Wildcard hooker Theo Dan is living his childhood dream: From his grandad’s garden in Romania to mad ride with England… and he still has posters of Jonny Wilkinson on his wall at home!
It was in his grandparents’ garden in Targu Jiu, in southwest Romania, that Theo Dan spent the school holidays playing with a rugby ball. His grandfather, Ion Dijmarescu, was a professor at the University of Petrosani and was a prop of the first XV.
“Jokingly, I spent most of my summers there, not all my summers,” said Dan, the wildcard hooker for the England World Cup squad. “My grandfather was an engineer, so he literally took steel beams and put two rugby posts in his garden. We spent days, weeks, months there kicking the ball around.
Dan’s parents left the country after the collapse of the Soviet Union and settled in London, where they worked in financial services. They remain close to their Romanian roots – all speaking the language fluently – but Dan’s childhood dream was always to play rugby for England.
His mother, Diana, told Mail Sport: “My father played until he was 36 or 37 and continued to watch into his old age. When we moved to London, my husband took my father and Theo to visit Twickenham Stadium. Théo still has posters of Jonny Wilkinson on his wall at home! It was his dream to play at Twickenham and the childhood dream came true.
When he was young, Dan gained weight on plates of sarmale, a national dish of steamed cabbage stuffed with pork and rice. He booked a return trip to Bucharest this summer but it was quickly canceled when he discovered his surprise selection by Steve Borthwick. “Every time we go there, especially in summer, you come back two or three kilos heavier! said the whore.
Hooker Theo Dan (above) moved from Ampthill from the Championship to the World Cup
A young Theo Dan (white top) in his grandparents’ garden, southwest Romania
The hooker is in contention for his second England start against Chile on Saturday.
“Both my parents are entirely Romanian. My lineage comes from Romania but I was born in the UK, raised in the UK and went to school here. I consider myself as English as they come. For me, I always dreamed of playing for England.
Twelve months ago, Dan was playing in the English second division, loaned by Saracens to Ampthill to make his mark in the world of the first tier. His dream came true sooner than expected.
“It’s crazy to think about it,” Dan, 22, said. “Going from the Championship 12 months ago to the World Cup was pretty crazy. I started the year as fifth or sixth choice at Sarries. It’s completely crazy, to be honest.
“At Ampthill, only a handful of them will play full-time and receive a full-time salary. Many of them are teachers, some do manual work, the second goes roofing during the day and then comes to train in the evening after an hour’s nap.
“I learned so much from this period in the Championship. You form close bonds with some of these boys. They have all been in touch and wish me the best.
He received championship scrum training – “forcing himself” in Jersey – to complement his powerful and dynamic ball carry. This allowed him to build a reputation as a game-changing hooker with Saracens, booking his place at the World Cup after a standout appearance in the Premiership final in May.
He started England’s final preparation against Fiji and made regular appearances off the bench. Against Chile this weekend – a team whose captain also plays in the Championship – he could well be given a bigger role. It would be another pinch-me moment in his remarkable year.
“The environment is all new to me,” he said. “There was a lot to know in terms of schedules, training and taking into account the demands of an England player. It’s a huge step forward.
“It’s been a really rewarding learning curve, I’ve loved every minute of it.”