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.
[edit] 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, 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.
[edit] Honours
- Super 10:
- Champions: 1956, 1978, 1983, 1989, 1992, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010
- Coppa Italia:
- Champions: 1970, 1998, 2005, 2010
[edit] Statistics
[edit] 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 |
[edit] Heineken Cup
[edit] Squad 2011/2012
Note: Flags indicate national union as has been defined under IRB eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-IRB nationality.
[edit] Transfers in 2011/2012
[edit] Transfers out 2011/2012
[edit] Internationally capped former/current players
[edit] References
[edit] External links
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Amerino Zatta
Franco Smith
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Lucas Borges
Michael Lynagh
Michael Horak
Robert Barbieri
John Kirwan
Marco Wentzel
Andy Moore
