Italy national rugby league team Information & Italy national rugby league team Links at HealthHaven.com

Italy
Nickname(s)	The Azzuri
Association	Federazione Italiana Rugby League
Region	Europe
Head coach	Carlo Napolitano
Captain	Marco Ferrazzano
Home stadium	Stadio Plebiscito
RLIF ranking	18th
	National Uniform
	National Uniform
First international
	Australia 37 - 15 Italy ; (Rome, Italy; 1960)
Biggest win
	Canada 6 - 66 Italy ; (Keighley, England; 15 November 2000)
Biggest defeat
	Scotland 104 - 0 Italy ; (Stadio Plebiscito, Padova; 17 October 2009)

The Italy national rugby league team represent Italy in international rugby league tournaments. The team dates back from the 1950s after the formation of a domestic competition in the country, and in the 1960s they played Australia and France. In the 1970s however the game, and thus the team, disappeared. In the mid 1990s the team were revived and have been playing in international competitions since.

The team have never competed in a World Cup, although did attempt to in 2000. Though they did compete in the Emerging Nations Tournament in 2000 and have since then contested the Ionio Cup against Greece in 2003 and 2004. In 2008 they will play Germany and the Czech Republic in the European Shield.

Currently the team are ranked 18th in the world, behind Japan but ahead of Germany. In Europe they are ranked 13th, behind Malta. Italian Carlo Napolitano coaches the team, and Andrew Kaleopa captains the side.

[edit] History

In 1950, an Italian team from Turin tours the North of England. Italy later runs a domestic competition.

In 1960, Italy played Australia in two international matches, but the game disappeared in the country over the course of the next decade.

In the late 2000s, an Italy side again began participating in international competition, amid a wave of European nations taking up the sport. Italy won the RLEF European Shield in 2008 and 2009, and as such were drafted into the 2009 European Cup following Russia's withdrawal from the tournament. In 2009, Italy will be fielding two separate teams, one based in Europe, playing in the European Cup, and one based in Australia, playing in the Aus-Med Shield.^[1]^[2]

[edit] Competitions

Italy has participated in:

World Sevens (1995, 1997, plus the qualification tournament in 2003)
Superleague World Nines (1996)
Emerging Nations Tournament (2000) - Runners-Up
Columbus Cup between USA Tomahawks and Italy (2006)- Champions
RLEF European Shield (2008 and 2009) - Champions
Aus-Med Shield (2009) - Runners-Up
Rugby League European Cup (2009)

[edit] Results

Date	Result	Venue	City	Crowd	Competition	Match
[[8 November]	Italy def. Serbia 42-14	Maesteg	Wales	???	Rugby League European Cup	2009)
24 October	Lebanon def. Italy 86-0	International Olympic Stadium	Tripoli	???	Rugby League European Cup	2009)
17 October	Scotland def. Italy 104-0	Stadio Plebiscito	Padova	???	Rugby League European Cup	2009)
18 July	Italy def. Germany 42-30	Stadio Plebiscito	Padova	???	European Shield	2009)
11 July	Italy def. Czech Republic 38-8	Stadio Plebiscito	Padova	???	European Shield	2009)
6 June	Morocco def. Italy 32-10	???	???	???	???	2009)
12 July	Italy def. Czech Republic 38-18	Stadio Plebiscito	Padova	???	European Shield	2008)
13 June	Italy def. Germany 58-26	Stadio Plebiscito	Padova	???	European Shield	2008)
12 June	BARLA def. Italy 64-0	Stadio Plebiscito	Padova	???	Simone Franchini Nines	2008)
13 June	South Africa def. Italy 60-20		Monselice	???	Simone Franchini Nines	2006)
12 June	South Africa def. Italy 76-6		Monselice	???	Simone Franchini Nines	2006)
9 June	BARLA "B" def. Italy 38-18		Monselice	???	Simone Franchini Nines	2006)
4 February	Italy A def. USA 38-6	Marconi Stadium	Sydney	2,000	Columbus Cup	2006)
2 Octover	Italy def. Greece 58-14	Marconi Stadium	Sydney	???	Ionio Cup	2004)
2 Octover	Italy def. Greece 26-24	Marconi Stadium	Sydney	???	Ionio Cup	2003)
11 July	Scotland A def. Italy 30-10	???	???	???	???	2003)
???	Tartarstan def. Italy 16-12	???	???	???	???	2002)
20 November	BARLA def. Italy 64-0	???	???	???	2000 Rugby League Emerging Nations Final	2000)
17 November	Italy def. USA 40-16	???	???	???	2000 Rugby League Emerging Nations Tournament	2000)
15 November	Italy def. Canada 66-6	???	???	???	2000 Rugby League Emerging Nations Tournament	2000)
11 November	Lebanon def. Italy 36-16	???	???	???	???	1999)
2 October	Italy def. France 14-10	???	???	???	???	1999)
???	Italy def. Morocco 34-0	???	???	???	???	1999)
???	Australia def. Italy 67-22	???	???	???	???	1960)
???	Australia def. Italy 37-15	???	???	???	???	1960)

[edit] Players

[edit] Most recent squad

Italian squad for the 2009 European Cup.^[3]

Dominic Brambani (Hinterland Storm)
Eduardo Lerna (Woodrush RU)
Angelo Ricci (Queensbury)
Jonathan Marcinzack (West Bowling)
Marco Ferrazzano (Ovenden RL)
Jason Dubas-Fisher (Leeds Akkies)
Cyril Armani (Avignon)
Alex D'aprile (Cumbria)
Filippo Maserati (Piemonte XIII)
Matthew Sands (Lyon)
Mauro Di Maggio (Mastini XIII)
Paul Stanica (Nafit XIII)
Fabio Berzieri (Mastini XIII)
Daniele Pasqualini (Mastini XIII)
Giovanni Franchi (Mastini XIII)
Filippo Veronese (La Rocca XIII)
Filippo Righetto (Mastini XIII)
Claudio Forte (Nafit XIII)
Pier Luigi Gentile (Piemonte XIII)
Matteo Foschi (Mastini XIII)
Nicolino Facco (Nafit XIII)
Aidan Guerra (Melbourne Storm)
Chris Borgese (Redcliffe Dolphins)
Mark Dalle Cort (Unattached)
Anthony Severin (Paris)
Paul Franze (Gateshead Thunder)
Daniele Gnata (Nafit XIII)
Ludovico Torreggiani (Nafit XIII)
Andrea Zacchia (La Rocca XIII)
Franco Kmet (West Tigers)
Cameron Ciraldo (Newcastle Knights)

[edit] Notable past players

[edit] See also

[edit] References

^ "Aus-Med Shield Tournament". Australian Rugby League. http://australianrugbyleague.com.au/news/article.php?id=1343. Retrieved 2009-10-12.
^ "Three More Nations Announce European Cup Squads". Rugby League Europe Federation. 2009-09-27. http://www.rlef.eu.com/news.php?id=1148. Retrieved 2009-10-12.
^ http://www.rugbyleague.com/rugby-league-news/no-nero-but-new-faces.html

[edit] External links

[0] "Aus-Med Shield Tournament". Australian Rugby League. http://australianrugbyleague.com.au/news/article.php?id=1343. Retrieved 2009-10-12.

[1] "Three More Nations Announce European Cup Squads". Rugby League Europe Federation. 2009-09-27. http://www.rlef.eu.com/news.php?id=1148. Retrieved 2009-10-12.

[2] ttp://www.rugbyleague.com/rugby-league-news/no-nero-but-new-faces.html

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