Centurions' club

THE CENTURIONS: THE EXCLUSIVE CLUB OF PLAYERS WHO HAVE WORN THE ZEBRE JERSEY IN AT LEAST 100 OFFICIAL MATCHES

The example of perseverance and determination, of attachment to the jersey and work ethic of the Zebre Rugby centurions is a source of pride for the entire great franchise, which, inspired by these values, looks forward to the future of the club and the entire Italian rugby movement it intends to represent.

A special plaque including their names and their respective appearances with Zebre can be found in the Sky Box of the north stand of the Lanfranchi Stadium, home of Zebre since the franchise's founding in the summer of 2012. The many guests and club partners who frequent the franchise's headquarters and attend international matches at Sergio Lanfranchi Stadium will thus be able to pay tribute to these pillars of the team.

Zebre's centurion club in chronological order of reaching the milestone of 100 appearances in official competition in the United Rugby Championship and in the EPCR Cups.
Next to their current club affiliation:

Andrea De Marchi

Andrea De Marchi, a native of Treviso, grew up in Benetton; in 2007 he made his debut in the French Pro D2 championship with the Mont-de-Marsan jersey in a tournament that resulted in promotion to the Top 14; since 2008 back in Italy, he made his Super 10 debut with the Rovigo jersey

In September 2009, the Italian national team coach Nick Mallett included De Marchi among those summoned to the gathering in preparation for the autumn test matches that saw Italy against New Zealand, South Africa and Samoa.

For the 2010-11 season he was signed by Aironi, the newly formed Italian franchise in the Celtic league; upon the team's dissolution in 2012 and the concomitant founding of Zebre, De Marchi joined the Parma-based lineup.

Loose head prop - 108 games

Retired

Guglielmo Palazzani

Trained in the youth ranks of Fiumicello di Brescia, he moved to Calvisano in 2009, making his Serie A2 debut in April 2010 in Benevento against the Gladiatori Sanniti.

In 2012 he became Italian champion with Calvisano and also won the Trofeo Eccellenza. In the wake of those successes, he was called up to the Italy Emergenti team that played in the Nations Cup.

Already a permit player for Zebre in 2012-13, at the end of the season he moved to the Parma franchise on a permanent basis. In 2014 Italy coach Jacques Brunel called him up for the Six Nations, although his debut came during the mid-year tour of the Pacific against Fiji.

Scrum-half - 161 games

Rugby Calvisano

Dario Chistolini

A native of Kempton Park, in what was then the South African province of Transvaal (now part of the municipality of Ekurhuleni, Gauteng), Chistolini moved to his family's home country of Italy in 2008 at age 19 to be signed by Padua's Petrarca; with the Veneto club Chistolini became Italian champion in the 2010-11 season; by that time he had represented Italy at National A level.

After winning the national title, he moved to Gloucester in England on a two-year deal; when his contract expired, Chistolini returned to Italy to be signed by the newly established Zebre federal franchise in the Pro12.

For the 2014 tour of Asia and Oceania, senior national team coach Jacques Brunel named Chistolini among the players set to take part in the expedition.

Tight head prop - 116 games

Petrarca Padova

Oliviero Fabiani

Born in Rome in 1990, he was rugby-trained in the youth ranks of Primavera and following S.S. Lazio.

Captain of Italseven, with which he played in the Sevens Grand Prix Series, he came to the Zebre franchise after four seasons as a first team player at Lazio.

With Italy Emergenti he played in the 2015 Tbilisi Cup and, during the 2016 Six Nations, he made his debut with Italy Majors in Dublin against Ireland.

Hooker - 140 games

Rugby Colorno

George Biagi

He played for Grande Milano and later for Amatori Milano. In 2010 he earned his first professional contract by joining the fledgling Aironi formation that was preparing to face the Celtic League.

He joined Zebre in 2013. Next came his national team debut at age 28, in the 2014 Six Nations against England.

In July 2020, he decided to hang up his boots after seven seasons at Zebre, however, continuing his career path within the franchise as manager and liaison point between the club and the technical-sports area. After serving as Rugby Operations Manager, he assumed his current position as Head of Rugby Operations.

Lock - 119 games

Ritired

Giulio Bisegni

Bisegni was rugby-trained at Frascati, a club in his hometown. In 2011, he was signed by S.S. Lazio with whom he played three seasons in Eccellenza, making his debut on October 29, 2011 in Rovigo.

