Mauro Bergamasco

Last updated

Mauro Bergamasco
Mauro Bergamasco.png
Bergamasco playing for Stade Français, 2007
Birth nameMauro Bergamasco
Date of birth (1979-05-01) 1 May 1979 (age 45)
Place of birth Padova, Italy
Height1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Weight98 kg (15 st 6 lb)
Notable relative(s) Arturo Bergamasco (father)
Mirco Bergamasco (brother)
Occupation(s)Professional rugby union footballer
Rugby union career
Position(s) Flanker, Scrum-half
Senior career
YearsTeamApps(Points)
1997–2000 Petrarca 14 (10)
2000–2003 Benetton Treviso 53 (45)
2003–2011 Stade Français 138 (80)
2011–2012
2012–2015		 Aironi 8 (0)
– Zebre 52 (5)
Correct as of 28 August 2015
International career
YearsTeamApps(Points)
2011 Italy A 2 (0)
1998–2015 Italy 106 (75)
Correct as of 4 October 2015

Mauro Bergamasco (born 1 May 1979) is an Italian former rugby union player who last played for Zebre. He predominantly played as an open-side flanker, although his versatility meant 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.

Contents

His younger brother Mirco is also a professional rugby player. Both brothers are featured on the cover of the Italian version of the EA Sports game Rugby 08 .

Early life

Mauro Bergamasco was born in Padua into a rugby family; his father Arturo gained four caps for the Italian national side between 1973 and 1978, whilst his brother, Mirco, has also won caps for the Italian national team. Bergamasco cites his father as the main reason for his interest in rugby: as a young boy, he would accompany his father to the training sessions of rugby club Selvazzano, the team Arturo coached.

Playing career

Bergamasco began his playing career with Petrarca Padova, before moving to Treviso.

In 2003, he moved to France with his younger brother to play for Stade Français, reportedly negotiating a contract for his brother Mirco without telling him. [1] The brothers went on to win two French championships.

Mauro joined RaboDirect Pro12 side, Aironi Rugby on 5 December 2011. [2]

International career

He made his international debut at the age of 19 against the Netherlands and soon became a key member of the Italian squad.

In 2003, Italy's coach John Kirwan deployed him as a winger, comparing his speed and physical stature with Jonah Lomu. [3] Bergamasco continued to insist that his best position was on the flank, [4] and later re-established himself in that position.

Bergamasco was banned for four weeks in 2007 for hitting Wales fly half Stephen Jones in a Six Nations match and again for 13 weeks after gouging the eyes of Lee Byrne in the corresponding fixture the following year.

For the 2009 Six Nations match against England, he was chosen to play at scrum-half thanks to three alternatives being injured, [5] but was substituted at half time after a shocking performance, regarded as one of the worst by a player in international rugby, in which his mistakes directly led to three England tries. [6] He was returned to his normal starting position at flanker for the following week's fixture against Ireland. [7]

He missed the 2011 Six Nations Championship due to an injury, but was called for the 2011 Churchill Cup to the experienced Italy A, [8] as a preparation for the upcoming 2011 Rugby World Cup. Italy A would finish in 3rd place.

Although not in the original Italian squad for the 2013 Six Nations Championship, he was called up by coach Jacques Brunel after Sergio Parisse was sent off, facing the possibility of at least a six-week ban for insulting a match official during a club game mid-6 Nations Championship. [9]

For the 2015 Rugby World Cup, he became the second player in history to have played five World Cups, reaching the Samoan Brian Lima. [10] He announced his retirement from professional rugby after Italy's final game of the tournament. [11]

Honours

Flag of France.svg Stade Français

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United Rugby Championship</span> Annual rugby union competition in Europe and South Africa

The United Rugby Championship (URC) is an annual rugby union competition involving professional teams from Ireland, Italy, Scotland, South Africa, and Wales. For sponsorship reasons the league is known as the Vodacom United Rugby Championship in South Africa, and the BKT United Rugby Championship in the competition's other territories, the split branding mirroring the format previously adopted in Super Rugby. The Championship represents the highest level of domestic club or franchise rugby in each of its constituent countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dan Parks</span> Scotland international rugby union player

Daniel Arthur Parks is a professional rugby union coach and former player who played as a fly-half.

<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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mirco Bergamasco</span> Former Italy dual-code international rugby footballer

Mirco Bergamasco is an Italian rugby union and rugby league footballer. Bergamasco has played both rugby league and rugby union, and is a dual-code rugby international, having played for both the Italy national rugby union team and the Italy national rugby league team. He primarily plays at centre or wing. He played in the 2003, 2007 and 2011 Rugby World Cups as well as the 2017 Rugby League World Cup.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sergio Parisse</span> Rugby player

Sergio Francesco Parisse is an Italian former rugby union player. He is currently the lineout coach for French club Toulon. He played for the Italy national team from 2002 until the 2019 Rugby World Cup. Parisse is Italy's most-capped player, and currently the fourth most-capped player of all time. He was the first Italian rugby union player to be nominated for the IRB International Player of the Year, in 2008 and again in 2013. Parisse is widely considered one of the greatest number eights of the modern era, and the greatest Italian rugby player of all time. He also holds the joint record of playing in five Rugby World Cups.

