Zebre Parma

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
For the car, see Le Zèbre. For the writer, see Zdenka Žebre.

Zebre Parma
David Sisi
League(s)United Rugby Championship
2022–234th, Scottish/Italian Shield
(16th overall)
1st kit
2nd kit
Official website
www.zebreparma.it

Zebre Parma (Italian pronunciation: [ˈdzɛbre], meaning "Zebras") are an Italian professional rugby union team competing in the United Rugby Championship and EPCR competitions from the 2012–13 season.[1] They are based in Parma (Emilia-Romagna), Italy. They are operated by the Italian Rugby Federation (FIR) and replaced Aironi in the Pro12.[2][3][4][5][6]

Zebre Parma, often referred to as "the XV of the North-West" (Italian: il XV del Nord-Ovest), represents the four committees of Emilia-Romagna, Liguria, Lombardy and Piedmont, which includes tens of thousands of members and several clubs.[7] Since 2018, it represents also teams from others committees like Abruzzo, Lazio, Marche, Tuscany and Sicily.[8] The team was officially named Zebre Parma at the start of the 2021–22 United Rugby Championship season.[9][10]

History

The entry of Italian teams into the

National Championship of Excellence
.

Italy have failed to make an impact in the

Ireland featured 42 Celtic League players out of 44 in their squads supported this notion.[13]

After initial applications in 2010, it was proposed that

Praetorians Roma,[14] but Benetton Treviso were nominated instead. Benetton Treviso and Duchi Nord-Ovest could not agree to form one club to represent the Veneto region and lost out in the first round of bidding despite the region being the traditional home of Italian rugby.[15] However, Pretorians Roma failed to satisfy the evaluators of their financial muscle and Benetton Treviso were nominated in their place.[16]

Former logo, used until June 2023

Aironi struggled in their first season; a surprise European Cup win over Biarritz was the only highlight of a campaign in which they managed only one Pro12 victory. At the end of a second season of struggle on the pitch, Aironi succumbed to financial difficulties off it. Their licence to play both in the European Cup and Pro12 was revoked by the Italian Rugby Federation.[17] The Federation decided against another domestic Italian club taking over the running of the licence, instead opting to maintain complete control of a planned new franchise.[18] In June 2012, it was announced that the new franchise would be known as Zebre and based in Parma.[19]

Zebre did not enjoy much success in their first season, 2012–13, finishing bottom after winless campaigns in both the

Newport Gwent Dragons. Zebre avoided finishing in last place for the first time.[citation needed
]

Honours

Current standings

2023–24 United Rugby Championship
 watch · edit · discuss
Team P W D L PF PA PD TF TA TB LB Pts
1 Ireland Leinster 14 11 0 3 427 264 +163 62 33 9 1 54
2 Scotland Glasgow Warriors 14 11 0 3 386 234 +152 57 23 8 1 53
3 Ireland Munster 14 9 1 4 345 243 +102 46 29 7 3 48
4 South Africa Bulls 14 9 0 5 456 326 +130 59 40 7 3 46
5 Italy Benetton 14 9 1 4 286 266 +20 33 38 3 1 42
6 South Africa Stormers 14 8 0 6 337 279 +58 43 37 4 4 40
7 Wales Ospreys 14 8 0 6 317 285 +32 39 30 6 2 40
8 Scotland Edinburgh 14 9 0 5 320 316 +4 36 40 2 1 39
9 Ireland Connacht 14 8 0 6 339 309 +30 41 41 3 4 39
10 Ireland Ulster 14 8 0 6 321 305 +16 39 41 3 4 39
11 South Africa Lions 14 7 0 7 411 302 +109 54 38 6 5 39
12 Wales Cardiff 14 3 1 10 304 309 –5 39 37 2 9 25
13 South Africa Sharks 14 3 0 11 259 317 –58 35 40 1 5 18
14 Wales Scarlets 14 3 0 11 202 479 –277 24 65 2 2 16
15 Wales Dragons 14 3 0 11 224 475 –251 28 66 1 2 15
16 Italy Zebre Parma 14 1 1 12 278 493 –215 36 72 4 5 15
If teams are level at any stage, tiebreakers are applied in the following order:[21]
  1. number of matches won;
  2. the difference between points for and points against;
  3. the number of tries scored;
  4. the most points scored;
  5. the difference between tries for and tries against;
  6. the fewest red cards received;
  7. the fewest yellow cards received.
Green background indicates teams that are play-off places and earn a place in the 2024–25 European Champions Cup

Plain background indicates teams that earn a place in the 2024–25 European Challenge Cup.
Q: qualified for play-offs. H: home field advantage secured for quarter-and semi-final. h; home field advantage secured for quarter-final X: cannot reach play-offs. E: qualified for Champions Cup.

