Petrarca Padova Rugby

Petrarca Rugby

Full name	Petrarca Padova Rugby
Union	Federazione Italiana Rugby
Founded	1947
Location	Padua, Italy
Ground(s)	Stadio Plebiscito (Capacity: 9,000)
President	Enrico Toffano
Coach(es)	Pasquale Presutti
Captain(s)	Nicola Bezzati
League(s)	Campionato Nazionale Eccellenza (Italian premiership)
1st kit 2nd kit
Official website
www.petrarcarugby.it

Petrarca Padova Rugby is an Italian rugby union club currently competing in Super 10. They are based in Padua (Padova in Italian, Pàdoa in Venetian) in Veneto. They were founded in 1947 by Pine Bonaiti, Lalo Santini and Gastone Munaron near the University College Antonianum. They are the current Italian champions having won the 2010/11 title with victory over fierce rivals Rugby Rovigo.

Their first title was won in 1970. In 1982 they had their own stadium, Stadio Plebiscito, with full facilities built. After winning several titles in the 80s they went through a difficult period from 1989 onwards. In 97/98 and 98/99 Padova returned to form and were beaten twice in the Championship Grand Final by Benetton Treviso.

Petrarca won 12 times the Italian premiership, between 1970 and 1987 and 2011 ; and 2 times the Coppa Italia, in 1982 and 2001.

Current squad

Note: Flags indicate national union as has been defined under IRB eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-IRB nationality.

Player Position Union Agustin Costa Repetto (c) Hooker Argentina Flavio Damiano Hooker Italy Nicola Gatto Hooker Italy Ornel Gega Hooker Italy Miguel Alonso Prop Argentina Chris Caporello Prop Italy Luca D'Agostino Prop Italy Alessandro Furia Prop Italy Filippo Giuriatti Prop Italy Piermaria Leso Prop Italy Laert Naka Prop Italy Agustin Cavalieri Lock Italy Michele Sutto Lock Italy Enrico Targa Lock Italy Matvydas Tveraga Lock Italy Marco Barbini Flanker Italy Nicola Bezzati Flanker Italy Edoardo Ghiraldini Flanker Italy Filippo Giusti Flanker Italy Niccolo Luxardo Flanker Italy Lance Persico Flanker Italy Zane Ansell Number 8 South Africa Dion Kingi Number 8 New Zealand Scott Palmer Number 8 Italy

Player Position Union Alessandro Billot Scrum-half Italy Alberto Chillon Scrum-half Italy Pietro Travagli Scrum-half Italy Eoghan Hickey Fly-half Ireland Tim Walsh Fly-half Australia Roberto Bertetti Centre Italy Alessandro Chillon Centre Italy Francesco Favaro Centre Italy Marco Neethling Centre Italy Juan Pablo Sanchez Centre Argentina Fabio Fagiotto Wing Italy Lorenzo Innocenti Wing Italy Alex Morsellino Wing Italy Riccardo Russo Wing Italy Warren Spragg Wing Italy Steven Bortolussi Fullback Italy Nicola Sintich Fullback Italy

Statistics

European Challenge Cup

Season	Played	Won	Drawn	Lost	For	Against
1996-97	5	1	0	4	118	148
1997-98	6	0	2	4	108	212
2001-02	6	2	0	4	114	223
(Shield) 2002-03	6	3	1	2	140	118
2002-03	2	0	0	2	36	81
(Shield) 2003-04	4	2	0	2	93	110
2003-04	2	0	0	2	32	75
(Shield) 2004-05	4	2	0	2	93	110
2004-05	2	0	0	2	42	126
2006-07	6	0	0	6	47	298
2007-08	6	1	0	5	73	190
2008-09	6	3	0	3	112	206
2009-10	6	0	0	6	95	180
2010-11	4	1	0	3	68	135

Heineken Cup

Season	Played	Won	Drawn	Lost	For	Against
1998-99	6	1	0	5	79	169
1999-00	6	0	0	6	76	282

Notable former players

• David Campese
• Sisa Koyamaibole
• Nicky Little
• Mauro Bergamasco
• Mirko Bergamasco
• Manuel Dallan
• Marzio Innocenti
• Leonardo Ghiraldini
• Stuart Grimes
• Richie Collins
• Mark Bartholomeusz

Honours

• Super 10:
  • Champions: 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1977, 1980, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 2011.

External links

• Official website