[5] He was one of the youngest players to have started a match in the Rugby World Cup, competing at Number 8 against Zimbabwe at the age of 19 years 233 days in Auckland on 23 May 1987.

Later accounts of Raducanu's defection suggested a more sensational sequence of events, for which the Glasgow Herald journalist Alaisdair Reid provided an analogy If John Le Carré had tried to write an Ealing comedy script he would have struggled to come up with a combination of intrigue and slapstick as compelling.

[5] According to these accounts, Raducanu's father was possibly a high-ranking member of the Romanian military who was aware of the imminent revolution and concerned about his son's safety in any turmoil that might result.

The bar was connected to the Edinburgh Vaults and with Rowan's assistance Raducanu was able to surface on the streets several hundred yards away from the premises and then find a policeman.

[5][10] Advised by the Refugee Council,[3] Raducanu initially kept a low profile in Scotland and was upset by reports that he had abandoned his wife and baby daughter in Romania, making it known that he was telephoning them daily.

Rowan gave him work on a construction site,[9] and he made his Boroughmuir debut on 20 January 1990, although it was unclear at that point whether he intended to stay in Scotland on a permanent basis.

He made four 1st XV appearances for Leeds in the 1998-1999 season[12] and also played for Bradford & Bingley[13] and Sale[14] before moving to Sedgley Park in Manchester, where he was captain[15] and held a club record, scoring tries in six consecutive matches.

[18] That business involves dealings with his homeland[10] and, in 2007, he worked with Whitgift School and the Romanian Embassy in London to arrange a scholarship for a promising young rugby player from his home country.