Martin Castrogiovanni
Encyclopedia
Martín Leandro Castrogiovanni (born October 21, 1981) is an Italian Argentine
rugby union
footballer. He played for Ghial Calvisano
, with whom he won the Italian championship in 2005. He has since signed a new contract with Leicester Tigers
, and after a successful 2006/07 season with them was named Guinness Premiership player of the season. He wears the name "Castro" on his shirt rather than "Castrogiovanni"
A native of Paraná, Argentina
, Castrogiovanni made his international debut for the Italian national team on June 8, 2002, during the tour against the All Blacks
, and since, has become a regular in the national side. He played every game of Italy's 2004 Six Nations
campaign and was a reliable member of their forward pack, being elected man of the match in the victory against Scotland. One of his most famous moments came in 2004, when during the summer tour against Japan he scored a hat-trick, a rarity for a prop forward.
Castrogiovanni and Marcos Ayerza
signed three-year contract extensions with the Premiership champions in January 2008.
This year (2011) after much speculation about a move to France he has declared "money isn't everything" and renewed his contract with the Tigers.
During the 2008 Six Nations Championship
, Castrogiovanni was Italy's top try scorer.
When Castrogiovanni was younger, he played basketball, but quit after punching the ref in a match. "Well, not a punch exactly – it was part punch, part push. Whatever it was, I knew I wouldn't be playing much more basketball; I didn't even turn up for the disciplinary hearing to find out the length of my ban."
Italian Argentine
An Italian Argentine is a person born in Argentina of Italian ancestry. It is estimated up to 25 million Argentines have some degree of Italian descent...
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. He played for Ghial Calvisano
Ghial Rugby Calvisano
Rugby Calvisano are an Italian rugby union club currently competing in National Championship of Excellence.They are based in Calvisano , in Lombardy....
, with whom he won the Italian championship in 2005. He has since signed a new contract with Leicester Tigers
Leicester Tigers
Leicester Tigers is an English rugby union club that plays in the Aviva Premiership.Leicester are the most successful English club since the introduction of league rugby in 1987, a record 9 times English champions - 3 more than either Bath or Wasps, the last of which was in 2010...
, and after a successful 2006/07 season with them was named Guinness Premiership player of the season. He wears the name "Castro" on his shirt rather than "Castrogiovanni"
A native of Paraná, Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
, Castrogiovanni made his international debut for the Italian national team on June 8, 2002, during the tour against the All Blacks
All Blacks
The New Zealand men's national rugby union team, known as the All Blacks, represent New Zealand in what is regarded as its national sport....
, and since, has become a regular in the national side. He played every game of Italy's 2004 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....
campaign and was a reliable member of their forward pack, being elected man of the match in the victory against Scotland. One of his most famous moments came in 2004, when during the summer tour against Japan he scored a hat-trick, a rarity for a prop forward.
Castrogiovanni and Marcos Ayerza
Marcos Ayerza
Marcos Ayerza is an Argentine rugby union footballer who plays loose-head prop for an English club, the Leicester Tigers.-Club career:...
signed three-year contract extensions with the Premiership champions in January 2008.
This year (2011) after much speculation about a move to France he has declared "money isn't everything" and renewed his contract with the Tigers.
During 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...
, Castrogiovanni was Italy's top try scorer.
When Castrogiovanni was younger, he played basketball, but quit after punching the ref in a match. "Well, not a punch exactly – it was part punch, part push. Whatever it was, I knew I wouldn't be playing much more basketball; I didn't even turn up for the disciplinary hearing to find out the length of my ban."
Restaurant
Castrogiovanni is co-owner of an Italian restaurant in Leicester, Timo. He has recently opened another Timo in Market Harborough which he co-owns with fellow Tigers player Geordan Murphy .External links
- 6 Nations profile
- Martin Castrogiovanni on LeicesterTigers.com
- Martin Castrogiovanni on ERCrugby.com
- Martin Castrogiovanni on rwc2003.irb.com
- Timo Restaurant link