Benetton Rugby Treviso
Encyclopedia
Benetton Rugby Treviso are an Italian
professional rugby union
club currently competing in the RaboDirect Pro12
and the Heineken Cup
.
They are based in Treviso
in Veneto
, and owned by the Benetton
clothing company.
Treviso were founded in 1932, and the Benetton group has owned it since 1979.
The team has won 15 national titles.
Many foreign players have played for Treviso including coach and World Cup winner Craig Green
, the former national coach and World Cup winner John Kirwan and World Cup winner Michael Lynagh
. Several players from London Wasps
were given the opportunity to grow with Treviso in the late 80's, early 90's. These included the talented Vernon MacNab, Richard Kinsey and Andy Cooper
.
Treviso have always supplied a large number of players to the national team
.
The year after Benetton became the main sponsor and the name of the team became "Benetton Rugby Treviso".
The domestic premiership was won twice during the 1980s as well, in 1983 and then again in 1989. Benetton Treviso won it three seasons later as well, being champions of the 1992 season.
Rugby turned professional after 1995. Benetton Treviso competed in the 1995-96 Heineken Cup
, the inaugural competition of the European rugby competitions. Benetton Treviso played two games in the competition, winning one and losing one. The following season they played four matches in the Heineken Cup, and won just the one game. They also won the domestic championship in the 1997 season. The 1998–99 Heineken Cup produced good results for Benetton Treviso, as they won three games.
Benetton Treviso dominated the Italian leagues for a number of seasons to come. They won the Italian Cup in 1998, as well as their premiership, this was followed by premiership victories in 1999, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007 and 2009. Benetton Treviso spent the 2000–01 and 2002–03 European seasons in the European Challenge Cup
, but have appeared in the Heineken Cup in each season since then. They won half of their games during the 2004–05 Heineken Cup, but would win only one Heineken Cup match in the following four seasons (at Newport Gwent Dragons
in 2007).
They scored arguably their biggest European win in their 2009–10 Heineken Cup
opener, stunning reigning Top 14 champions Perpignan
9–8 in Treviso.
In 2010 Treviso played for the first time in its life as Leoni Treviso the Celtic League
, representing the region of Veneto
. After three matches Treviso won two games.
(
Bourgoin
)
(
Saracens)
Michael Lynagh
Michael Horak
Peter Richards
Robert Barbieri
Tommaso Benvenuti
Mauro Bergamasco
Mirco Bergamasco
Kristopher Burton
Gonzalo Canale
Carlo Checchinato
Santiago Dellapè
Paul Derbyshire
Gianluca Faliva
Ignacio Fernandez Rouyet
Ivan Francescato
Gonzalo Garcia
Leonardo Ghiraldini
Edoardo Gori
Luke McLean
Fabio Ongaro
Scott Palmer
Sergio Parisse
Alberto Sgarbi
Alessandro Troncon
Manoa Vosawai
Alessandro Zanni
John Kirwan Craig Green
Marco Wentzel
Andy Moore
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...
professional 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...
club currently competing in the RaboDirect Pro12
Celtic League (rugby union)
The Celtic League is an annual rugby union competition involving professional sides from Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales....
and the Heineken Cup
Heineken Cup
The Heineken Cup is one of two annual rugby union competitions organised by European Rugby Cup involving leading club, regional and provincial teams from the six International Rugby Board countries in Europe whose national teams compete in the Six Nations Championship: England, France, Ireland,...
.
They are based in Treviso
Treviso
Treviso is a city and comune in Veneto, northern Italy. It is the capital of the province of Treviso and the municipality has 82,854 inhabitants : some 3,000 live within the Venetian walls or in the historical and monumental center, some 80,000 live in the urban center proper, while the city...
in Veneto
Veneto
Veneto is one of the 20 regions of Italy. Its population is about 5 million, ranking 5th in Italy.Veneto had been for more than a millennium an independent state, the Republic of Venice, until it was eventually annexed by Italy in 1866 after brief Austrian and French rule...
, and owned by the Benetton
Benetton Group
Benetton Group S.p.A. is a global luxury fashion brand, based in Treviso, Italy. The name comes from the Benetton family who founded the company in 1965. Benetton Group is listed in Milan....
clothing company.
Treviso were founded in 1932, and the Benetton group has owned it since 1979.
The team has won 15 national titles.
