Andrea Masi

Last updated

Andrea Masi
2011-02-05 Rugby Andrea Masi ITA - IRL 6 Nations cropped.jpg
Birth nameAndrea Masi
Date of birth (1981-03-30) 30 March 1981 (age 43)
Place of birth L'Aquila, Abruzzo, Italy
Height1.86 m (6 ft 1 in)
Weight105 kg (16 st 7 lb; 231 lb) [1]
Rugby union career
Position(s) Centre / Fullback / Wing / Fly-half
Senior career
YearsTeamApps(Points)
1997–2003
2003–2006
2006–2009
2009–2011
2011–2012
2012–2016
L'Aquila
Viadana
Biarritz Olympique
Racing 92
Aironi
Wasps
103
44
45
33
8
59
(159)
(50)
(20)
(20)
(0)
(20)
Correct as of 28 August 2015
International career
YearsTeamApps(Points)
1999–2015 Italy 95 (65)
Correct as of 19 September 2015
Coaching career
YearsTeam
2020–2021
2021−2023
2023−
Wasps Academy (assistant coach)
Benetton (assistant coach)
RC Toulonnais (assistant coach)

Andrea Masi (born 30 March 1981) is a retired Italian rugby union footballer. His usual position was in the centres but he has also played at fly-half and at full-back. His last club before retirement was the English Premiership club Wasps. [2] In a 16-year international career lasting from 1999 to 2015, Masi won 95 caps for the Italy national team, and was a part of their squad at four World Cups in 2003, 2007, 2011 and 2015.

Masi was born in L'Aquila, Abruzzo. He was recognized as a talented player at an early age, and he made his debut for L'Aquila at the age of 16. He was soon called up for national selection, and made his international debut for Italy against Spain in 1999. He became a regular in the Italian squad, but did not feature in the Six Nations until 2003 when he appeared against England.

He joined Viadana in 2003 and was also included in Italy's squad for the World Cup in Australia that year. He had his 2005 season disrupted by injury. In the 2008 Six Nations Championship, new coach Nick Mallett played Masi at fly-half, a role he had not played before but many experts believed this move was unsuccessful and he was moved to full-back for the start of the 2009 Six Nations Championship.

In March 2011, Masi was named the 2011 Six Nations Player of the Championship. Masi scored Italy's late try in their first ever Championship win against France. [3] [4]

In June 2011 he joined the Pro12 Italian franchise Aironi. However, the team was discontinued in 2012, and Masi moved to England to join Wasps. [2]

In 2016, Masi retired from playing and subsequently took up a position as a coach for the Wasps academy. In 2021, Masi left Wasps for a return to Italy in a coaching role for Benetton Rugby. [5]

Related Research Articles

The Top10, known as the Peroni Top10 for sponsorship reasons, and formerly Top 12, is Italy's top level professional men's rugby union competition. The Top 10 is run by Federazione Italiana Rugby (FIR) and is contested by 10 teams as of the 2019–2020 season, following the Italian federation's decision to name Peroni as the official partner of the Top10 competition.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Benetton Rugby</span> Italian rugby union team

Benetton Rugby, also known as Benetton Treviso, is an Italian professional rugby union team based in Treviso, Veneto competing in the United Rugby Championship, the European Rugby Challenge Cup and European Champions Cup. Treviso rugby team was founded in 1932 and has won 15 Italian national championships. The team has been owned by the Benetton clothing company since 1979. Treviso have competed in the United Rugby Championship since 2010, and have previously competed in the Italian domestic championship.

Rugby Viadana 1970 is an Italian rugby union club based in Viadana. The club was established in 1970, and has since won the Italian championship in 2002, and the Coppa Italia three times. They also compete in European rugby competitions and were runners-up in the European Shield in 2004. Viadana plays in yellow and black. The club did not compete professionally between 2010 and 2012 as they focused their efforts on Aironi. Aironi was based at Viadana's home ground and represented a number of regional teams in the multi-national Celtic League. The FIR withdrew Aironi's licence to play at the end of the 2012, so Viadana reformed as a professional team will play in Italy's top division, the National championship of Excellence, from the 2012–13 season and currently in the Top12.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peter Richards</span> England international rugby union footballer

Peter Charles Richards is a former English rugby union player. A versatile player, he has played in three positions: scrum half, fly-half and centre. Richards retired in the summer of 2010 because of a back injury. As of May 2015, Richards became head coach at London Scottish.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mauro Bergamasco</span> Rugby player

Mauro Bergamasco is a former Italian rugby union footballer who last played for Zebre. He predominantly played as an open-side flanker, although his versatility means that he had also played a number of international games on the wing, and started at scrum-half in an infamously error-prone performance. He was considered to be one of Italy's best players in his preferred position.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fabio Ongaro</span> Rugby player