<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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frank Murphy (rugby union)</span> Irish rugby union player and referee

Frank Murphy is a former professional rugby union player from Ireland who works as a referee for the Irish Rugby Football Union. He primarily played as a scrum-half. Originally from Cork, Murphy played for his native province of Munster before moving to the English side Leicester Tigers.

Pietro Travagli is an Italian rugby union player. He plays as a scrum-half.

<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.

Willie Faloon is a rugby union coach and former player from Northern Ireland. His main position was at flanker and he primarily played at openside. Since 2021, he has been an Elite Performance Development Officer with the Ulster Rugby academy. In 2024 he took over from Richie Murphy as head coach of the Ireland under-20 team for the 2024 World Rugby U20 Championship.

Simone Favaro is a retired Italian international rugby union player. He made his debut for Italy against Australia on 20 June 2009. He formerly played for Glasgow Warriors and Treviso in the Pro12. Favaro plays at flanker.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mike McCarthy (rugby union)</span> Rugby player (born 1981)

Michael McCarthy is an English-born retired Irish professional rugby union. He played his club rugby for the Irish provincial team Leinster Rugby in the Pro14, having joined from rival Irish team Connacht in 2013. He played in the second row and as a flanker.

The 2011–12 Pro12 League was the 11th season of the rugby union competition originally known as the Celtic League, the second with its current 12-team format, and also the first with RaboDirect as title sponsor.

<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.

The 2013 Six Nations Championship was a rugby union tournament played from 2 February to 16 March 2013. It was the 14th annual Six Nations Championship since the addition of Italy to the initial five of England, France, Ireland, Scotland and Wales, and the 119th season of the competition overall. Teams were permitted to name squads of unlimited size, but typically named between 30 and 35 players in their initial selections.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Guglielmo Palazzani</span> Rugby player

Guglielmo Palazzani is an Italian rugby union player. His usual position is as a scrum-half, and he currently plays for Colorno in Italian Serie A Elite.

Ian Porter is a rugby union player from Ireland. His main position is at Scrum-half. Porter most recently played professionally for Irish provincial side Connacht in the Pro12, and has also played for his native province of Ulster.

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

Alessandro Garbisi is an Italian professional rugby union player who primarily plays scrum-half for Benetton of the United Rugby Championship.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2011–12 Ulster Rugby season</span> Rugby team

The 2011–12 Ulster Rugby season was Ulster's 18th season since the advent of professionalism in rugby union, and their third under head coach Brian McLaughlin. They competed in the Heineken Cup and the inaugural Pro12, successor competition to the Celtic League.

References

  1. ↑ "Rawr Data Player Profile: Mauro and Mirco Bergamasco". 15 August 2010. Retrieved 31 March 2011.
  2. ↑ "RaboDirectPRO12 : Teams : Aironi Rugby : Mauro Bergamasco joins Aironi". Archived from the original on 6 December 2011. Retrieved 4 December 2011.
  3. ↑ rbs6nations, Italian 'Lomu' wings in, 13 Feb 2003
  4. ↑ "Italy leave a Bergamasco brother on the bench". The Scotsman. 22 August 2003. Retrieved 31 March 2011.
  5. ↑ Bergamasco handed scrum-half role
  6. ↑ Standley, James (7 February 2009). "England 36–11 Italy". BBC News Sport. Retrieved 15 February 2009.
  7. ↑ "Bergamasco moved back to flanker". BBC News Sport. 12 February 2009. Retrieved 15 December 2009.
  8. ↑ Mauro Bergamasco Called for the 2011 Churchill Cup
  9. ↑ "Six Nations 2013: Sergio Parisse set to miss Wales match". BBC News Sport. 18 February 2013. Retrieved 18 February 2013.
  10. ↑ Roberto Parretta (26 September 2015). "Rugby, Coppa del Mondo: Bergamasco entrata record, 5 Mondiali come Lima". Gazzetta dello Sport . Retrieved 12 October 2015.
  11. ↑ rugbybworldcup.com. "Mauro Bergamasco ends playing career with appeal to Italian authorities" . Retrieved 9 November 2017.
  12. ↑ "CHAMPION DES CHAMPIONS DU TOP 14: STADE FRANÇAIS 2004". rmcsport.bfmtv.com. 20 April 2020. Retrieved 23 March 2021.
  13. ↑ "Top 14 de rugby: ce soir, le Stade Français affronte Clermont en finale". ladepeche.fr. 9 June 2007. Retrieved 23 March 2021.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.