Marco Bortolami
Encyclopedia
Marco Bortolami is an Italian
international rugby union
player, playing club rugby for Aironi
in the Celtic League
. In January 2008 he was replaced as captain of Italy's national team
.
Bortolami began his playing career with the team of his native Padua
, making his debut in the second row aged just 18. He was soon made captain of Italy's Under-21 side, before making his full international debut against Namibia
in June, 2001, when he was just 20. At the age of 22, Bortalami was made Italy's youngest ever captain.
In his first-ever World Cup
start – against Tonga
in 2003 – he picked up an injury and missed the decisive match against Wales
, which saw the Azzurri
eliminated from the competition.
After impressing in the 2004 Six Nations Championship
championship, he was once again awarded the captaincy for the 2005 Summer tour of Japan
. After the tour he joined French
club Narbonne
.
In the summer of 2006 he joined English Premiership side Gloucester Rugby
when he was considered by many top judges to be one of the best players in the world around the time, and stepped straight into the starting team for their first game of the season, immediately taking the role of captain. He made a formidable partnership with Alex Brown and shared captaincy with Peter Buxton
. Due to injuries and World Cup
commitments, the 2007–08 season
wasn't as consistent and he lost the Italian captaincy to Italian No. 8 Sergio Parisse
, but continued to put in powerful performances for Gloucester. His outstanding leadership qualities meant he kept the captaincy last year and by the end of the season he was back to his formidable best. He made 23 appearances for Gloucester in 2008–09.
In 2010 he returned to Italy signing for the new Aironi
team which started to compete in the Magners League from the 2010–11 season.
In the 2007 Six Nations Championship
, Bortolami led Italy to their first away win in the competition against Scotland
at Murrayfield
, which was also the first time Italy have won more than one game in a single Six Nations Championship
.
In an interview in 2006, Bortolami stated that he wishes to become a mechanic for Ferrari
after he retires from professional rugby, using the mechanical skills that he picked up in college. Shortly after the interview had taken place, he received a letter from Ferrari offering him a position as soon as he completed his rugby career.
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...
international 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...
player, playing club rugby for Aironi
Aironi
Aironi Rugby are an Italian professional rugby club competing in the RaboDirect Pro12 and the Heineken Cup. They represent the Italian regions of Lombardy and Emilia Romagna.- Home ground :...
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....
. In January 2008 he was replaced as captain of Italy's national team
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,...
.
Bortolami began his playing career with the team of his native Padua
Padua
Padua is a city and comune in the Veneto, northern Italy. It is the capital of the province of Padua and the economic and communications hub of the area. Padua's population is 212,500 . The city is sometimes included, with Venice and Treviso, in the Padua-Treviso-Venice Metropolitan Area, having...
, making his debut in the second row aged just 18. He was soon made captain of Italy's Under-21 side, before making his full international debut against Namibia
Namibia national rugby union team
The Namibian rugby union team, nicknamed the Welwitschias or Biltongboere, represents Namibia at rugby union. Although they are a tier-three nation in the International Rugby Board tier system, the team have participated in all three Rugby World Cup competitions since their first appearance in 1999...
in June, 2001, when he was just 20. At the age of 22, Bortalami was made Italy's youngest ever captain.
In his first-ever World Cup
2003 Rugby World Cup
The 2003 Rugby World Cup was the fifth Rugby World Cup and was won by England. Originally planned to be co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand, all games were shifted to Australia following a contractual dispute over ground signage rights between the New Zealand Rugby Football Union and Rugby World...
start – against Tonga
Tonga national rugby union team
The Tonga national rugby union team is nicknamed Ikale Tahi . Like their Polynesian neighbours, the Tongans start their matches with a war dance – the Kailao . They are members of the Pacific Islands Rugby Alliance along with Fiji and Samoa...
in 2003 – he picked up an injury and missed the decisive match against Wales
Wales national rugby union team
The Wales national rugby union team represent Wales in international rugby union tournaments. They compete annually in the Six Nations Championship with England, France, Ireland, Italy and Scotland. Wales have won the Six Nations and its predecessors 24 times outright, second only to England with...