The team

Name history

Founded in 1973 by the former Italian national captain Marco Bollesan, Zebre (English: Zebras) was chosen, in 2012, by the Italian Rugby Federation as the new franchise's name. The name had been used by an invitational select rugby union team based in Northwest Italy that played regular fixtures between 1973 and 1997. In those 23 years, 25 matches were held against international clubs; and resulted in a high number of victories for Zebre. The opening match was an unofficial test played in Milan in 1973 against the Australian team of Randwick Sydney, who won 21–50. Zebre had a memorable 48–38 victory against the Barbarians in Brescia in June 1997.[22]

Two other former select teams are Dogi (The Doges) based in Triveneto and I Lupi (The Wolves) based in Central and Southern Italy.[23]

Stadium and training

The team play in

Crociati Parma and the F.I.R. Academy. Initially, the ground is being refurbished and expanded. Zebre usually hold their summer training camp at Parma University.[24]
In its history, Zebre played also official matches in others different homegrounds:
– In the
Stadio Città del Tricolore, against Leinster;[25]

– In the
Dragons;[26]

– In the 2018–19 Pro14 season at Stadio Luigi Zaffanella of Viadana, Lombardy, against Leinster[27]
– In the
Stadio San Michele of Calvisano, Lombardy, against Brive[28]

– In the 2019–20 Pro14 season at Stadio Giovanni Mari of Legnano, Lombardy, against Munster;[29]

Staff and coaching team

The staff for the 2023–24 season is:[30]

Players

Zebre is mostly based on Italian players, rather than foreigners.[31] In 2012, of the initial list of 36 contracted players, only three were ineligible to play for Italy. Nineteen former Aironi players were included in the original squad. An emphasis on youth development was also visible, with a significant portion of the squad being made up of members of F.I.R. Academy Ivan Francescato .[24]

Current squad

For player movements before or during the 2023–24 season, see List of 2023–24 United Rugby Championship transfers § Zebre Parma.
Zebre Parma United Rugby Championship squad[a]

Props

Hookers

Locks

Back row

Scrum-halves

Fly-halves

Centres

Wings

Fullbacks

(c) denotes the team captain, Bold denotes internationally capped players.
* denotes players qualified to play for Italy on residency or dual nationality.
Players and their allocated positions from the Zebre Parma website.[32]
  1. ^ Taking into account signings and departures head of 2023–24 season as listed on List of 2023–24 United Rugby Championship transfers.

Additional player squad

Zebre Parma Additional Players squad [a][b][c][d][e][f]

Props

Hookers

  • Italy Nicholas Gasperini [f]
  • Italy Giovanni Quattrini [b]

Locks

  • Italy Alessandro Filoni [b]
  • Italy Samuele Mirenzi [e]
  • Italy Davide Salvan [d]

Back row

  • South Africa Henderson Bradley* [b]

Scrum-halves

  • None currently named

Fly-halves

  • Italy Simone Brisighella [f]

Centres

  • None currently named

Wings

  • Italy Alessandro Gesi [a]

Fullbacks

  • None currently named
(c) denotes the team captain, Bold denotes internationally capped players.
* denotes players qualified to play for Italy on residency or dual nationality.
Players and their allocated positions from the Zebre Rugby and F.I.R. website.[41][42][43][44]
  1. ^
    Serie A Elite team Colorno[33][34]
  2. ^
    Serie A Elite team Lyons Piacenza[35][36]
  3. ^
    Rugby Noceto[37]
  4. ^ a b Academy player on loan to Serie A team Parma[38]
  5. ^ a b Academy player on loan to Serie A team Rugby Settima Torino[39]
  6. ^
    Serie A Elite team Viadana[40]

Selected former players

Former players who have played for Zebre and have caps for their respective country

Season records

Pro12

Season Pos Played Won Drawn Lost Bonus Points
2012–13 12th 22 0 0 22 10 10
2013–14 12th 22 5 2 15 5 29
2014–15 12th 22 3 0 19 3 15
2015–16 11th 22 5 0 17 4 24
2016–17 12th 22 3 0 19 7 19

Pro14

Season Conference Pos Played Won Drawn Lost Bonus Points
2017–18 Conference A 7th 21 7 0 14 8 36
2018–19 Conference A 7th 21 3 0 18 7 19
2019–20 Conference A 6th 15 3 1 11 7 21
2020–21 Conference A 6th 16 4 0 12 1 17

European Rugby Challenge Cup

Season Pool/Round Pos Played Won Drawn Lost Bonus Points
2014–15 Pool 5 3rd 6 2 0 4 0 8
2015–16 Pool 4 2nd 6 3 0 3 1 13
2017–18 Pool 3 3rd 6 1 0 5 4 8
2018–19 Pool 4 3rd 6 3 0 3 2 14
2019–20 Pool 4 3rd 6 2 1 3 3 13

Heineken Cup / European Rugby Champions Cup

Season Pool/Round Pos Played Won Drawn Lost Bonus Points
2012–13 Pool 3 4th 6 0 0 6 1 1
2013–14 Pool 3 4th 6 0 0 6 0 0
2016–17 Pool 2 4th 6 0 0 6 0 0

Personnel honours and records

(correct as of 24 Dec 2022)

Bold indicates active player

Category Player Total
Tries
Dries Van Schalkwyk
 24
Appearances Guglielmo Palazzani 161
Points Carlo Canna 717