Andrea Scanavacca
Encyclopedia
Andrea "Pepe" Scanavacca (born 23 July 1973 in Rovigo
) is a former Italian
rugby union
footballer.
His usual position was as a fly half.
He spent most of his club career (15 out of 17 seasons as senior player) with Rovigo
which he entered at the age of 6.
He also spent one season each with Rugby Roma
in 2000–2001 and Calvisano
in 2006–2007.
Scanavacca won his first cap for Italy
on August 1999 against Uruguay
.
Since then he played 11 full international games until 2007 but never took part to a World Cup
.
In 2007 it seemed likely that he would be included in the squad that would take part to the World Cup
, but head coach Pierre Berbizier
dropped him in June, well before the summer session of test matches that led to the tournament. Scanavacca was "disappointed".
Just some months before his dismissal, during the 2007 Six Nations Championship
, Scanavacca scored the whole amount for his team (a try and a conversion) at Twickenham
against England
(that defeated Italy 20–7).
In autumn 2007 he agreed to play another season, his last, with Rovigo
and in June 2008 he eventually announced his retirement at 34. "Since I joined Rovigo at 6 I have always thought I had to be the first to get on the training pitch and the last to leave, and that's what I have made ever since. But lately I was no longer feeling that way so I understand that this is time to change. I am satisfied of my career because I have always played the way I liked; I have always been proud to wear the red and blue (Rovigo's
) jersey though I am aware that playing elsewhere I could have possibly won some titles", he said. He went on saying "I have no regrets, except for not having been able to show my skill in the National team. Not so many people there believed in me, maybe it was my fault, too. Not to mention injuries that did not help".
Having scored 3,368 points in his whole club career (2,945 with Rovigo, 225 with Rugby Roma and 198 with Calvisano), Andrea Scanavacca is, as of 2010, the alltime top scorer of the Italian premiership
; in spite of such record he never won any title with the club he played for.
Currently he works for Rugby Rovigo
as team and sport manager.
Rovigo
Rovigo is a town and comune in the Veneto region of North-Eastern Italy, the capital of the eponymous province. -Geography:...
) is a former Italian
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...
footballer.
His usual position was as a fly half.
He spent most of his club career (15 out of 17 seasons as senior player) with Rovigo
Rugby Rovigo
Rugby Rovigo Delta are an Italian rugby union club currently competing in Super 10.They are based in Rovigo in Veneto....
which he entered at the age of 6.
He also spent one season each with Rugby Roma
Rugby Roma Olimpic
Società Sportiva Dilettantistica Rugby Roma Olimpic are an Italian professional rugby union team.Based in Rome, the senior team competed in the Italian top tier competition, the Super 10....
in 2000–2001 and Calvisano
Rugby Calvisano
Rugby Calvisano are an Italian rugby union club currently competing in National Championship of Excellence.They are based in Calvisano , in Lombardy....
in 2006–2007.
Scanavacca won his first cap for Italy
Italy national rugby union team
The 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,...
on August 1999 against Uruguay
Uruguay national rugby union team
The Uruguay national rugby union team is the representative side of Uruguay, governed by the Unión de Rugby del Uruguay. They have been playing international rugby since 1948. Their jersey is blue and black and they are known as Los Teros. They qualified twice for the Rugby World Cup, in 1999 and...
.
Since then he played 11 full international games until 2007 but never took part to a World Cup
Rugby World Cup
The Rugby World Cup is an international rugby union competition organised by the International Rugby Board and held every four years since 1987....
.
In 2007 it seemed likely that he would be included in the squad that would take part to the World Cup
2007 Rugby World Cup
The 2007 Rugby World Cup was the sixth Rugby World Cup, a quadrennial international rugby union competition inaugurated in 1987. Twenty nations competed for the Webb Ellis Cup in the tournament, which was hosted by France from 7 September to 20 October. France won the hosting rights in 2003,...
, but head coach Pierre Berbizier
Pierre Berbizier
Pierre Berbizier is a French former rugby union footballer, and currently head coach of Top 14 side Racing Métro. His usual position was at scrum-half. He played 56 times for France.-Biography:Berbizier was born in Saint-Gaudens...
dropped him in June, well before the summer session of test matches that led to the tournament. Scanavacca was "disappointed".
Just some months before his dismissal, during the 2007 Six Nations Championship
2007 Six Nations Championship
The 2007 RBS 6 Nations Championship was the eighth series of the rugby union Six Nations Championship. Including the previous incarnations as the Home Nations and Five Nations, this was the 113th series of the northern hemisphere rugby union championship...
, Scanavacca scored the whole amount for his team (a try and a conversion) at Twickenham
Twickenham Stadium
Twickenham Stadium is a stadium located in Twickenham, in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. It is the largest rugby union stadium in the United Kingdom and has recently been enlarged to seat 82,000...
against England
England national rugby union team
The England national rugby union team represents England in rugby union. They compete in the annual Six Nations Championship with France, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, and Wales. They have won this championship on 26 occasions, 12 times winning the Grand Slam, making them the most successful team in...
(that defeated Italy 20–7).
In autumn 2007 he agreed to play another season, his last, with Rovigo
Rugby Rovigo
Rugby Rovigo Delta are an Italian rugby union club currently competing in Super 10.They are based in Rovigo in Veneto....
and in June 2008 he eventually announced his retirement at 34. "Since I joined Rovigo at 6 I have always thought I had to be the first to get on the training pitch and the last to leave, and that's what I have made ever since. But lately I was no longer feeling that way so I understand that this is time to change. I am satisfied of my career because I have always played the way I liked; I have always been proud to wear the red and blue (Rovigo's
Rugby Rovigo
Rugby Rovigo Delta are an Italian rugby union club currently competing in Super 10.They are based in Rovigo in Veneto....
) jersey though I am aware that playing elsewhere I could have possibly won some titles", he said. He went on saying "I have no regrets, except for not having been able to show my skill in the National team. Not so many people there believed in me, maybe it was my fault, too. Not to mention injuries that did not help".
Having scored 3,368 points in his whole club career (2,945 with Rovigo, 225 with Rugby Roma and 198 with Calvisano), Andrea Scanavacca is, as of 2010, the alltime top scorer of the Italian premiership
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...
; in spite of such record he never won any title with the club he played for.
Currently he works for Rugby Rovigo
Rugby Rovigo
Rugby Rovigo Delta are an Italian rugby union club currently competing in Super 10.They are based in Rovigo in Veneto....
as team and sport manager.
External links
- 6 Nations profile
- Andrea Scanavacca on ercrugby.com