Rugby Rovigo Delta are an 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...

 club currently competing in Super 10

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...

.
They are based in Rovigo

Rovigo

Rovigo is a town and comune in the Veneto region of North-Eastern Italy, the capital of the eponymous province. -Geography:...

 in Veneto

Veneto

Veneto is one of the 20 regions of Italy. Its population is about 5 million, ranking 5th in Italy.Veneto had been for more than a millennium an independent state, the Republic of Venice, until it was eventually annexed by Italy in 1866 after brief Austrian and French rule...

.
The club were founded in 1935 by medical student Dino Lanzoni, who discovered rugby at university.
They quickly became one of the strongest Italian sides and won 11 titles between 1951 and 1990. They have never been relegated from the top flight of Italian rugby union.

Some of the more notable Rovigo players include Mario "Maci" Battaglini and his brother Checco, Ercole Ponzetti, Quaglio, Vallini, Elio De Anna

Elio De Anna

Elio De Anna is an Italian former rugby union player turned politician, currently president of the Province of Pordenone ....

, Stefano Bettarello

Stefano Bettarello

Stefano Bettarello is an Italian former rugby player. He played as a fly-half.He was one of the best Italian players of his generation, having 55 caps for the Italian national team, with 7 tries, 46 conversions, 104 penalties and 17 drop goals, 483 points in aggregate. He played at the FIRA...

, Gert Smal

Gert Smal

Gert Petrus Smal is a former South African rugby union player and the current forwards coach of the Irish national team.-Club career:...

, Viliami Ofahengaue

Viliami Ofahengaue

Viliami 'Ofahengaue , widely known as Willie O, earned 41 caps for the Australian rugby union side from 1990 to 1998 and played in the World Cups of 1991 and 1995 as well as the World Cup Sevens in 1993....

 and Naas Botha. However in recent times the team has had difficulties, from the death of president Carlo Bego to the serious social conditions that had threatened the team's survival.

Honours

• Super 10
  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...
  
  :
  • Champions: 1951, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1976, 1979, 1988, 1990

• Riserve:
  • Champions: 1981, 1989, 1991

• Under 19/20:
  • Champions: 1970, 1975, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1989, 1990, 1999

• Under 21:
  • Champions: 2004

• Under 17:
  • Champions: 1982, 1988

Current squad

Notable former players

Nick Mallett Nick Mallett Nicholas Vivian Howard Mallett is a former South African rugby union player who was until recently the head coach of the Italian national team, previously replacing Pierre Berbizier on 3 October 2007...  Mario Battaglini Naas Botha Isidoro Quaglio David Dal Maso Elio De Anna Elio De Anna Elio De Anna is an Italian former rugby union player turned politician, currently president of the Province of Pordenone ....  Willie Ofahengaue Alberto Osti Flaviano Brizzante   Christian Stewart Christian Stewart Jan Christian Stewart is a former rugby union centre, who played internationally for Canada and the South Africa Springboks. Between the two countries Stewart earned 17 caps, 14 with Canada and three with South Africa.-Notes:...  Schalk Burger Sr. Peter FitzSimons Peter FitzSimons Peter John FitzSimons AM is an Australian journalist and author, based in Sydney. He is a former radio presenter and national representative rugby union player.-Early life:...  Dirk Naudè Akvsenti Giorgadze Akvsenti Giorgadze Akvsent Guiorgadze , is a Georgian rugby union player, who plays club rugby for the Castres Olympique in France, and for the Georgian national team. Guiorgadze plays as a hooker. Guiorgadze made his debut for Georgia on April 12, 1996, in a match against...  Ron Cribb Ron Cribb Ronald Te Huia Cribb is a real estate agent and formerNew Zealand rugby union player. A very talented loose forward, the 1.94 m, 110 kg Cribb is a former All Black, and mainly plays number eight.- Career :...  Ilia Zedguinidze Ilia Zedguinidze Ilia Zedginidze is a former Georgian rugby union player. He plays as a Number 8 and is a lineout specialist. A member of their inaugural World Cup side in 2003, he captained Georgia in the 2007 tournament, but was forced out of the squad because of an injury...  Manuel Contepomi Manuel Contepomi Manuel Contepomi is an Argentine rugby union footballer. He currently plays for Newman in the Unión de Rugby de Buenos Aires competition. He has also made numerous appearances for the Argentina national team...  Antonio Pavanello Antonio Pavanello Antonio Pavanello is an Italian rugby union player. His preferred position is in the Second Row although he can also play equally well in the back-row. He currently plays for Benetton Rugby Treviso in the RaboDirect Pro12 competition and the European Heineken Cup...  Graziano Ravanelli Gianluca Faliva Gianluca Faliva Gianluca Faliva is a retired Italian rugby union player. He played as a loosehead prop forward.-Amateur career:...

