Federico Pucciariello
Encyclopedia
Federico Pucciariello was an Italian Argentine
rugby union
footballer. He played at both tighthead and loosehead prop, and played for Munster Rugby
up to the end of the 2008-2009 season. He previously played for Gloucester Rugby and CS Bourgoin-Jallieu
in the Heineken Cup
.
Born in Rosario, Pucciariello declared for Italy and won 8 caps for the Azzurri
. He played one match at the 1999 Rugby World Cup
finals. He later admitted he regreted representing a country other than that he was born in. He also said his most difficult match was that when he lined out against the county of his birth.
Pucciariello, or Freddy as he was affectionately known in Munster, was a crowd favourite in Thomond Park
and Musgrave Park
. He started in the Heineken Cup
semi final against Leinster Rugby
, and came on as a replacement for Marcus Horan
in the Final triumph over Biarritz Olympique
in 2006.
After that he lost his place on the Munster bench for Heineken Cup
games to Irish international
Tony Buckley
, but still lined up in the Celtic League
.
Pucciariello retired at the end of the 2008–09 season and returned to his native Argentina
.
He played his last game for Munster
on the 15 May 2009 in 36-10 Celtic League
win over the Ospreys at Thomond Park
where the team also received the trophy as 2008–09 Celtic League winners. He won 85 caps for Munster and scored 7 tries.
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 at both tighthead and loosehead prop, and played for Munster Rugby
Munster Rugby
Munster Rugby is an Irish professional rugby union team based in Munster, that competes in the RaboDirect Pro12 and Heineken Cup.The team represents the Irish Rugby Football Union Munster Branch which is one of four primary branches of the IRFU, and is responsible for rugby union in the Irish...
up to the end of the 2008-2009 season. He previously played for Gloucester Rugby and CS Bourgoin-Jallieu
CS Bourgoin-Jallieu
CS Bourgoin-Jallieu is a French rugby union club currently competing in the second level of the French league system in the Pro D2. The club have been runners-up in the French championship and the Challenge Yves du Manoir competitions, and have won the Challenge Cup.Founded in 1906 as "Club...
in the Heineken Cup
Heineken Cup
The Heineken Cup is one of two annual rugby union competitions organised by European Rugby Cup involving leading club, regional and provincial teams from the six International Rugby Board countries in Europe whose national teams compete in the Six Nations Championship: England, France, Ireland,...
.
Born in Rosario, Pucciariello declared for Italy and won 8 caps for the Azzurri
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,...
. He played one match at the 1999 Rugby World Cup
1999 Rugby World Cup
The 1999 Rugby World Cup was the fourth Rugby World Cup, and the first to be held in rugby union's professional era. The principal host nation was Wales, although the majority of matches were played outside the country, shared between England, France, Scotland and Ireland...
finals. He later admitted he regreted representing a country other than that he was born in. He also said his most difficult match was that when he lined out against the county of his birth.
Pucciariello, or Freddy as he was affectionately known in Munster, was a crowd favourite in Thomond Park
Thomond Park
Thomond Park is a stadium located in Limerick in the Irish province of Munster. The stadium is owned by the Irish Rugby Football Union and count Munster Rugby, Shannon RFC and UL Bohemian RFC as tenants. The capacity of the stadium is 26,500 following its large scale redevelopment in...
and Musgrave Park
Musgrave Park, Cork
Musgrave Park is a rugby football stadium in the city of Cork, Ireland. The ground consists of four terraces, one stand, three tribunes, one jogging track, and two VIP stands on the west side. Musgrave has a capacity of about 9,251 and is situated on Pearse Road in Ballyphehane...
. He started in the Heineken Cup
Heineken Cup
The Heineken Cup is one of two annual rugby union competitions organised by European Rugby Cup involving leading club, regional and provincial teams from the six International Rugby Board countries in Europe whose national teams compete in the Six Nations Championship: England, France, Ireland,...
semi final against Leinster Rugby
Leinster
Leinster is one of the Provinces of Ireland situated in the east of Ireland. It comprises the ancient Kingdoms of Mide, Osraige and Leinster. Following the Norman invasion of Ireland, the historic fifths of Leinster and Mide gradually merged, mainly due to the impact of the Pale, which straddled...
, and came on as a replacement for Marcus Horan
Marcus Horan
Marcus Horan is an Irish rugby union player who plays loose-head-prop for Munster and Ireland.Horan was educated at St. Munchin's College and Limerick Institute of Technology...
in the Final triumph over Biarritz Olympique
Biarritz Olympique
Biarritz Olympique Pays Basque is a French professional rugby union team based in the Basque city of Biarritz, Aquitaine which competes in the Top 14 and the Heineken Cup...
in 2006.
After that he lost his place on the Munster bench for Heineken Cup
Heineken Cup
The Heineken Cup is one of two annual rugby union competitions organised by European Rugby Cup involving leading club, regional and provincial teams from the six International Rugby Board countries in Europe whose national teams compete in the Six Nations Championship: England, France, Ireland,...
games to Irish international
Ireland national rugby union team
The Ireland national rugby union team represents the island of Ireland in rugby union. The team competes annually in the Six Nations Championship and every four years in the Rugby World Cup, where they reached the quarter-final stage in all but two competitions The Ireland national rugby union...
Tony Buckley
Tony Buckley
Tony "Mushy" Buckley is an Irish rugby union player from Newmarket, County Cork, who plays tighthead prop for Sale in the Aviva Premiership and for Ireland. He is currently one of the heaviest men playing professional rugby, weighing in at 21 st 5 lbs or 135 kilograms. He wears size 16 boots...
, but still lined up in the Celtic League
Celtic League (rugby union)
The Celtic League is an annual rugby union competition involving professional sides from Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales....
.
Pucciariello retired at the end of the 2008–09 season and returned to his native 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...
.
He played his last game for Munster
Munster Rugby
Munster Rugby is an Irish professional rugby union team based in Munster, that competes in the RaboDirect Pro12 and Heineken Cup.The team represents the Irish Rugby Football Union Munster Branch which is one of four primary branches of the IRFU, and is responsible for rugby union in the Irish...
on the 15 May 2009 in 36-10 Celtic League
Celtic League (rugby union)
The Celtic League is an annual rugby union competition involving professional sides from Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales....
win over the Ospreys at Thomond Park
Thomond Park
Thomond Park is a stadium located in Limerick in the Irish province of Munster. The stadium is owned by the Irish Rugby Football Union and count Munster Rugby, Shannon RFC and UL Bohemian RFC as tenants. The capacity of the stadium is 26,500 following its large scale redevelopment in...
where the team also received the trophy as 2008–09 Celtic League winners. He won 85 caps for Munster and scored 7 tries.