Many foreign players have played for Treviso including coach and World Cup winner Craig Green
Craig Green
Craig Ivan Green, is a New Zealand born rugby union footballer turned coach. He played on the wing and played 39 times as an All Black from 1983 until 1987. He played his provincial rugby for Canterbury and finished off his career in Italy.-Coaching career:Recently he has moved back to Italy and...
, the former national coach and World Cup winner John Kirwan and World Cup winner Michael Lynagh
Michael Lynagh
Michael Lynagh is a former Australian rugby union footballer who played as a Fly-half.Lynagh represented Australia from 1984 to 1995, playing at both inside centre and fly half. Lynagh was capped 72 times for Australia, and was captain from 1993 to 1995. He was the world points scoring record...
. Several players from London Wasps
London Wasps
London Wasps is an English professional rugby union team. The men's first team, which forms London Wasps, was derived from Wasps Football Club who were formed in 1867 at the now defunct Eton and Middlesex Tavern in North London, at the turn of professionalism in 1999...
were given the opportunity to grow with Treviso in the late 80's, early 90's. These included the talented Vernon MacNab, Richard Kinsey and Andy Cooper
Andy Cooper
Andrew Lewis Cooper , nicknamed "Lefty," was an American left-handed pitcher, who hit right-handed, in baseball's Negro Leagues. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2006....
.
Treviso have always supplied a large number of players to 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,...
.
History
Treviso rugby team were founded in 1932. The club would win its first honour when they took out the 1952 Italian premiership, the first of many titles that would come for the club. During the 1970s, Benetton Treviso won the Italian Cup for the first time in its history during the 1970 season, and it 1978, sponsored by Metalcrom, won the Italian premiership once again.The year after Benetton became the main sponsor and the name of the team became "Benetton Rugby Treviso".
The domestic premiership was won twice during the 1980s as well, in 1983 and then again in 1989. Benetton Treviso won it three seasons later as well, being champions of the 1992 season.
Rugby turned professional after 1995. Benetton Treviso competed in the 1995-96 Heineken Cup
1995-96 Heineken Cup
The 1995–96 Heineken Cup was the first edition of the Heineken Cup, which was to become the annual rugby union European club competition for clubs from the top six nations in European rugby...
, the inaugural competition of the European rugby competitions. Benetton Treviso played two games in the competition, winning one and losing one. The following season they played four matches in the Heineken Cup, and won just the one game. They also won the domestic championship in the 1997 season. The 1998–99 Heineken Cup produced good results for Benetton Treviso, as they won three games.
Benetton Treviso dominated the Italian leagues for a number of seasons to come. They won the Italian Cup in 1998, as well as their premiership, this was followed by premiership victories in 1999, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007 and 2009. Benetton Treviso spent the 2000–01 and 2002–03 European seasons in the European Challenge Cup
European Challenge Cup
The European Challenge Cup, currently known for sponsorship reasons as the Amlin Challenge Cup, is one of two annual rugby union competitions organised by European Rugby Cup. The cup was known as the Parker Pen Shield from 2001 to 2003 and Parker Pen Challenge Cup from 2003 to 2005. The European...
, but have appeared in the Heineken Cup in each season since then. They won half of their games during the 2004–05 Heineken Cup, but would win only one Heineken Cup match in the following four seasons (at Newport Gwent Dragons
Newport Gwent Dragons
Newport Gwent Dragons are one of the four professional Rugby Union regional teams in Wales. They are jointly owned by Newport RFC and the Welsh Rugby Union and play all their home games at Rodney Parade, Newport. They play in the RaboDirect Pro12, the Anglo-Welsh Cup and the Heineken Cup...
in 2007).
They scored arguably their biggest European win in their 2009–10 Heineken Cup
2009–10 Heineken Cup pool stage
The pool stage of the 2009–10 Heineken Cup was the opening phase of the annual competition, in which 24 teams were arranged into six pools contesting of four teams each and then competed in a home-and-away double round robin...
opener, stunning reigning Top 14 champions Perpignan
USA Perpignan
Union Sportive des Arlequins Perpignanais or Unió eSportiva Arlequins de Perpinyà , generally abbreviated as USAP in both languages, is a French rugby union club that plays in the city of Perpignan in Pyrénées-Orientales. The club currently competes in the Top 14, the top level of the French...
9–8 in Treviso.
