Michael Robert Aldridge (born 8 March 1983) is an Australian rugby union player. He plays as a lock. Michael commenced his rugby career in Sydney before moving to Italy to further pursue his career. His mother, Julie Aldridge is of Italian background which allows Michael to have dual Italian and Australian citizenship.
Michael played in the 2003 IRB Under 21 World Cup for Italy. He was selected in the Italian A squad the following year, but was unavailable to play.
Below is a list of the clubs that Michael has played for throughout his career:
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.
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.
Nicolas Zisti is an Italian Australian former professional rugby league and rugby union footballer who played in the 1990s and 2000s. He played club level rugby league (RL) for the South Sydney Rabbitohs, the St. George Dragons, the Hunter Mariners, the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks and the Bradford Bulls, usually as a wing, but also as a centre, and representative level rugby union (RU) for Italy, and at club level for Rugby Roma Olimpic, as a wing or centre.
Andrea Masi 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. 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.
The Coppa Italia, from 2011 to 2018 Excellence Trophy, is a rugby union competition in Italy for domestic clubs. The competition is second to the Top10, the Italian national championship. The competition has been contested annually since 1967, though it was not held from 1974 to 1980, and 1983 to 1994, and again in 1996, 1999 and 2002. The first club to win the competition was CUS Roma.
Paul Kaine Robertson is a rugby union player from New Zealand who plays rugby union for Viadana, and international rugby for Italy.
Tom Beim is a former professional rugby union footballer, who played on the wing for Sale, Gloucester, Viadana, Pertemps Bees, the Barbarians and England. He is now a professional polo player for Lodge Services polo team backed by Stuart Lodge.
The Rugby Roma Olimpic Club 1930 is an Italian rugby union team, based in Rome. The club won 5 Italian titles, in 1935, 1937, 1948, 1949 and 2000, the Coppa Italia in 1998 and competed in 58 editions of the Italian top tier championship from his foundation in 1930 as Rugby Roma.
Ramiro Martínez Frugoni is an Argentine-born Italian rugby union player. He plays as a prop.
Matthew James Pini is a former professional rugby union player who played as a fullback. Born in Australia, he played for both the Australia and Italy national teams.
Fabio Roselli is a former Italian rugby union player and was the Head coach of Zebre Parma in United Rugby Championship from 2022 to 2024. He played as a wing.
Giampiero Mazzi is an Italian rugby union coach and former player who played as a scrum-half.
Giampiero de Carli is a former Italian rugby union player and a current coach. He played as a prop.
Carlo Caione is a former Italian rugby union player and a current sports director. He played as a flanker.
Andrea Castellani is a former Italian rugby union player and a current coach. He played as a prop.
Andrea Moretti is a former Italian rugby union player and now an assistant coach of Italy squad. He played as a hooker.
Julian Michael Gardner is an Australian-Italian former international rugby union player and a current coach. He played as a flanker.
Gabriele Rubini, known professionally as Chef Rubio, is a former semi-professional Italian rugby player, antisemite and television presenter for DMAX.
Hugo Torres is a former Argentinian rugby union player and coach.
Juan Ignacio Brex is an Italian-Argentine professional rugby union player who primarily plays centre for Benetton of the United Rugby Championship. He has also represented Italy at international level. Brex has previously played for clubs such as San Cirano, Pampas XV, and Viadana in the past.
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