, which saw the Azzurri
Azzurri
Azzurri is the Italian plural form of azzurro, light blue . Light blue was the official color of the Savoia family, Italy's monarchs until 1946. For this reason azure is the color usually worn by Italians in sport events....
eliminated from the competition.
After impressing in the 2004 Six Nations Championship
2004 Six Nations Championship
The 2004 Six Nations Championship was the fifth series of the rugby union Six Nations Championship to be held since the competition expanded in 2000 to include Italy. Including the previous incarnations as the Home Nations and Five Nations, this was the hundred-and-tenth series of the northern...
championship, he was once again awarded the captaincy for the 2005 Summer tour of Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. After the tour he joined French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
club Narbonne
Narbonne
Narbonne is a commune in southern France in the Languedoc-Roussillon region. It lies from Paris in the Aude department, of which it is a sub-prefecture. Once a prosperous port, it is now located about from the shores of the Mediterranean Sea...
.
In the summer of 2006 he joined English Premiership side Gloucester Rugby
Gloucester RFC
Gloucester Rugby are a professional English rugby union club situated in the west country city of Gloucester. The club plays in the domestic Aviva Premiership...
when he was considered by many top judges to be one of the best players in the world around the time, and stepped straight into the starting team for their first game of the season, immediately taking the role of captain. He made a formidable partnership with Alex Brown and shared captaincy with Peter Buxton
Peter Buxton
Peter Buxton is a rugby union footballer who plays at flanker for Gloucester Rugby.When Buxton was in his teenage years, he attended Cleeve School in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire. He was the 'Star Player' throughout his time as a student.Buxton signed for Gloucester from Newport back in 2002...
. Due to injuries and 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,...
commitments, the 2007–08 season
2007-08 Guinness Premiership
The 2007–08 Guinness Premiership was the 21st season of the top flight of the English domestic rugby union competitions, played between September 2007 and May 2008. Due to the 2007 Rugby World Cup the season started slightly later than normal, as England were trying to defend their title...
wasn't as consistent and he lost the Italian captaincy to Italian No. 8 Sergio Parisse
Sergio Parisse
Sergio Parisse is an Italian Argentine rugby union rugby player. He was the first Italian rugby union player to be nominated for the IRB International player of the year...
, but continued to put in powerful performances for Gloucester. His outstanding leadership qualities meant he kept the captaincy last year and by the end of the season he was back to his formidable best. He made 23 appearances for Gloucester in 2008–09.
In 2010 he returned to Italy signing for the new Aironi
Aironi
Aironi Rugby are an Italian professional rugby club competing in the RaboDirect Pro12 and the Heineken Cup. They represent the Italian regions of Lombardy and Emilia Romagna.- Home ground :...
team which started to compete in the Magners League from the 2010–11 season.
In 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...
, Bortolami led Italy to their first away win in the competition against Scotland
Scotland national rugby union team
The Scotland national rugby union team represent Scotland in international rugby union. Rugby union in Scotland is administered by the Scottish Rugby Union. The Scotland rugby union team is currently ranked eighth in the IRB World Rankings as of 19 September 2011...
at Murrayfield
Murrayfield Stadium
Murrayfield Stadium is a sports stadium located in the west end of Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. Its all-seater capacity was recently reduced from 67,800 to 67,130 to incorporate the largest permanent "big screen" in the country though it still remains the largest stadium in Scotland and one...
, which was also the first time Italy have won more than one game in a single Six Nations Championship
Six Nations Championship
The Six Nations Championship is an annual international rugby union competition involving six European sides: England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales....
.
In an interview in 2006, Bortolami stated that he wishes to become a mechanic for Ferrari
Ferrari
Ferrari S.p.A. is an Italian sports car manufacturer based in Maranello, Italy. Founded by Enzo Ferrari in 1929, as Scuderia Ferrari, the company sponsored drivers and manufactured race cars before moving into production of street-legal vehicles as Ferrari S.p.A. in 1947...
after he retires from professional rugby, using the mechanical skills that he picked up in college. Shortly after the interview had taken place, he received a letter from Ferrari offering him a position as soon as he completed his rugby career.