In 2010 Treviso played for the first time in its life as Leoni Treviso the Celtic League
Celtic League (rugby union)
The Celtic League is an annual rugby union competition involving professional sides from Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales....
, representing the region of Veneto
Veneto
Veneto is one of the 20 regions of Italy. Its population is about 5 million, ranking 5th in Italy.Veneto had been for more than a millennium an independent state, the Republic of Venice, until it was eventually annexed by Italy in 1866 after brief Austrian and French rule...
. After three matches Treviso won two games.
Honours
- Super 10Super 10 (Italian premiership)The withdrawal of Viadana and Benetton Treviso from the league has been compounded by club mergers. Rugby Viadana, Gran Parma and Colorno have merged to form GranDucato Rugby. Overmach Parma and Noceto have merged to form Crociati, both new clubs to be based in Parma. These changes created 2...
:- Champions: 1956, 1978, 1983, 1989, 1992, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010
- Coppa ItaliaCoppa Italia (rugby)The Coppa Italia is a rugby union competition in Italy for domestic clubs. The competition is second to the Super 10. The competition has been contested annually since 1967, though it was not held from 1974 to 1980, and 1983 to 1994, and again in 1996, 1999 and 2002...
:- Champions: 1970, 1998, 2005, 2010
European Challenge Cup
| Season | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | For | Against |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000–01 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 157 | 97 |
| 2002–03 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 87 | 69 |
Heineken Cup
| Season | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | For | Against |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995–96 1995-96 Heineken Cup The 1995–96 Heineken Cup was the first edition of the Heineken Cup, which was to become the annual rugby union European club competition for clubs from the top six nations in European rugby... |
2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 95 | 26 |
| 1996–97 1996-97 Heineken Cup The 1996–97 Heineken Cup was the second edition of the Heineken Cup. Competing teams from France, Ireland, Italy, Wales and for the first time England and Scotland, were divided into four pools of five, in which teams played each other only once, meaning two home and two away games per team... |
4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 106 | 135 |
| 1997–98 1997-98 Heineken Cup The 1997–98 Heineken Cup was the third edition of the Heineken Cup. Competing teams from France, Ireland, Italy, Wales, England and Scotland, were divided into five pools of four, in which teams played home and away matches against each other. The pool winners automatically qualified for the... |
6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 146 | 162 |
| 1998–99 1998-99 Heineken Cup The 1998-1999 Heineken Cup was the fourth edition of the Heineken Cup. Competing teams from France, Ireland, Italy, Wales, and Scotland, were divided into four pools of four, in which teams played home and away matches against each other... |
6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 142 | 150 |
| 1999–2000 1999-00 Heineken Cup The 1999–2000 Heineken Cup was the fifth edition of the Heineken Cup. Competing teams from France, Ireland, Italy, Wales, England and Scotland, were divided into six pools of four, in which teams played home and away matches against each other... |
6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 100 | 167 |
| 2001–02 2001-02 Heineken Cup The 2001–02 Heineken Cup was the seventh edition of the Heineken Cup. Competing teams from France, Ireland, Italy, Wales, England and Scotland, were divided into six pools of four, in which teams played home and away matches against each other. The pool winners and two best runners-up qualified for... |
6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 102 | 239 |
| 2003–04 2003-04 Heineken Cup The 2003-4 Heineken Cup was the ninth season for which European teams competed for the Heineken Cup. Competing teams, from England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales, were divided into six pools of four, in which teams played home and away matches against each other... |
6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 104 | 225 |
| 2004–05 2004-05 Heineken Cup The 2004-5 Heineken Cup was the tenth edition of the Heineken Cup. Competing teams, from England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales, were divided into six pools of four, in which teams played home and away matches against each other... |
6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 136 | 181 |
| 2005–06 2005-06 Heineken Cup The 2005–06 Heineken Cup was the eleventh edition of the European Heineken Cup rugby union club tournament. 24 teams from 7 different countries took part, with the opening game played on Friday October 21, 2005... |
6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 104 | 207 |
| 2006–07 2006-07 Heineken Cup The 2006–07 Heineken Cup was the 12th edition of the European Heineken Cup rugby union club tournament. The pool draw took place on 21 June at Twickenham. The pool stages started on 20 October and concluded in January, going for six rounds... |
6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 83 | 277 |
| 2007–08 2007-08 Heineken Cup The 2007–08 Heineken Cup was the 13th edition of the Heineken Cup, the annual rugby union European club competition for clubs from the top six nations in European rugby.The start of the tournament was delayed because of the 2007 Rugby World Cup... |
6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 107 | 207 |
| 2008–09 2008-09 Heineken Cup The 2008–09 Heineken Cup was the fourteenth edition of the Heineken Cup, the annual rugby union European club competition for clubs from the top six nations in European rugby. It started in October 2008 and ended on 23 May 2009 at Murrayfield in Edinburgh... |
6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 72 | 291 |
| 2009–10 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 68 | 178 |
Squad 2011/2012
Transfers in 2011/2012
Alberto di BernardoAlberto Di Bernardo
Alberto Di Bernardo is an Italian/Argentine rugby union player, currently playing in Celtic League, for Benetton Rugby Treviso. His usual position is at fly-half and he has played for Italy A....
