L'Aquila Rugby
Encyclopedia
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
.
is named after him), joined the team, the club won the local tournament qualifying for the final one, where it finished the season fourth out of 54 participants. It first played in a championship in 1948.
In 1949-1950 L'Aquila participated in the Serie B and were in contention for promotion to Serie A up to the final game of the season, Genoa eventually winning out. The following year the team won promotion to the Serie A then the highest division in Italy. In 1958-1959 they were losing finalists in the Serie A Grand Final. In 1963-1964 they were relegated to Serie B, but returned to Serie A the following year. They won their first title in 1967 defeating Fiamme Oro Padova 6 to 0. Two years later they won their second title after having won 18 games out of 22 without losing a match.
The 1970s weren't a good decade for the Aquilani, as they won only one Italian Cup in 1973. In the 1980s they won two more titles in 1981 (league and cup double) and 1982. These were the years of Massimo Mascioletti
(54 caps with the Italian national team), Serafino Ghizzoni
(60 caps) and Luigi Troiani
(47 caps). Then another period of not brilliant results followed, before they could celebrate their fifth title in 1993-1994 after having defeated Milan 23-14 in the historical final in Padua. In 1999-2000 L'Aquila Rugby played another final for the Italian title, losing 35-17 against Roma in the match played in the Flaminio stadium.
In 2001-2002 L'Aquila were part of the newly formed Super 10
, where it is currently playing. During the past decades, L'Aquila has been one of the most important centre for Rugby in Italy, thanks to the passion and commitment of a lot of people from the city, who with the enthusiasm that had always accompanied them brought up several champions.
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...
club currently competing in Super 10
Super 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...
.
The club is based 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...
which is the capital of 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...
.
The official colours of the club are black and green, the colours of the city of 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...
.
History
The roots of L'Aquila Rugby date back to the 1930s when, between 1936 and 1942, L'Aquila took part in tournaments organized by the Comandi Federali della GIL. It reached its peak in the 1937-1938 season when, after Tommaso Fattori, a legendary figure for the history of the club (the stadium of L'Aquila, Stadio Tommaso FattoriStadio Tommaso Fattori
Stadio Tommaso Fattori is a multi-use stadium in L'Aquila, Italy. It is currently used mostly for football and rugby union matches and the home of L'Aquila Calcio and L'Aquila Rugby. The stadium holds 9,285 people....
is named after him), joined the team, the club won the local tournament qualifying for the final one, where it finished the season fourth out of 54 participants. It first played in a championship in 1948.
In 1949-1950 L'Aquila participated in the Serie B and were in contention for promotion to Serie A up to the final game of the season, Genoa eventually winning out. The following year the team won promotion to the Serie A then the highest division in Italy. In 1958-1959 they were losing finalists in the Serie A Grand Final. In 1963-1964 they were relegated to Serie B, but returned to Serie A the following year. They won their first title in 1967 defeating Fiamme Oro Padova 6 to 0. Two years later they won their second title after having won 18 games out of 22 without losing a match.
The 1970s weren't a good decade for the Aquilani, as they won only one Italian Cup in 1973. In the 1980s they won two more titles in 1981 (league and cup double) and 1982. These were the years of Massimo Mascioletti
Massimo Mascioletti
Massimo Mascioletti is an Italian rugby union coach and a former player. He used to play as a wing and as a centre....
(54 caps with the Italian national team), Serafino Ghizzoni
Serafino Ghizzoni
Serafino Ghizzoni is a former Italian international rugby union footballer, who played the 1st Rugby World Cup in 1987.- Biography :...
(60 caps) and Luigi Troiani
Luigi Troiani
Luigi Rosario Troiani is an Italian rugby player. He usually played as a fullback and sometimes as a scrum-half....
(47 caps). Then another period of not brilliant results followed, before they could celebrate their fifth title in 1993-1994 after having defeated Milan 23-14 in the historical final in Padua. In 1999-2000 L'Aquila Rugby played another final for the Italian title, losing 35-17 against Roma in the match played in the Flaminio stadium.
In 2001-2002 L'Aquila were part of the newly formed Super 10
Super 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...
, where it is currently playing. During the past decades, L'Aquila has been one of the most important centre for Rugby in Italy, thanks to the passion and commitment of a lot of people from the city, who with the enthusiasm that had always accompanied them brought up several champions.
Current squad
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: 1967, 1969, 1981, 1982, 1994
- 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: 1973, 1981
- Reserves Championship:
- Champions: 1967, 1970, 1973, 1975, 1985
- Under 19/29:
- Champions: 1950, 1960, 1965, 1966, 1979, 1981, 1995, 1997
- Under 17/18:
- Champions: 1977
- Coppa Primavera Under 17:
- Champions: 1967
- Under 15/16:
- Champions: 1977
Notable players
- Carlo FestucciaCarlo FestucciaCarlo Festuccia is an Italian rugby union footballer. He started playing for L'Aquila Rugby, then moved to Gran Rugby. With both teams he competed in the Super 10 in Italy. His usual position is at hooker....
(ItalyItaly national rugby union teamThe 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,...
) - Andrea Lo CiceroAndrea Lo CiceroAndrea Lo Cicero is an Italian rugby union footballer.Born in Catania, Sicily, Lo Cicero began his professional career in the town of his birth with Amatori Catania. Later he moved to Bologna and then to Rugby Rovigo, winning his first Italian Championship in 2000 with Rugby Roma...
(ItalyItaly national rugby union teamThe 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,...
) - Andrea MasiAndrea MasiAndrea 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...
(ItalyItaly national rugby union teamThe 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,...
) - Gert PeensGert PeensGert Peens is an Italian rugby union footballer. His usual position is on the wing. He plays for Italian club L'Aquila Rugby. Peens has also been capped for the national team, and was a part of their squad at the 2003 Rugby World Cup in Australia...
(ItalyItaly national rugby union teamThe 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,...
) - Luigi TroianiLuigi TroianiLuigi Rosario Troiani is an Italian rugby player. He usually played as a fullback and sometimes as a scrum-half....
(ItalyItaly national rugby union teamThe 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,...
) - Maurizio ZaffiriMaurizio ZaffiriMaurizio Zaffiri is an Italian rugby flanker. He started playing with L'Aquila Rugby, reaching the Super 10 club competition. He later moved to Gran Parma and then to Rugby Calvisano. Zaffiri has been capped for the Italian national team, making his debut in 2000 against Fiji.-External links:*...
(ItalyItaly national rugby union teamThe 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,...
) - Rob Louw (South Africa)
European Challenge Cup
| Season | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | For | Against |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001-02 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 107 | 239 |
| 2002-03 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 19 | 133 |
| 2003-04 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 11 | 125 |
| 2004-05 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 48 | 109 |
| 2005-06 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 103 | 358 |