| Born | 30 October 1977 Focșani, Romania | ||||||||||||||||
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| Height | 6 ft 3 in (191 cm) | ||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 222 lb (101 kg) | ||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||
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Costica Mersoiu (born 30 October 1977) is a Romanian former rugby union international. [1]
Born in Focșani, Mersoiu was a back-rower and earned 39 Test caps for Romania, debuting in 2000. [2]
Mersoiu received a two-year prison sentence in 2001 for manslaughter, having beaten to death his mother's live-in lover. [3] Released from prison early for good behaviour, Mersoiu was rehabilitated back into the national team. [4]
At club level, Mersoiu played locally for Steaua Bucarest and won a national title with the team in 2003, after which he competed in France with CA Périgueux and then AS Béziers. [5]
Mersoiu scored a try in Romania's surprise win over Tier 1 team Italy in 2004. [6] Due to injuries, Mersoiu missed both the 2003 and 2007 Rugby World Cups. He served for a period as national captain in 2007 and 2008. [7]