stadium, 200px Rugby Rovigo Delta, formerly known until 2010 as Rugby Rovigo, is an Italian

rugby union Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In its m ...

club currently competing in the Top10. They are based in

Rovigo Rovigo (, ; egl, Ruig) is a city and ''comune'' in the Veneto region of Northeast Italy, the capital of the eponymous province. Geography Rovigo stands on the low ground known as Polesine, by rail southwest of Venice and south-southwest of P ...

, in

Veneto Veneto (, ; vec, Vèneto ) or Venetia is one of the 20 regions of Italy. Its population is about five million, ranking fourth in Italy. The region's capital is Venice while the biggest city is Verona. Veneto was part of the Roman Empire unt ...

. The club was founded in 1935 by medical student Dino Lanzoni, who discovered rugby at university. They quickly became one of the strongest Italian sides and won 13 titles between 1951 and 2021. They have never been relegated from the top flight of Italian rugby union. They are the current Italian champion. Current and former Rovigo players include

Elio De Anna Elio De Anna (born September 30, 1949 in Cordenons)Elio De Anna rugby profile
Scrum.com is an ...

, Stefano Bettarello, Stefano Bordon,

Alessandro Moscardi Alessandro Moscardi (born 26 March 1969) is a former Italy, Italian rugby union player. He played as a hooker. Moscardi was born in Rovigo, Veneto. He played for Rugby Rovigo Delta, from 1988/89 to 1995/96, where he won the Italian Championship, i ...

Carlo Orlandi Carlo Orlandi (23 April 1910 – 29 July 1983) was an Italian boxer who won a gold medal at the 1928 Olympics. In 1929 Orlandi turned professional. During the 1930s Orlandi held both the Italian and European lightweight titles. He then won the ...

Carlo Checchinato Carlo Checchinato (born 30 August 1970 in Adria, Province of Rovigo) is an Italian rugby union former player and is the current team manager for the Italy national team. Checchinato was born in Adria, close to Rovigo. His father, called Gianc ...

, Mirco Bergamasco,

Manuel Contepomi Manuel Contepomi (born 20 August 1977 in Buenos Aires) is an Argentine rugby union footballer. He started playing Rugby at his secondary school, Colegio Cardenal Newman, and currently plays for Club Newman in the Unión de Rugby de Buenos Aires c ...

AJ Venter AJ Venter (born 29 July 1973) is a retired South African rugby union footballer, who played rugby for the Sharks in the international Super Rugby competition, and the in the domestic Currie Cup competition. Venter also played for the South Afr ...

Gert Smal Gert Petrus Smal (born 27 December 1961, Kimberley, South Africa) is a former South African rugby union player and assistant coach of the South African and Irish national rugby union teams. He is currently the forwards coach at Japanese Top Le ...

Viliami Ofahengaue Viliami Ofahengaue (born 3 May 1968 in Kolofoou, Tonga), widely known as Willie O, is a former rugby union player who earned 41 caps for the Australian Wallabies from 1990 to 1998, and played in the World Cups of 1991 and 1995 as well as the 19 ...

and

Naas Botha Hendrik Egnatius 'Naas' Botha (born 27 February 1958) is a South African former rugby union player, who played for Northern Transvaal and South Africa (the Springboks). He was voted ''Rugby Player of the Year'' in 1979, 1981, 1985 and 1987. Bo ...

Honours

* Italian championship ** Champions (13): 1950–51, 1951–52, 1952–53, 1953–54, 1961–62, 1962–63, 1963–64, 1975–76, 1978–79, 1987–88, 1989–90, 2015–16, 2020–21 ** ''Runners-up (7)'': 1988–89, 1991–92, 2010–11, 2013–14, 2014–15, 2016–17, 2018–19, 2021−22 * Coppa Italia/Excellence Trophy ** Champions (1): 2019-20 ** ''Runners-up (3)'': 1997–98, 2005–06, 2013−14

Current squad

The Rovigo Delta senior squad for 2022–23 is:

Selected former players

Italian players

Former players who have played for Rovigo and have caps for Italy: * Matías Agüero * Mario Battaglini * Enzo Bellinazzo *

Arturo Bergamasco Arturo Bergamasco (born 15 March 1951) is a retired Italian rugby union footballer. He played as an open-side flanker. He played for Rovigo and Petrarca where he won two Italian championships. He earned his first national cap with Italy natio ...

* Mirco Bergamasco *

Ottorino Bettarello Ottorino is an Italian male given name. It may refer to: * Ottorino Pietro Alberti (1927–2012), Italian Roman Catholic archbishop * Ottorino Barassi (1898–1971), Italian sports official * Ottorino Celli (1890–?), Italian cyclist * Ottorino En ...

* Romano Bettarello * Stefano Bettarello * Flaviano Brizzante *

Massimo Brunello Massimo, also Massimino, and Massimine () is a masculine Italian given name. Notable people with the name include: Given name: *Massimo Agostinelli (Max Agos) (born 1987), Swiss based Italian American artist, entrepreneur and activist *Massimo Ago ...

* Stefano Bordon * Giancarlo Busson *

Pablo Canavosio Pablo Canavosio (born 26 December 1981 in Córdoba, Argentina) is an Italian Argentine rugby union footballer. Canavosio played for Rovigo, Calvisano, Castres Olympique and Aironi. His usual position is at scrum half or wing. Canavosio has b ...

