RO25 OINA – traditional Romanian sports game

After discovering all the traditions associated with traditional Romanian costume, the students were introduced to a sport that is just as traditional: oina..In recent years the Romanian Oină Federation has launched a wide campaign to revive this kind of sport.

A sports teacher and an oina player welcomed the group on the sports field of the school, and after a short warm-up session, explained the rules of the game. Oina is a bat-and-ball game, similar in many ways to baseball. Oina is a sport in which the players of a team play differently in one half of the game than they do in the second half. In one half, a team is 'pitching' and, in the second half, the same team is 'catching'. Characterized by dynamism and speed, oina,  is a sports game that perfectly combines running and jumping with thinking. Our students took part in several  matches. After oina, the teachers organized a game of tag rugby, a non-contact team game in which each player wears a belt that has two Velcro tags attached to it. Attacking players attempt to dodge, evade and pass a rugby ball while defenders attempt to prevent them scoring by "tagging" – pulling a velcro attached tag from the ball carrier, rather than a full contact tackle.

The French students quickly learnt the rules of the  game which was new to them  and participated actively. They developed teamwork, communication, coordination and improved their physical and mental health. They learnt to respect rules and practice fair-play. But above all, they  had a lot of fun and were happy to be together in the open air. It was a great experience.