Petru Bălan
| Date of birth | 12 June 1976 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Place of birth | Suceava, Romania | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.87 m (6 ft 2 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 122 kg (18 st 6 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Petru Vladimir Bălan (born 12 July 1976 in Suceava) is a Romanian rugby union footballer, currently playing for RC Timişoara in the top level of Romanian rugby. He is also a Romanian international, and has played for his national team. His usual position is as a prop.
Before moving to play rugby in France he played for Dinamo Bucharest in Romania, including playing for them in the 1998-99 European Challenge Cup. He played for FC Grenoble in the 2002-04 Challenge Cup and European Shield competitions. He moved to Biarritz for the 2003-04 season. He was a part of the team that were runners-up to Munster in the 2005-06 Heineken Cup, and won the 2005-06 Top 14.
He was a part of the Romanian team at the 2003 Rugby World Cup, playing two matches throughout the tournament held in Australia.
On 14 March 2008 Bălan signed for Northampton Saints in the Guinness Premiership. He was expected to join the club for the 2008-09 season, but back problems lead to his contract being voided. After finishing the season with Biarritz, Bălan was idle until he signed a two-year contract with Fédérale 1 (Third Division) club Saint-Jean-de-Luz.
External links
- Petru Balan on ercrugby.com
- Petru Balan on rwc2003.irb.com