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

rugby union Rugby union football, commonly known simply as rugby union in English-speaking countries and rugby 15/XV in non-English-speaking world, Anglophone Europe, or often just rugby, is a Contact sport#Terminology, close-contact team sport that orig ...

club currently competing in the Serie A Élite. They are based in

Rovigo Rovigo (, ; ) is a city and communes of Italy, commune in the region of Veneto, Northeast Italy, the capital of the province of Rovigo, eponymous province. Geography Rovigo stands on the low ground known as Polesine, by rail southwest of Veni ...

, in

Veneto Veneto, officially the Region of Veneto, is one of the 20 regions of Italy, located in the Northeast Italy, north-east of the country. It is the fourth most populous region in Italy, with a population of 4,851,851 as of 2025. Venice is t ...

Overview

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 14 titles between 1951 and 2023. 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
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, Stefano Bettarello, Stefano Bordon,

Alessandro Moscardi Alessandro Moscardi (born 26 March 1969) is an Italian former rugby union player who 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, in 1 ...

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 Giancar ...

Mirco Bergamasco Mirco Bergamasco (born 23 February 1983) 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 uni ...

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

, AJ Venter,

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 ...

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 ...

and

Naas Botha Hendrik Egnatius 'Naas' Botha (born 27 February 1958) is a South African former rugby union player who played as a Fly-half for Northern Transvaal, Rugby Rovigo and South Africa (the Springboks). He was voted SA Rugby Player of the Year in ...

Honours

* Italian championship ** Champions (15): 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, 2022-23. 2024-25 ** ''Runners-up (7)'': 1988–89, 1991–92, 2010–11, 2013–14, 2014–15, 2016–17, 2018–19, 2021−22 * Coppa Italia/Excellence Trophy ** Champions (2): 2019-20, 2024-25 ** ''Runners-up (3)'': 1997–98, 2005–06, 2013−14

Current squad

The Rovigo Delta senior squad for 2024–25 is:

Selected former players

Italian players

Former players who have played for Rovigo and have caps for Italy: *

Matías Agüero Matías Agüero (born 13 February 1981 in San Nicolás de los Arroyos, San Nicolás) is an Italian Argentine rugby union player who plays as a Prop (rugby union), prop for Leicester Tigers. Agüero was also part of the team that played in the 20 ...

* Andrea Bacchetti * Mario Battaglini * Enzo Bellinazzo * Arturo Bergamasco *

* Ottorino Bettarello * Romano Bettarello * Stefano Bettarello * Flaviano Brizzante *

Massimo Brunello Massimo Brunello (Arquà Polesine, ) is an Italian former Rugby union player and current rugby union coach. From 2015 to 2020 he has been the head coach of Calvisano. From 2020 to 2024 he has been the head coach of the Italy Under 20s. Since 2024 ...

* Stefano Bordon * Giancarlo Busson * Pablo Canavosio *

* David Dal Maso *

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

Gianluca Faliva Gianluca Faliva (born 26 December 1973) is a retired Italian rugby union player. He played as a loosehead prop forward. Early career Gianluca Faliva was born in Camposampiero, Padua, Italy, and did not start playing rugby until he was 20, when ...

Simone Favaro Simone Favaro (born 7 November 1988) 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. ...

*– Julian Gardner *

Massimo Giovanelli Massimo Giovanelli (born 1 March 1967 in Noceto) is a former Italian rugby union player. He played as a flanker. He was one of the best Italian rugby players of his generation. Club career Giovanelli started his career at the local team of Rugby ...

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 * Giancarlo Malosti *

Matteo Mazzantini Matteo Mazzantini (born Livorno, 24 October 1976)Matteo Mazzantini player profile
Scrum.co ...

* Giancarlo Navarrini * Giacomo Nicotera *

* Alberto Osti * Antonio Pavanello * Gert Peens * Isidoro Quaglio * Nicola Quaglio * Graziano Ravanelli * Pietro Reale *

Leonardo Sarto Leonardo Sarto (born 15 January 1992) is an Italian rugby union player who currently plays for Mogliano Veneto in Serie A Elite. His principal position is wing. Rugby Union career Amateur career Sarto was drafted to Currie in the Scottish P ...

Andrea Scanavacca Andrea Scanavacca (born 23 July 1973 in Rovigo) is a former Italian rugby union footballer. His usual position was as a fly half. He spent most of his club career (15 out of 17 seasons as senior player) with Rovigo which he entered at the age ...

* Fabrizio Sintich * Pietro Stievano *

Iliesa Ratuva Tavuyara Iliesa Ratuva Tavuyara (27 June 1990) is an Fijan born Italian rugby union player. His usual position is as a Wing and he currently plays for Valorugby Emilia in Serie A Elite. From 2017 to 2018, he played with Waikato in NPC and in 2017–18 ...

* Edgardo Venturi * Angelo Visentin * Narciso Zanella

Overseas players

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

Peter FitzSimons Peter John 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 was the chair of the Australian Republic Movement from 2015 to 20 ...

* Alejandro Abadie *

Lautaro Bazan Velez Lautaro (Anglicized as 'Levtaru') ( " swift hawk") (; 1534 – April 29, 1557) was a young Mapuche toqui known for leading the indigenous resistance against Spanish conquest in Chile and developing the tactics that would continue to be emplo ...

* Juan Cruz Legora * Leandro Lobrauco *

Serafín Dengra Serafín Dengra (born Buenos Aires, 21 September 1961) is a former Argentine rugby union footballer and manager. He played as prop and hooker for Argentina, Queensland, and Wests Bulldogs. He is nicknamed ''Serafo''. Career Dengra, coming from ...

Juan Pablo Orlandi Juan Pablo Orlandi (born 20 June 1983) is an Argentine former rugby union footballer who played at prop. He previously played for Racing Métro in France and Rovigo in Italy. Orlandi has also represented the Argentina national rugby union team. ...

*– Christian Stewart * 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, and flanker (rugby union) and was a lineout specialist. A member of their ...

* Gheorghe Gajion *

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 rais ...

* Alexandru Penciu *

Cristian Săuan Cristian Daniel Săuan (born 18 March 1974 in Cluj-Napoca) is a former Romanian rugby union player. He played as a wing. Săuan played for U Cluj, in Romania, from 1992/93 to 2000/01. He was runners-up of the National Championship in 2000/01, hi ...

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 th ...

* Stefan Basson * Schalk van der Merwe * Schalk Burger Sr. * Hendro Scholtz *

* AJ Venter * 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 Luke Gross (born November 21, 1959) is an American former rugby union player and current rugby coach and administrator. A lock who played for various club sides, he earned 62 caps for the United States between 1996 and 2003. Gross was the all-tim ...

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 Cleri ...

References

External links

* {{Rugby union in Italy Rugby union teams in Italy 1935 establishments in Italy Rugby clubs established in 1935 Rovigo Sport in Veneto *