Elisa Giordano

Elisa Giordano

Giordano in 2023
Date of birth	(1990-07-27) 27 July 1990 (age 35)
Height	177 cm (5 ft 10 in)
Weight	68 kg (150 lb; 10 st 10 lb)
Rugby union career
Position(s) Back row Senior career Years Team Apps (Points) 2009– Valsugana (0) International career Years Team Apps (Points) 2011–   Italy 69 (35) National sevens team Years Team Comps   Italy

Elisa Giordano (born 27 July 1990) is an Italian rugby union player. She plays in the Back row for Italy internationally and at club level for Valsugana. She captained Italy at the delayed 2021 Rugby World Cup in New Zealand.

Rugby career

Coming from various sporting experiences including basketball and handball, Giordano came to rugby at the age of 19 and entered the women's team of Valsugana in Padua, the city where she began her university studies. ^{[1] [2]}

In November 2011, she made her international debut for the Italian national team in Nice against France. ^{[3] [2]} The following year, she took part in the FIRA European Championship in Rovereto, finishing third behind England and France.

After graduating in occupational therapy in 2013, ^{[3] [1]} she was available for selection for the national sevens team that took part in the rugby sevens tournament at the Summer Universiade. Italy won the silver medal, after they were defeated in the final 10–30 by Russia.

She was again present at the Six Nations in 2015 and 2016 with four wins in ten matches that helped Italy qualify for the first time in 15 years for the 2017 Women's Rugby World Cup, in which she took part. At club level, she won three consecutive championships, from 2015 to 2017, with Valsugana, the team of which she is captain.

In September 2022, she took over the captaincy of the Italian national team from Manuela Furlan for the 2021 World Cup, after she sustained an injury during a test match in preparation for the World Cup.

She was named in Italy's squad for the 2025 Women's Six Nations Championship. ^{[4] [5]} On 11 August 2025, she was named in the Italian side to the Women's Rugby World Cup in England. ^{[6] [7]}

References

1. Pastonesi, Marco (25 March 2023). "Il rugby della Nazionale femminile è ostinato e sensibile. Parla Elisa Giordano". www.ilfoglio.it (in Italian). Retrieved 5 October 2024.
2. "ELISA GIORDANO, DALLA PALLAMANO AL RUGBY: "LAVORO PER MIGLIORARMI SEMPRE"". Federazione Italiana Rugby (in Italian). 16 August 2017. Retrieved 5 October 2024.
3. Newbury, Jacob (27 April 2024). "Elisa Giordano: Italy's superhero on and off the pitch - Guinness Women's Six Nations". www.sixnationsrugby.com. Retrieved 5 October 2024.
4. "Italia Femminile, scelta la rosa delle Azzurre per il Guinness Women's Six Nations 2025" [Italy Women, the Azzurre squad chosen for the Guinness Women's Six Nations 2025]. Italian Rugby Federation (in Italian). 5 March 2025. Archived from the original on 5 March 2025. Retrieved 5 March 2025.
5. "Italy name squad for the 2025 Guinness Women's Six Nations". Six Nations Rugby. 6 March 2025. Retrieved 16 March 2025.
6. "Nazionale Femminile, le 32 convocate per la Rugby World Cup 2025" [Women's National Team, the 32 called up for the 2025 Rugby World Cup]. Italian Rugby Federation (in Italian). 11 August 2025. Archived from the original on 11 August 2025. Retrieved 11 August 2025.
7. "Italy name experienced squad for Women's RWC 2025". Rugby World Cup 2025 England. 8 November 2025. Retrieved 14 August 2025.