(
BourgoinCS Bourgoin-Jallieu
CS Bourgoin-Jallieu is a French rugby union club currently competing in the second level of the French league system in the Pro D2. The club have been runners-up in the French championship and the Challenge Yves du Manoir competitions, and have won the Challenge Cup.Founded in 1906 as "Club...
)
Transfers out 2011/2012
Joe MaddockJoe Maddock (rugby player)
Joe Maddock , is a rugby union winger/fullback who currently plays for Saracens F.C. in the Aviva Premiership....
(
Saracens)Internationally capped former/current players
Lucas BorgesLucas Borges
Lucas Borges is an Argentina rugby union player. He played for Benetton Rugby in the Italian Super 10. Borges has also played for the Argentina national team, Los Pumas. His usual position is on the wing....
Michael Lynagh
Michael Lynagh
Michael Lynagh is a former Australian rugby union footballer who played as a Fly-half.Lynagh represented Australia from 1984 to 1995, playing at both inside centre and fly half. Lynagh was capped 72 times for Australia, and was captain from 1993 to 1995. He was the world points scoring record...
Michael Horak
Michael Horak
Michael John Horak is a former rugby union footballer and former rugby league player who last played at fullback or wing for Saracens....
Peter Richards
Peter Richards
Peter Richards may refer to:*Peter Richards, rugby union player*Peter Richards , , artist & curator, Belfast*Peter Richards, a supporting character from Dallas, played by Christopher Atkins...
Robert Barbieri
Robert Barbieri
Robert Julian Barbieri is a Canadian-born Italian rugby union player. He plays as a flanker. He decided to represent Italy....
Tommaso Benvenuti
Tommaso Benvenuti (rugby union)
Tommaso Benvenuti is an Italian rugby union player. He plays as a centre, wing or fullback. He plays for Benetton Treviso. In October 2010, he was selected for the Italy training squad preparing for the November tests. He made his Italy debut against Argentina on 13 November 2010. He also played...
Mauro Bergamasco
Mauro Bergamasco
Mauro Bergamasco is an Italian rugby union footballer. He predominantly plays as an open-side flanker, although his versatility means has also played a number of international games on the wing, and started at scrum-half in an infamously error-prone performance...
Mirco Bergamasco
Mirco Bergamasco
Mirco Bergamasco is an Italian rugby union footballer. He primarily plays centre, presently with Parisian club Racing Métro in the French Top 14, and internationally with Italy...
Kristopher Burton
Kristopher Burton
Kristopher Burton is an Italian rugby union player for Benetton Treviso in the RaboDirect Pro12.He plays as a fly-half but can also play as a fullback....
Gonzalo Canale
Gonzalo Canale
Gonzalo Canale is an Italian Argentine rugby union footballer. His usual position is in the centre or at full back. He plays for French club ASM Clermont Auvergne...
Carlo Checchinato
Carlo Checchinato
Carlo Checchinato was an Italian rugby union player and is the current team manager for the Italian national team....
Santiago Dellapè
Santiago Dellapè
Santiago Dellapè is an Italian Argentine rugby union footballer. His usual position is at lock. He plays for Italy, and was included their 2003 Rugby World Cup squad to Australia...
Paul Derbyshire
Paul Derbyshire
Paul Derbyshire is an Italian rugby union player. Derbyshire, who is a flanker, plays club rugby for Benetton Treviso. He made his debut for Italy against Australia on 13 June 2009....
Gianluca Faliva
Gianluca Faliva
Gianluca Faliva is a retired Italian rugby union player. He played as a loosehead prop forward.-Amateur career:...
