Andrea Masi
Encyclopedia
Andrea Masi is an Italian
rugby union
footballer. His usual position is in the centres but he has also played at fly-half and at full-back. He currently plays for the Italian franchise in the RaboDirect Pro12, Aironi
. Masi has also been capped for the national team
, and was a part of their squad at the 2003 Rugby World Cup
in Australia
, the 2007 Rugby World Cup
in France
and the 2011 Rugby World Cup
in New Zealand
.
Masi was born in L'Aquila
, Abruzzo
. He was recognized as a talented player at an early age, and he made his debut for L'Aquila
at the age of 16. He was soon called up for national selection, and made his international debut for Italy against Spain
in 1999. He became a regular in the Italian squad, but did not feature in the Six Nations
until 2003 when he appeared against England
. He joined Viadana
in 2003 and was also included in Italy's squad for the World Cup
in Australia that year. He had his 2005 season disrupted by injury. In the 2008 Six Nations Championship
, new coach Nick Mallett
played Masi at fly-half, a role he had not played before but many experts believed this move was unsuccessful and he was moved to full-back for the start of the 2009 Six Nations Championship
.
In March 2011, Masi was named the 2011 Six Nations
Player of the Championship. Masi scored Italy's late try in their first ever Championship win against France
.
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
footballer. His usual position is in the centres but he has also played at fly-half and at full-back. He currently plays for the Italian franchise in the RaboDirect Pro12, Aironi
Aironi
Aironi Rugby are an Italian professional rugby club competing in the RaboDirect Pro12 and the Heineken Cup. They represent the Italian regions of Lombardy and Emilia Romagna.- Home ground :...
. Masi has also been capped for the national team
Italy national rugby union team
The Italy national rugby union team represent the nation of Italy in the sport of rugby union. The team is also known as the Azzurri . Italy have been playing international rugby since the late 1920s, and since 2000 compete annually in the Six Nations Championship with England, France, Ireland,...
, and was a part of their squad at the 2003 Rugby World Cup
2003 Rugby World Cup
The 2003 Rugby World Cup was the fifth Rugby World Cup and was won by England. Originally planned to be co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand, all games were shifted to Australia following a contractual dispute over ground signage rights between the New Zealand Rugby Football Union and Rugby World...
in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, the 2007 Rugby World Cup
2007 Rugby World Cup
The 2007 Rugby World Cup was the sixth Rugby World Cup, a quadrennial international rugby union competition inaugurated in 1987. Twenty nations competed for the Webb Ellis Cup in the tournament, which was hosted by France from 7 September to 20 October. France won the hosting rights in 2003,...
in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and the 2011 Rugby World Cup
2011 Rugby World Cup
The 2011 Rugby World Cup was the seventh Rugby World Cup, a quadrennial international rugby union competition inaugurated in 1987. The International Rugby Board selected New Zealand as the host country in preference to Japan and South Africa at a meeting in Dublin on 17 November 2005...
in New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
.
Masi was born in L'Aquila
L'Aquila
L'Aquila is a city and comune in central Italy, both the capital city of the Abruzzo region and of the Province of L'Aquila. , it has a population of 73,150 inhabitants, but has a daily presence in the territory of 100,000 people for study, tertiary activities, jobs and tourism...
, Abruzzo
Abruzzo
Abruzzo is a region in Italy, its western border lying less than due east of Rome. Abruzzo borders the region of Marche to the north, Lazio to the west and south-west, Molise to the south-east, and the Adriatic Sea to the east...
. He was recognized as a talented player at an early age, and he made his debut for L'Aquila
L'Aquila Rugby
L'Aquila Rugby 1936 are an Italian rugby union club currently competing in Super 10.The club is based in L'Aquila which is the capital of Abruzzo.The official colours of the club are black and green, the colours of the city of L'Aquila.-History:...
at the age of 16. He was soon called up for national selection, and made his international debut for Italy against Spain
Spain national rugby union team
The Spain national rugby union team are a national sporting side of Spain, representing them at rugby union. Spain have been playing rugby since the late 1920s, playing their first international against Italy in 1929. They have qualified for one Rugby World Cup, in 1999 where they were pooled with...
in 1999. He became a regular in the Italian squad, but did not feature in the Six Nations
Six Nations Championship
The Six Nations Championship is an annual international rugby union competition involving six European sides: England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales....
until 2003 when he appeared against England
England national rugby union team
The England national rugby union team represents England in rugby union. They compete in the annual Six Nations Championship with France, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, and Wales. They have won this championship on 26 occasions, 12 times winning the Grand Slam, making them the most successful team in...
. He joined Viadana
Viadana Rugby
Rugby Viadana is an Italian rugby union club that until 2010 competed in the Super 10. They are based in Viadana . The club was established in 1970, and has since won the Italian championship in 2002, and the Coppa Italia three times. They also compete in European rugby competitions and were...
in 2003 and was also included in Italy's squad for the World Cup
2003 Rugby World Cup
The 2003 Rugby World Cup was the fifth Rugby World Cup and was won by England. Originally planned to be co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand, all games were shifted to Australia following a contractual dispute over ground signage rights between the New Zealand Rugby Football Union and Rugby World...
in Australia that year. He had his 2005 season disrupted by injury. In the 2008 Six Nations Championship
2008 Six Nations Championship
The 2008 Six Nations Championship, known as the 2008 RBS 6 Nations because of the tournament's sponsorship by the Royal Bank of Scotland, was the ninth series of the rugby union Six Nations Championship. Including the previous incarnations as the Home Nations and Five Nations, this was the 114th...
, new coach Nick Mallett
Nick Mallett
Nicholas Vivian Howard Mallett is a former South African rugby union player who was until recently the head coach of the Italian national team, previously replacing Pierre Berbizier on 3 October 2007...
played Masi at fly-half, a role he had not played before but many experts believed this move was unsuccessful and he was moved to full-back for the start of the 2009 Six Nations Championship
2009 Six Nations Championship
The 2009 Six Nations Championship, known as the 2009 RBS 6 Nations because of the tournament's sponsorship by the Royal Bank of Scotland, was the tenth Six Nations Championship, an annual rugby union competition contested by the six major Northern Hemisphere rugby union national teams...
.
In March 2011, Masi was named the 2011 Six Nations
2011 Six Nations Championship
The 2011 Six Nations Championship, known as the 2011 RBS 6 Nations due to the tournament's sponsorship by the Royal Bank of Scotland, was the 12th series of the Six Nations Championship. The annual northern hemisphere rugby union championship was contested by England, France, Ireland, Italy,...
Player of the Championship. Masi scored Italy's late try in their first ever Championship win against France
France national rugby union team
The France national rugby union team represents France in rugby union. They compete annually against England, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales in the Six Nations Championship. They have won the championship outright sixteen times, shared it a further eight times, and have completed nine grand slams...
.