FRANCE 98 – A Romanian reunion in Albi for Gheorghe Hagi and his rugby-playing compatriot Adrian Lungu
The presentation of the Romanian team (Group G) to the residents of Albi on Sunday June 7th was the opportunity for the rugby player Adrian Lungu and the playmaker of the Romanian team Gheorghe HAGI (10) to meet again after ten years of separation. Adrian Lungu, the former Romanian rugby international, was part of the Castres Olympique side who won the French championship in 1993 and were finalists in 1995. He still lives in the Tarn Department, but now plays for Castelnaudary (Aude). He started his career, in the same town of Constantza, situated by the Black Sea in southern Romania as the leading Romanian and Galatasaray player, Gheorghe HAGI(10). Being based in the sports complex of the local club “Farul Constantza”, they regularly took part in training days together when they were aged between 15 and 17 – each one playing his particular sport but wearing the same strip. After Gheorghe HAGI (10) joined the Bucharest club, Adrian Lungu also moved to the Romanian capital in 1980. Then they went their separate ways, Gheorghe HAGI (10) first joined Barcelona FC (SPAIN) and then the Turkish club Galatasaray in 1997. In the meantime, Adrian Lungu went to strengthen the three-quarters line of the Castres Olympique team in 1991. The fact that ROMANIA are based in Albi has enabled them to meet up again in an emotional reunion.