Ignacio Fernandez Rouyet
Ignacio Fernandez Rouyet
Ignacio Fernandez Rouyet is an Argentina-born Italian rugby union player. Rouyet, who is a prop, played for Rugby Viadana before signing for Benetton Rugby Treviso in 2009. He made his debut for Italy against South Africa in Cape Town on 21 June 2008....
Ivan Francescato
Ivan Francescato
Ivan Francescato was an Italian rugby union player.Francescato began his career in his native city, Treviso, like his five elder siblings before him, all of whom played the game at high levels; three made the Italian National team, Bruno, Nello and Rino. He got his technical and athletic training...
Gonzalo Garcia
Gonzalo Garcia (rugby union)
Gonzalo Garcia is an Italian-Argentinian rugby union player for Benetton Rugby Treviso in the Celtic League competition.Gonzalo Garcia's choice of position is centre.-Biography:...
Leonardo Ghiraldini
Leonardo Ghiraldini
Leonardo Ghiraldini is an Italian rugby union player for Benetton Rugby Treviso in the RaboDirect Pro12.Ghiraldini's position of choice is at Hooker.-Underage & 'A' Level:...
Edoardo Gori
Edoardo Gori
Edoardo Gori is an Italian rugby union player. He was selected to the 25-man Italian squad to face Argentina in November 2010. In the same month he made his Italy debut against Australia. He also played at the 2011 Rugby World Cup in New Zealand.-External links:**...
Luke McLean
Luke McLean
Luke McLean is an Italian Australian rugby union footballer who plays at fullback and fly-half for Treviso in Italy. He has also represented the Italy national rugby union team.-Background:McLean was born in Townsville, Queensland...
Fabio Ongaro
Fabio Ongaro
Fabio Ongaro is an Italian rugby union footballer. Although he now plays as a hooker, he played in the Italian youth teams as a flanker.-Career:...
Scott Palmer
Scott Palmer (rugby player)
Scott Kenneth Palmer is a New Zealand born Italian naturalized rugby union footballer. He plays as flanker, but already played as number eight....
Sergio Parisse
Sergio Parisse
Sergio Parisse is an Italian Argentine rugby union rugby player. He was the first Italian rugby union player to be nominated for the IRB International player of the year...
Alberto Sgarbi
Alberto Sgarbi
Alberto Sgarbi is an Italian rugby union player for Benetton Treviso in the RaboDirect Pro12.Sgarbi's position of choice is on the Centre.-Benetton Rugby:...
Alessandro Troncon
Alessandro Troncon
Alessandro Troncon is a former Italian rugby union player.Troncon has made more test appearances than any other player in Italian rugby union history. The veteran scrum-half made his Italy debut against Spain in 1994 and has played alongside fly-half Diego Dominguez on more than 50 occasions...
Manoa Vosawai
Manoa Vosawai
Manoa Vosawai is an Italian rugby union player. He currently plays for Benetton Treviso in Italy, and has been involved with the Italian national side, he made his debut on August 18, 2007 in a match against...
Alessandro Zanni
Alessandro Zanni
Alessandro Zanni is an Italian rugby union footballer. He currently plays for Treviso in the Super 10 in Italy. His usual position is as a number 8, but in national team he plays often as substitute of Mauro Bergamasco in openside flanker position, or in blindside flanker position.Zanni made his...
John Kirwan Craig Green
Craig Green
Craig Ivan Green, is a New Zealand born rugby union footballer turned coach. He played on the wing and played 39 times as an All Black from 1983 until 1987. He played his provincial rugby for Canterbury and finished off his career in Italy.-Coaching career:Recently he has moved back to Italy and...
Marco Wentzel
Marco Wentzel
Marco Wentzel is a rugby union player, formerly with Leicester Tigers, and also Leeds Carnegie in the Aviva Premiership, and now plying his trade with London Wasps, joining fellow team-mate Steve Thompson at the Wycombe based club. Wentzel plays as a lock or in the back-row.-External links:*...
Andy Moore
Andrew Moore (rugby player)
Not to be confused with Andy Moore, the scrum-half who also played for Wales.Andrew 'Andy' P Moore is a former Wales international rugby union player. A lock forward, he played his club rugby for Swansea RFC, Bridgend RFC and Cardiff Blues and was in the Wales squad for the 1995 Rugby World Cup...