), including titles in 1975, 1977, 1981 and 1983. His tenure helped consolidate Romania’s reputation as one of the strongest rugby nations outside the Five Nations.[6] In addition to his national team role, he coached at club level both in Romania and abroad, including spells in France with teams such as AS Eymet, Toulouse AC and US Métro. He also contributed to the development of Romanian rugby as a federal coach and mentor for future generations.[2]
Death
editHonours
editPlayer
edit- Grivița București[1]
- Liga Națională (6): 1959, 1960, 1962, 1966, 1967, 1970
- FIRA European Champions Cup: 1964
- Romania[1]
Federal coach
edit- Romania
- FIRA Trophy (4): 1974–75, 1976–77, 1980–81, 1982–83
References
edit- 1 2 3 4 "Irimescu Valeriu (JIRI)". Airugby.ro (in Romanian). Retrieved 17 March 2026.
- 1 2 3 "Jucătorul de legendă al rugby-ului românesc, Valeriu Irimescu, s-a stins din viață". Romanian Rugby Federation (in Romanian). 10 March 2026. Retrieved 17 March 2026.
- 1 2 Burlacu, Marian (10 March 2026). "România/Dispariție: Fost mare rugbyst, iar apoi antrenor colosal, Valeriu Irimescu s-a stins din viață". Rugby.ro (in Romanian). Retrieved 17 March 2026.
- ↑ Clej, Petru (10 March 2026). "Valeriu Irimescu in memoriam – legenda rugby-ului românesc, decedat la 85 de ani". RFI.ro (in Romanian). Retrieved 17 March 2026.
- ↑ "Cei mai buni jucători de rugby din istoria României". 888sport.ro (in Romanian). 18 August 2023. Retrieved 21 August 2023.
- ↑ Bull, Andy (25 September 2007). "Rugby's forgotten fairytale". The Guardian. Retrieved 17 March 2026.
- ↑ "Rugby: Fostul jucător și antrenor Valeriu Irimescu a decedat la vârsta de 85 de ani". Agerpres (in Romanian). 10 March 2026. Retrieved 17 March 2026.
External links
edit- Valeriu Irimescu at ESPNscrum (archived)
