Rodolfo Ambrosio

Carlos Rodolfo Ambrosio was born on 27 December 1961 in Córdoba, Argentina. He is an Argentine rugby union former player where he played as a fly-half and as a center, and is currently the head coach of the Uruguayan national team.

Playing career

He played for Tala Rugby Club in Córdoba, Argentina, before moving to Italy in 1985. He initially played for CUS Roma Rugby, where he earned a call-up to the Italian national team in 1986. He qualified for Italy through his Italian grandfather. becoming the first Italian-Argentine to play for the Azzurri.

He made his international debut against a Scotland XV side in 1986, and was later part of the Italian squad for the 1987 Rugby World Cup, playing in just one game - against New Zealand in the tournament opener. He later played a part in various tour matches for his adapted country, before playing his last game in Moscow on 5 November 1989, a 15-12 loss to the Soviet Union, for the 1989-1990 FIRA Trophy.

Injury in 1991 cost Ambrosio more caps after that test, and a place in Italy's 1991 Rugby World Cup squad, before finishing his career in Italy with Rugby San Donà before career ending achilles injury in 1998.

Coaching career

After retiring from the game in 1998, Ambrosio took up coaching, beginning with Córdoba Rugby Club in 1999 to 2000. He returned to Italy where he was head coach of Petrarca Rugby from 2002 to 2004 and Segni from 2005 to 2007. Following his five year stint in Italy, Ambrosio returned to Argentina to take up a newly created role within the Argentine Rugby Union High Performance programme, becoming a Regional Manager in Córdoba before taking over the direction of the federal technical sector of the youth in the region.

This position lead to him becoming the Argentine U20 head coach in 2013, taking the national age-grade side to the 2013 IRB Junior World Championship (finishing sixth) and the 2014 IRB Junior World Championship (finishing in ninth).

Returning back to coaching in 2013 later saw Ambrosio appointed head coach of Brazi in November 2014. His reign included important wins against Canada and the United States, while they also broke Argentina's domination in the South American Rugby Championship, winning that tournament in 2018.

He left his post with Brazil in 2019 after failing to advance within the 2019 Rugby World Cup qualification process, and returned to high performance with Daniel Hourcade within Sudamérica Rugby. As part of his role, he became head coach with newly founded Colombian side Cafeteros Pro in 2020, but his duties were delayed by a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. After one season with the side, and losing all games in the 2021 Súper Liga Americana de Rugby season, he stood down as head coach.

In 2022 and 2023, he became a technical advisor for Chile during their run to the 2023 Rugby World Cup, and in 2024, followed Hourcade to Portugal where he became assistant coach for their national side during the 2024 Rugby Europe Championship.

In April 2024, he was appointed head coach of Uruguay.

Honours

Tala Rugby Club
*Torneo de Córdoba
**Winners: 1981, 1983, 1984, 1985

References

External links

* Carlos Rodolfo Ambrosio
*

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ambrosio, Rodolfo
1961 births
Living people
Argentine rugby union players
Italian rugby union players
Italy international rugby union players
Argentine rugby union coaches
Italian rugby union coaches
Rugby union players from Córdoba, Argentina
Brazil national rugby union team coaches
Argentine expatriate sportspeople in Brazil
Argentine sportspeople of Italian descent
Petrarca Rugby players
1987 Rugby World Cup players