New Italian franchise set for Parma

[psychic duck]

Zebre shouldn't be in the Heineken Cup

Treviso are at least credible opposition, Zebre (and formerly Aironi) were just a guaranteed 10 points for all the teams in the pool

 

[Draggs]

Zebre shouldn't be in the Heineken Cup

Treviso are at least credible opposition, Zebre (and formerly Aironi) were just a guaranteed 10 points for all the teams in the pool

Except for Biarritz

 

[SelimNiai]

Really don't like that logo, looks like a slinky going down stairs. And the font is exactly the same just not in Italics. Much preferred the Aironi one. Unimpressed! <_<

Didn't you watch Ace Ventura?

"Everyone loves a slinky, you got to get a slinky, slinky, slinky. Go slinky go!!"

 

[psychic duck]

Except for Biarritz

that result would happen 1 time out 50, that was that time

 

[Draggs]

that result would happen 1 time out 50, that was that time

I blame Serge Blanco.

 

[psychic duck]

I blame Serge Blanco.

they still went through that year with a home QF anyway

whilst in the Ospreys group it was impossible to get a home draw from the group

 

[Sker]

Thanks, thanks a lot. Slinky slinky slinky, GO SLINKY GO!

 

[danit]

awful name, awful squad, awful logo, and now a coherent website http://www.zebrerugby.com/

 

[greybeard]

awful name, awful squad, awful logo, and now a coherent website http://www.zebrerugby.com/

Coherently awful I presume!

 

[greybeard]

So, where are we with the Zebre playing line-up?
From the Aironi the following have found new (non- Zebra) homes
Forwards: Staibano (Wasps), Furno (Narbonne), De Marchi (Treviso), Romano (Saracens)
Del Fava (Newcastle), Geldenhuis (Treviso), Favaro (Treviso) + Ongaro (retired)
Backs: Toniolatti (Treviso)

Also rumours about Perugino and Masi going, but nothing certain.
Also to note (if FIR are to be believed) no (or very few) foreigners: i.e. no Williams (top try scorer last season), Keats, Olivier, Sinoti Sinoti.
So we can presume big problems for Zebre getting a competitive pack, and perhaps just as important, strong replacements for all the positions.

STOP PRESS: Treviso ("and others") will vote against Dondi in the forthcoming election for the N°1 FIR position. GOOD

 

[Scan]

So, where are we with the Zebre playing line-up?
From the Aironi the following have found new (non- Zebra) homes
Forwards: Staibano (Wasps),Furno (Narbonne), De Marchi (Treviso), Romano (Saracens)
Del Fava (Newcastle), Geldenhuis (Treviso), Favaro (Treviso) + Ongaro (retired)
Backs: Toniolatti (Treviso)

Wow! Treviso will have the whole Italian national team signed up before long. That can't be good for the national team either if they have so many Italians that some decent players aren't getting a game (i.e. they had 4 Test scrum-halfs last season: Gori, Semenzato, Botes, Picone).

Also, Furno to Narbonne?! He's just broken into the Italian squad and he goes and ruins it by moving to the Pro D2, where he'll probably be forgotten about.
Goes to show how much some of these non-Italians care about playing for the Azzurri. He's obviously upped his wages big-time.

 

[Groundhog]

Hey don't diss Narbonne

 

[Scan]

Hey don't diss Narbonne

Haha, sorry mate. Nothing wrong with Narbonne mate, just the Pro D2 is a bit of a step down from playing for Airo......eh.......you know what I mean.

 

[danit]

Also, Furno to Narbonne?! He's just broken into the Italian squad and he goes and ruins it by moving to the Pro D2, where he'll probably be forgotten about.
Goes to show how much some of these non-Italians care about playing for the Azzurri. He's obviously upped his wages big-time.

but Furno is not a "not-italian", he was born in Australia (by italian parents) and came back to Italy as a child, he has been raised in Benevento Rugby togheter with his cousin Tommaso D'Apice

real issue is that the new team (Zebre) has no obligation to respect contracts signed with the former Aironi club, even multi-year ones

the new Zebre managment has proposed to players new contracts with consistent wages cut, so some of the players are opting to go abroad, not only because wages are or could be higher but also 'cause, in principle, they don't want to surrender to conditions imposed

as for the ProD2, consider that the actual level of italian rugby is far from allowing itself to forget players in such a league: the national team picked and played in the starting XV players who had few or almost no room at all in Top14 teams (Canale, Mirco Bergamasco), even when just caming back from injury

so if the italian players in ProD2 (Furno, Canale, ...) will play regulary and will display fine, they have plenty of chances to be recalled in the Azzurri squad

 

[Scan]

but Furno is not a "not-italian", he was born in Australia (by italian parents) and came back to Italy as a child, he has been raised in Benevento Rugby togheter with his cousin Tommaso D'Apice

Oh, I didn't know that. Sorry. I still think playing in the Pro D2 will hurt his chances of playing for the Azzurri in future.
As forr Canale, I don't think he'll play much more for Italy as Brunel is probably going to start picking a newer, younger backline to play his 'expansive game'.

 

[greybeard]

Dondi lascia!
Today Giancarlo Dondi (after 16 yrs as President of FIR) has announced that he will not stand again when election time comes up in September. The Aironi case has raised a lot of venom and criticism here in Italy and Dondi is paying the price for the chaos caused by the revocation of Aironi's licence. Treviso's staement a few days ago saying that they would not support him was probably the last straw. In the meantime FIR are putting pressure on players like Favaro who want to move (to Treviso) to stay with the Zebras. On this front the promising Aironi lock George Biagi is going to play for Bristol in the Championship (a good signing); Bortolami (the other first choice ex- Aironi lock) will be out for 4 mths after a shoulder operation yesterday The Zebras are scraping around in Eccellenza to get a squad together. I fear it wll be Lambs to the slaughter when Pro12 comes round again..

 

[profitius]

It looks like Zebre will be bottom of the league for a season or two. I hope for their sake the fans will be patient.

 

[greybeard]

It looks like Zebre will be bottom of the league for a season or two. I hope for their sake the fans will be patient.

The question is where will the fans come from! Aironi were a natural evolution from Viadana who aready had a solid supporter base. Zebre are not an evolution from another team but completely new. Given that there are already 2 other teams in Parma, (both playing, I understand at the same Moletolo stadium) will existing supporters there now follow 2 teams (leaving a lot of grumpy wives/girlfriends!) or switch alliances? Or is there a reservoir of "unattached" ruugby supporters??