Zebre Parma

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]

For the car, see Le Zèbre. For the writer, see Zdenka Žebre.

Zebre Parma
UnionItalian Rugby Federation
Nickname(s)The XV of the North-West («il XV del Nord-Ovest»)
Founded1973 (as Invitational Team – disbanded in 1997)
2012 (2012) (as Professional Team)
LocationParma, Italy
Ground(s)Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi, Parma (Capacity: 5,000)
PresidentMichele Dalai
Coach(es)Fabio Roselli
Captain(s)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, 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 Celtic League had been proposed for many years. After several failed attempts, there was hope that a deal for Italian entry would be done in time for the 2010–11 season, with the Scots delaying support for entry until changes were made to the Celtic League management structure. In February 2010, it was announced that the planned expansion of the Celtic League was to be put on hold. The reasons were the insistence by existing members that the Italian teams could be ejected after three years. Also, the financial demands that the league placed on the Italians could not be met. The existing teams said this was to cover the need to have larger squads to cover the extra fixtures and additional travel expenses.[11] Agreement was reached in early March 2010 to allow Italian teams entry to the Celtic League in time for the 2010–11 season.[12] The clubs will also be guaranteed places in the annual Heineken Cup, which had previously been awarded to the two top teams in the National Championship of Excellence.

Italy have failed to make an impact in the Six Nations Championship since joining in 2000. This has largely been blamed on the fact their best players do not have a competitive enough domestic tournament or are forced to play abroad. The fact that the Six Nations decider in 2009 between Wales and 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 Aironi would join along with a new team, 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 Pro12 and the Heineken Cup. Although they finished the subsequent 2013–14 season bottom once again, their performance was much improved, seeing their first victory against Cardiff Blues at the Arms Park into Round 3 of Pro12,[20] in a season in which they had five league victories, with their away win in Cardiff followed by home victories against the Ospreys, Edinburgh, Cardiff Blues and Italian Rivals Treviso, who finished the season a single point ahead of Zebre. They fared somewhat worse in 2014–15, managing only 3 victories and finishing bottom of the table for the third season running. In the 2015–16 seasons they again earned five victories including back to back victories against Treviso and a bonus-point victory against the Newport Gwent Dragons. Zebre avoided finishing in last place for the first time.

Honours

Current standings
2022–23 United Rugby Championship
Team P W D L PF PA PD TF TA Try bonus Losing bonus Pts
1Ireland Leinster181611580363+217824213079
2Ireland Ulster181305554378+176794512468
3South Africa Stormers (RU)181224531391+140694813368
4Scotland Glasgow Warriors181305498403+95725311063
5Ireland Munster (CH)181017470357+11361439455
6South Africa Bulls181008613448+165785211253
7Ireland Connacht181008456426+3064587350
8South Africa Sharks18918486480+663618248
9South Africa Lions18909454538–8455757245
10Wales Cardiff18909425470–4552646244
11Italy Benetton188010440533–9356748141
12Scotland Edinburgh186012466467–170628638
13Wales Ospreys185211400514–11452706535
14Wales Scarlets186111435506–7155655334
15Wales Dragons184014391534–14346705324
16Italy Zebre Parma180018343734–391501056511
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 playoff places that top their regional pools and earn a place in the 2023–24 European Champions Cup

Blue background indicates teams that did not top their regional pool but are in play-off places and earn a place in the 2023–24 European Champions Cup
Pink background indicates teams that did not top their regional pool but are in play-off places, and earn a place in the 2023–24 European Challenge Cup
Yellow background indicates teams that top their regional pool and thus currently in a qualification place in the 2023–24 European Champions Cup, but are not in a play-off place
Plain background indicates teams that earn a place in the 2023–24 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 Parma at the Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi, the former home ground of 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 2012–13 Pro12 season at Reggio Emilia's Stadio Città del Tricolore, against Leinster;[25]
    – In the 2017–18 Pro14 season at Stadio Tommaso Fattori of L'Aquila, Abruzzo, against Dragons;[26]
    – In the 2018–19 Pro14 season at Stadio Luigi Zaffanella of Viadana, Lombardy, against Leinster[27]
    – In the 2019–20 European Rugby Challenge Cup season at 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]

    • Head coach – Fabio Roselli
    • Assistant coaches – Aldo Birchall, Emiliano Bergamaschi, Richard Hodges, Joshua Syms
    • Technical director – Franco Tonni
    • Team Manager – Tommaso Bricoli, Gabriele Di Giulio, Gianmarco Garavaldi
    • Fitness coach – Francesco Della Ceca, Sebastiano Peri, Pietro Scirocchi
    • Video analyst – Niccolò Gaetaniello, Flavio Ferrares, Sara Squassabia
    • Rugby Operations Manager - George Biagi

    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[lower-alpha 1]

    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 [lower-alpha 1][lower-alpha 2][lower-alpha 3][lower-alpha 4]

    Props

    Hookers

    Locks

    Back row

    Scrum-halves

    • None currently named

    Fly-halves

    Centres

    • None currently named

    Wings

    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.[39][40][41]
    1. Academy player on loan to Serie A Elite team Colorno[33][34]
    2. Academy player on loan to Serie A Elite team Lyons Piacenza[35][36]
    3. Academy player on loan to Serie A team Parma[37]
    4. Academy player on loan to Serie A Elite team Viadana[38]

    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
    2012–1312th2200221010
    2013–1412th225215529
    2014–1512th223019315
    2015–1611th225017424
    2016–1712th223019719

    Pro14
    Season Conference Pos Played Won Drawn Lost Bonus Points
    2017–18Conference A7th217014836
    2018–19Conference A7th213018719
    2019–20Conference A6th153111721
    2020–21Conference A6th164012117

    European Rugby Challenge Cup
    Season Pool/Round Pos Played Won Drawn Lost Bonus Points
    2014–15Pool 53rd620408
    2015–16Pool 42nd6303113
    2017–18Pool 33rd610548
    2018–19Pool 43rd6303214
    2019–20Pool 43rd6213313

    Heineken Cup / European Rugby Champions Cup
    Season Pool/Round Pos Played Won Drawn Lost Bonus Points
    2012–13Pool 34th600611
    2013–14Pool 34th600600
    2016–17Pool 24th600600

    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
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