props

Matias Aguero - aironi
Andrea DE MARCHI - aironi
Carlo Fazzari - treviso
Luciano LEIBSON - club san luis
Salvatore PERUGINI - aironi
Luke REDOLFINI - aironi
David RYAN - lazio
Flavio Tripodi - crociati

hookers

David GIAZZON - rovigo
Andrea HANDLES - crociati
Carlo Festuccia - aironi

second rows

Mark BORTOLAMI - aironi
Philip CAZZOLA -
Quintin Geldenhuys - aironi
Josh SUN - aironi
Michael VAN VUREN - crociati
Filippo Cazzola - prato

back row

Nicola Belardo - prato
Mauro Bergamasco - aironi
Emiliano CAFFINI - crociati
Nicola Cattina - aironi
Philip CHRISTIAN - rovigo
Philip FERRARINI - aironi

scrum half

Alberto CHILLON - petraca padova
Luca Martinelli - fiamme oto
Tito TEBALDI - aironi

fly half

Alberto BENETTIN - aironi
Paul BUSO - aironi
Luciano ORQUERA - aironi

centre

Gonzalo Garcia - treviso
Andrea Masi - aironi
Samuel PACE - rovigo
Roberto Quartaroli - aironi

wing

David ODIETE - reggio
Matteo Pratichetti - aironi
Leonardo TAILOR -
Sinoti SINOTI - aironi
Giovanbattista VENDITTI - aironi

full back

Roger Trevisan * - aironi


just seen there squad and posted it here, they have 39 players which 21 played with aironi last season.
this is not good for as they will be used to playing together and we all know how hard we found it beating them. only 1 from 4 times.


they havent signed any other big players.

they have pre season vs dax, Perpignan and northampton saints.

186,690 in 2011 according to the National Institute of Statistics. There might be a serious hinterland but thats the cities population.

Your right about the Rome population left out a decimal point. :oops:

Don't call him shirley !!!!

2.7m surely?

It's an odd name but hey whatever. Parma only has something like 170,000 people so really hope they know what there doing. Rugby isn't that big a sport in Italy so I'm concerned. When you think that Rome had 27 million of a population it would have been the more obvious pick. That said maybe its a rugby heartland. Good luck to them anyway.

Parma might be a great away trip. We could really "HAM" it up!

Har har.

That said... Zebras? Really? I hear tell that this was some old school Italian invitational side, so perhaps they are banking on inheriting some of the history of that team?

rossie wrote: surprised also. Anyone know if this is italian fed owned ala irfu?
it appears that way with all technical staff coming from Fir.

Yep it's financed and is under control of FIA, hence the Technical Appointments. This is to try avoid another situation like Aironi, i.e. going bust after two seasons and having to create a replacement franchise to plug the gap...

Could be an cracking little destination for an away "extravaganza"...

Tidy little stadium in the Moletelo area of Parma city - t.co/ycRHF2y5

Small University city about an hour from Meeeelano or la bella Firenze, badda bing we've got ourselves a top weekend.... :woohoo:

Wikipedia wrote: Parma is a city in the Italian region of Emilia-Romagna famous for its prosciutto, cheese, architecture and surrounding countryside. This is the home of the University of Parma, one of the oldest universities in the world. Parma is divided into two parts by the little stream with the same name. Parma's Etruscan name was adapted by Romans to describe the round shield called Parma.

The Italian poet Attilio Bertolucci (born in a hamlet in the countryside) wrote: "As a capital city it had to have a river. As a little capital it received a stream, which is often dry". The district on the far side of the river is Oltretorrente.

surprised also. Anyone know if this is italian fed owned ala irfu?
it appears that way with all technical staff coming from Fir.

huh I'm really surprised they didn't go with a club out of Rome. Hope it works out for them.

New team called Zebras playing out of Stadio XXV Aprile in Parma

"ZEBRE" THE NEW ITALIAN FRANCHISE TEAM TO PLAY RABODIRECT PRO12

Italian Rugby Federation (FIR) announced today “Zebre” (Zebras) as the new team to replace Aironi Rugby in the Rabodirect Pro12 and Heineken Cup in the 2012/13 season.

“Zebre” was originally founded in 1973 as invitational club for North-Western Italy. FIR announced as well Zebre will be based and will play in Parma, at the “XXV Aprile” Stadium, which is currently being refurbished and expanded.

Technical staff

Director of rugby: Roberto Manghi
Technical director: Christian Gajan
Coaches: Vincenzo Troiani, Alessandro Troncon
Team Manager: Fabio Ongaro
Fitness coach: Massimo Zaghini

FIR appointed 53-years-old Roberto Manghi as Director of Rugby. Manghi, coming from Rugby Reggio in the 2011/2012 Eccellenza championship, was general manager with Gran Parma and Rugby Parma, reaching with both clubs the Eccellenza semifinals. Christian Gajan was indicated by Italy Head Coach Jacques Brunel and appointed as technical director: 53-years-old frenchman has a strong knowledge of the italian rugby having coached Benetton Treviso from 1998 to 2000 and VeneziaMestre in 2008/09 season. Gajan also coached Stade Toulousain and Castres Olympique, winning the European Shield in 2003 with Castres.

Gajan will be assisted by Vincenzo Troiani and Alessandro Troncon as coaches. Troiani reached the Eccellenza semifinals as head coach in 2005/2006 season winning the Italian Cup in the same year. He then coached Italy U18 and Italy U20 and was part of the technical staff at the U20 and U18 National Academies. Troncon, all-time most capped italian player with 101 appearances, retired in 2007 from rugby and was then appointed as Italy backs coach, position he held until the end of the 2012 RBS 6 Nations.

Fabio Ongaro, 81 times capped as hooker for Italy, announced today his retirement from rugby and was appointed Zebre’s team manager. Massimo Zaghini, now attending Junior World Championship 2012 in South Africa with the Italian U20 team, will be the fitness and conditioning coach after covering the same position with the U20 National Academy this year and taking part in the 2011 Italy Rugby World Cup preparation as Alex Marco’s assistant.