In February 2014 he collected three appearances as a permit player with Zebre in the Pro12 championship, moving permanently to the franchise starting the following season.

Selected to the senior national team by coach Jacques Brunel, he made his debut on February 14, 2015 at Twickenham during the Six Nations match against England.

Centre – 118 games

Rugby Colorno

Andrea Lovotti

Trained in Gossolengo, he first went through the youth ranks of Calvisano and, later, in the ranks of the FIR Academy in Tirrenia; upon leaving the federal training center, he was signed by Livorno with whom he made his debut in Serie A1 and the following season in Eccellenza with the Parma Crociati.

He returned to Calvisano in 2011 and won the title of Italian champion at the end of his first season in the yellow and black. Soon after, he had his first blue jersey antechamber with Italy A with whom he played the Nations Cup, an experience repeated the following year.

After the 2014 second scudetto with Calvisano he was signed by the Pro12 franchise Zebre. In 2015 Italy coach Jacques Brunel called him up for the World Cup in England.

Loose head prop – 116 games

Rugby Colorno

Tommaso Boni

Boni began playing for Mogliano before joining the "Ivan Francescato" National Academy in 2011. The following season he made his debut in Eccellenza, winning the championship with the same Mogliano. After three years of militancy with the Veneto team, in 2015 he joined the Zebre franchise engaged in the Pro12.

In June 2016, coach of the Italian national team Conor O'Shea called him up for the tour of the Americas and fielded him in the third test match against Canada.

Centre – 108 games

Zebre Rugby Club

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Carlo Canna

Growing up rugby-wise in his hometown of Benevento, following in the footsteps of his father Gerardo, who had represented Italy at the youth level, he made his debut in Serie A in 2010 with the Gladiatori Sanniti franchise, which, however, after only two seasons, disbanded in 2012; he then joined the Polizia di Stato and joined the corps' rugby formation, the Fiamme Oro, newly promoted to Excellence.

Best points scorer at the 2015 Tbilisi Cup with Italy Emergenti, Canna was signed from the 2015-16 season by Zebre, while remaining enlisted in the Polizia and a Fiamme Oro member.

On Aug. 22, 2015 came his debut with the national team, the first member of the Fiamme Oro to wear the Azzurri jersey 29 years after the last one in chronological order, Luigi Troiani; this was followed by a call-up for the 2015 Rugby World Cup in England.

Fly-half – 118 games

Fiamme Oro Rugby

Johan Meyer

Meyer began playing at youth level with the Border Bulldogs, until landing in 2012 at the Natal Sharks with whom he played in the Vodacom Cup and with whom he also collected five Currie Cup appearances in 2014.

In 2015 he moved to Italy to play with the Zebre franchise engaged in the Pro12. After completing his three-year residency he became eligible for the Italian national team and coach Conor O'Shea made his debut on Nov. 3, 2018, fielding him as a starter in the test match he lost 54-7 to Ireland in Chicago.

Back row – 100 games

Zebre Rugby Club

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Leonard Krumov

Leonard Krumov arrived at Zebre in the summer of 2017 after the positive growth path that saw him representing the youth national teams and making his debut in the top Italian championship with Rugby Viadana.

Born in Sesto San Giovanni on 1 May 1996, Leonard is a consistent lock and he's the leader of the team in the line-out calls.

During his career in Parma, he has worn the jersey of the emerging national team several times; in 2020 he was called up for the Italian training camp but he didn't make his debut with the 'Azzurri' in the autumn international window.

Aware of his role and his value, Leonard is an excellent club player: a veteran in the two international tournaments BKT United Rugby Championship and EPCR Challenge Cup, a point of reference in the group and especially for younger players.

He is a certainty the club and the coaching staff can always count on.

Lock - In activity

Zebre Rugby Club

David Sisi

David Sisi is Zebre's 12th centurion. He arrived in Parma, and in Italy, in the summer of 2017 after an appreciable international experience: in 2012 and 2013 he won the U20 Six Nations with England and in 2013 the U20 World Cup Championship; he made his debut in the Premiership, wearing the Bath and London Irish jerseys.

From the 2017/18 season, he's a cornerstone in the scrum of the Italian franchise. David, whose grandmother hails from Sora in Lazio and his grandfather from Abetone in Tuscany, made his debut with the Italian national team on February 2 2019 in Murrayfield.

He played in the Rugby World Cup 2019, he has 30 caps with italy and he has been Zebre captain 25 times.

Lock - In activity

Zebre Rugby Club