Alexandru Penciu Alexandru Penciu Alexandru Penciu is a former Romanian rugby union player and coach whose role was fullback.Amongst the best players of Romania, he was nicknamed "Alexander the Great" in his home country....  Alessandro Moscardi Alessandro Moscardi Alessandro Moscardi is an Italian former rugby union player. He played as a hooker.Moscardi was born in Rovigo, Veneto. He made his debut for Italy in 1993, when Portugal provided the opposition, and played 45 internationals, including 17 as captain.In the Autumn of 2000 he was made captain by...  Stefano Bettarello Stefano Bettarello Stefano Bettarello is an Italian former rugby player. He played as a fly-half.He was one of the best Italian players of his generation, having 55 caps for the Italian national team, with 7 tries, 46 conversions, 104 penalties and 17 drop goals, 483 points in aggregate. He played at the FIRA...  Carlo Checchinato Carlo Checchinato Carlo Checchinato was an Italian rugby union player and is the current team manager for the Italian national team....  Andrea Scanavacca Andrea Scanavacca Andrea "Pepe" Scanavacca is a former Italian rugby union footballer.His usual position was as a fly half.He spent most of his club career with Rovigo which he entered at the age of 6....  Silao Leaega Gert Smal Gert Smal Gert Petrus Smal is a former South African rugby union player and the current forwards coach of the Irish national team.-Club career:...  AJ Venter AJ Venter AJ Venter is a retired South African rugby union footballer. Who played for the Sharks in the international Super 14 competition, and the Natal Sharks in the domestic Currie Cup competition. Venter has also played for the South African national team, the Springboks.Venter made his debut for South...   Julian Gardner Matias Aguero Matías Agüero Matías Agüero is an Italian Argentine rugby union player. He signed for new Italian club Aironi for the 2010/2011 season. His position is prop.-Clubs:* Club de Regatas San Nicolas* Bologna 2001–2002...  Andrea Lo Cicero Andrea Lo Cicero Andrea Lo Cicero is an Italian rugby union footballer.Born in Catania, Sicily, Lo Cicero began his professional career in the town of his birth with Amatori Catania. Later he moved to Bologna and then to Rugby Rovigo, winning his first Italian Championship in 2000 with Rugby Roma...  Luke Gross Luke Gross Luke Gross is an American rugby union footballer. A lock who has played for various club sides, he earned 62 caps for the USA between 1996 and 2003; although he was named to the USA squad for the 2007 Rugby World Cup, and played in the 2007 squad's final warmup against Celtic League side Munster,...  Serafin Dengra Massimo Giovanelli Massimo Giovanelli Massimo Giovanelli is a former Italian rugby union player. He played as a flanker. He was one of the best Italian rugby players of his generation....  Massimo Brunello Stefano Bordon Angelo Visentin Juan Pablo Orlandi Juan Pablo Orlandi Juan Pablo Orlandi is an Argentine rugby union footballer who plays at prop for Racing Métro, having previously played for Rovigo in Italy. He has also represented the Argentina national rugby union team....  Simone Favaro Simone Favaro Simone Favaro is an Italian rugby union player. Favaro, who is a flanker, plays club rugby for Aironi as of June 2010. He made his debut for Italy against Australia on 20 June 2009.-Biography:...  Alejandro Abadie Alejandro Abadie Alejandro Abadie is an Argentine rugby union footballer who plays at flank for Rovigo in Italy. He has also represented the Argentina national rugby union team.-External links:*Alejandro Abadie at wikipedia.com...

External links

• www.rugbyrovigo.com