Fabio Ongaro is an Italian rugby union footballer. Although he now plays as a hooker, he played in the Italian youth teams as a flanker.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marco Bortolami</span> Rugby player

Marco Bortolami is a rugby union coach and retired Italian international player, whose career includes experience playing in the national top-level Italian, French, and English championships, before joining the then recently-born Pro14. Praised for his leadership skills, he captained all the teams he played for at professional level. At international level, he also captained the Italian side since 2002 till the 2007 Rugby World Cup, before being replaced in the permanent role by Sergio Parisse. He currently serves as head coach for Benetton Rugby in the United Rugby Championship.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rugby union in Italy</span>

Rugby union in Italy is governed by the Italian Rugby Federation. Rugby was introduced into Italy in the early 1900s. It is also known as pallovale or palla ovale within Italy. Two Italian professional teams compete in United Rugby Championship, a league that also includes sides from Ireland, Scotland, South Africa and Wales. One of the teams is guaranteed a place in the European Rugby Champions Cup; the other normally plays in the European Rugby Challenge Cup. The Top12 is the main national club competition. Four Italian clubs from the national championship compete in a qualifying tournament that awards two places in the Challenge Cup. Italy competes in the Six Nations Championship and Rugby World Cup, and is classified as a tier one nation by World Rugby.

Carlo Festuccia is an Italian rugby union footballer. He started playing for L'Aquila Rugby, then moved to Gran Rugby. With both teams he competed in the Super 10 in Italy. His usual position is at hooker.

Paul Kaine Robertson is a rugby union player from New Zealand who plays rugby union for Viadana, and international rugby for Italy.

Matteo Pratichetti is a former Italian rugby union player.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andrea Marcato</span> Rugby player

Andrea Marcato is an Italian rugby union coach and former international player. He won 16 caps for Italy and played in the 2008 and 2009 Six Nations Championships. After the end of his playing career he began coaching and is the head coach of Petrarca Rugby, a position he has held since 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aironi</span> Rugby team

Aironi Rugby was an Italian professional rugby union team competing in the Pro12 and the Heineken Cup, representing the Italian regions of Lombardy and Emilia-Romagna. It lost its status as a regional side at the end of the 2011–12 season, as the Italian Rugby Federation revoked its licence for financial reasons. They were replaced by Zebre from the 2012–13 season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tito Tebaldi</span> Italian rugby union player

Tito Tebaldi is an Italian rugby union player. He plays as scrum-half. He made his debut for Italy against Australia on 13 June 2009.

Riccardo Bocchino is an Italian rugby union player. Bocchino, who is a fly-half, plays his club rugby for Aironi. He made his debut for Italy against Ireland on 6 February 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fabio Semenzato</span> Rugby player

Fabio Semenzato is an Italian rugby union player. His regular playing position is as a scrum-half. He plays currently for Rugby Paese. He played for Mogliano from 2021 to 2023. From 2022 to 2023 season he became also its Assistant Coach.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George Ford (rugby union)</span> England international rugby union footballer

George Thomas Ford is an English professional rugby union player who plays as a fly-half for Premiership Rugby club Sale Sharks and the England national team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Luciano Orquera</span> Rugby player

Luciano Orquera is an Argentine-Italian rugby union player. He plays as a fly-half for Zebre, an Italian club in the Pro14.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zebre Parma</span> Italian rugby union club, based in Parma

Zebre Parma are an Italian professional rugby union team competing in the United Rugby Championship and EPCR competitions from the 2012–13 season. They are based in Parma (Emilia-Romagna), Italy. They are operated by the Italian Rugby Federation (FIR) and replaced Aironi in the Pro12.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jacob Umaga</span> England international rugby union footballer

Jacob Umaga is an English professional rugby union player who plays at fly-half for Italian United Rugby Championship side Benetton.

References

  1. "FrenchRugbyClub Racing-Métro 92 squad". FrenchRugbyClub.com. Archived from the original on 16 August 2011. Retrieved 8 April 2011.
  2. 1 2 "Wasps sign Italy centre Andrea Masi from defunct Aironi". The Guardian . 7 July 2012. Retrieved 5 October 2012.
  3. "Masi wins Six Nations player award". Irish Times. 23 March 2011. Archived from the original on 23 October 2012. Retrieved 23 March 2011.
  4. "Italy's Andrea Masi voted Player of the Six Nations". BBC News Sport. 23 March 2010. Archived from the original on 1 April 2011. Retrieved 23 March 2011.
  5. "VISITA IN VILLA MINELLI PER IL NUOVO STAFF TECNICO BIANCOVERDE". Benetton Rugby. 22 July 2011. Retrieved 22 July 2021.