* David Dal Maso *

Elio De Anna Elio De Anna (born September 30, 1949 in Cordenons)Elio De Anna rugby profile
Scrum.com is an ...

* Gianluca Faliva * Simone Favaro *– Julian Gardner * Massimo Giovanelli *

Andrea Lo Cicero Andrea Lo Cicero Vaina (; born Catania, 7 May 1976) is an Italian rugby union footballer, who retired from playing in 2013. Born in Catania, Sicily, Lo Cicero began his professional career in the town of his birth with Amatori Catania. Later he ...

Tito Lupini Tito Lupini (12 November 1955 – 23 July 2021) was a South African-born Italian rugby union player who played as a prop. Biography Born and raised in South Africa by Italian parents, Lupini as a player represented the provincial team of Transv ...

* Giancarlo Malosti * Matteo Mazzantini *

* Giancarlo Navarrini * Giacomo Nicotera *

* Alberto Osti *

Antonio Pavanello Antonio Pavanello (born 13 October 1982 in Agordo) is an Italian former rugby union player. His preferred position was in the Second Row although he can also played equally well in the back-row. He played for Benetton Treviso in the Pro14 compet ...

Gert Peens Gert Peens (born 22 March 1974 in Germiston, Gauteng, South Africa) is a former Italian rugby union footballer. His usual position is on the wing. Playing career Rugby Union He played for Italian club L'Aquila Rugby. Peens has also been capped ...

* Isidoro Quaglio * Graziano Ravanelli * Pietro Reale * Andrea Scanavacca * Fabrizio Sintich * Pietro Stievano *

Edgardo Venturi Edgardo Venturi (born Pieve di Cento, 27 July 1962) is a former Italian rugby union player and a current sports director. He played as wing. Venturi played for OVA Pieve di Cento, where he first started aged 16, at the Series C, and would play fr ...

* Angelo Visentin * Narciso Zanella

Overseas players

Former players who have played for Rovigo and have caps for their respective country: *

Peter FitzSimons Peter John Allen FitzSimons (born 29 June 1961) is an Australian author, journalist, and radio and television presenter. He is a former national representative rugby union player and has been the chair of the Australian Republic Movement sinc ...

Willie Ofahengaue Viliami Ofahengaue (born 3 May 1968 in Kolofoou, Tonga), widely known as Willie O, is a former rugby union player who earned 41 caps for the Australian Wallabies from 1990 to 1998, and played in the World Cups of 1991 and 1995 as well as the ...

Alejandro Abadie Alejandro Abadie (born April 13, 1985) is an Argentine rugby union footballer who plays at flank for Rovigo in Italy. He has also represented the Argentina national rugby union team The Argentina national rugby union team (Spanish: ''Selecció ...

* Juan Cruz Legora * Leandro Lobrauco * Serafín Dengra * Juan Pablo Orlandi *–

Christian Stewart Jan Christian Stewart (born October 17, 1965) is a former rugby union centre, who played internationally for Canada and the South Africa Springboks. Stewart earned 17 caps, 14 with Canada and three with South Africa. Career Stewart matriculate ...

* Akvsenti Giorgadze *

Ilia Zedginidze Ilia Zedginidze ( ka, ილია ზედგინიძე; born 20 January 1977) is a Georgian former rugby union player. He played as a lock (rugby union), number 8 (rugby union), number 8, and flanker (rugby union) and was a lineout special ...

Gheorghe Gajion Gheorghe Gajion (born 13 November 1992) affectionately known by fans as ''The Beast From The East'' is a Moldovan rugby union player who plays for the Ospreys and Bridgend Ravens as a prop. He is also a Moldovan international. Gajion joined the ...

Ron Cribb Ronald Te Huia Cribb (born 7 July 1976) is a former New Zealand rugby union player. A loose forward, the 1.94 m, 110 kg Cribb is a former All Black, and mainly played number eight. Early life Cribb was born in Whanganui, but was raise ...

* Alexandru Penciu * Cristian Săuan *

Nick Mallett Nicholas Vivian Haward Mallett (born 30 October 1956) is a former South African rugby union player who played for the Springboks, South Africa's national rugby union team, in 1984. He also coached the Springboks between 1997 and 2000 and was the ...

* Stefan Basson *

Schalk Van der Merwe Schalk van der Merwe (16 April 1961 – 24 January 2016) was a professional tennis player from South Africa. His best performance in a Grand Slam tournament was a third-round appearance at the 1982 US Open, where he had wins over Derek Tarr a ...

* Schalk Burger Sr. * Hendro Scholtz *

* Silao Leaega *

Elvis Seveali'i Elvis Lulai Seveali'i (born 20 June 1978 in Wellington, New Zealand) is a retired Samoan rugby union footballer. He played centre and wing and represented Manu Samoa internationally. He has represented Wellington in the under-19s and under-21s ...

* Luke Gross *

Bernard Thomas The Ven. Elwyn Bernard Thomas B.Sc., BD, was an Archdeacon of St Asaph in the Church in Wales Diocese of St Asaph. He was born in 1945, educated at Swansea University and St Michael's College, Llandaff, and ordained in 1972.'' Crockford's Cl ...

References

External links

Official site
{{Rugby union in Italy Italian rugby union teams 1935 establishments in Italy Rugby clubs established in 1935 Rovigo Sport in Veneto *