Reasons for Super Liga champions Timisoara's non participation in the inaugural Qualifying Competition

The reason why the FRR's development side Bucharest Wolves instead of the SuperLiga champions Timisoara will compete in the first season of the new reformed European system has been clarified.

Contrary to what you has been initially speculated (that the facilities were not up to scratch, there wasn't the money), according to quotes from FRR media office Lucian Lorin in the Romanian press it appears that it is to do with Timisoara not being able to meet squad regulations.

Teams competing in Europe are required to name 38 man squads, with at least 10 specialist front rowers and with no more than 2 players classified as non-EU.

Timisoara however have a squad of 32 contracted players, with 9 front rowers and with 5 non-EU players. Although that is strange, as the players referenced were Fijian or Tongan who are both ACP countries who count under the Kolpak ruling.

With all that taken into account it would have been hard to budget for just 2 months until the September playoffs to have drafted in 11 players to meet those regulations, as such the development team Bucharest Wolves has again been put forward.

This is continued frustration for both fans and Timisoara themselves. The Romanian champions (both Timisoara and Baia Mare) have been wishing to enter in Europe for years, and had FRR approval, but the old negligent regime at ERC refused them as they were doing it on a cheap as possible basis and wouldn't pay for extra travelling out of Bucharest.

Dan Paltinisanu Stadium

Now they have been blocked on a technicality they probably had not been made aware of. They had planned to move relocate matches to the football team's bigger 33,000 Dan Paltinisanu Stadium had they qualified, which although would have unlikely to be more than 1/3 full might have offered an occasion for them and a good facility for visitors.

Fans and the tournament itself lose out as well, as Timisoara would have likely been a stronger option. They are a club squad who have spent an entire season together, have foreigners to boost their squad and would enter with the primary goal of winning. Whereas the Wolves would be a side who had just joined to play the tournament, made entirely of Romanians, and plays with the goal of the national coach testing out various new players or combinations, and has no real fan base.

Having said that, the lack of time in which the tournament was put together would inevitably make the first season of the "Qualifying Competition" more difficult to put together ideally. Hopefully with a full year to budget for and prepare, teams now having more knowledge of the regulations and the competition getting off its feet we will still see the strongest possible sides compete in the coming years.