 | |||
| Full name | Benetton Rugby | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Union | Federazione Italiana Rugby | ||
| Nickname | Leoni (Lions) | ||
| Founded | 1932; 93 years ago (1932) | ||
| Location | Treviso, Italy | ||
| Ground | Stadio Comunale di Monigo (Capacity: 5,000) | ||
| President | Amerino Zatta | ||
| Coach | Calum MacRae | ||
| Captain(s) | Sebastian Negri Michele Lamaro | ||
| League | United Rugby Championship | ||
| 2024–25 | 10th (Scottish/Italian Shield: 2nd) | ||
| |||
| Official website | |||
| www | |||
 Current season | |||
Benetton Rugby, also known asBenetton Treviso (Italian pronunciation:[ˌbenetˈtoŋˈrɛɡbitreˈviːzo] orItalian pronunciation:[ˌbenetˈtoŋˈraɡbitreˈviːzo]), is an Italian professionalrugby union team based inTreviso,Veneto which competes in theUnited Rugby Championship, theEuropean Rugby Challenge Cup andEuropean Champions Cup. Treviso rugby team was founded in 1932 and has won 15 Italian national championships. The team has been owned by theBenetton clothing company since 1979. Treviso have competed in the United Rugby Championship (formerly the Pro14 and Pro12) since 2010, and have previously competed in theItalian domestic championship.
Treviso have supplied many players to theItalian national team, such asAlessandro Zanni andLeonardo Ghiraldini. Conversely, several notable foreign internationals have played for Treviso, including Rugby World Cup winnersCraig Green,John Kirwan andMichael Lynagh. The President of Treviso Rugby is Amerino Zatta. Since 1982, the club has also had a women's team, known asRed Panthers, which has won 16national championships.[1]
Treviso rugby team was founded in 1932. The club won its first honour when it took the 1956 Italian premiership. Benetton Treviso won its first Italian Cup in 1970 and in 1978 won the Italian premiership again. The year after Benetton became the main sponsor, the team's name became "Benetton Rugby Treviso". Treviso won the domestic premiership in 1983, then again in 1989 and in the 1992 season.
Benetton Treviso Rugby turned professional after 1995. They dominated the Italian league from 1997 until 2010, winning the championship 10 times (1997, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2009 and 2010) during those 14 seasons and twice finishing second.[2] They also won the Italian Cup in 1998.
Benetton Treviso has competed in theHeineken Cup competition almost every year since the competition began in 1995 along with the professional era. Benetton Treviso competed in the inaugural1995–96 Heineken Cup, winning one game and losing one. The following season they played four matches, winning one game. In the 1998–99 Heineken Cup, they won three games. Benetton Treviso spent the 2000–01 and 2002–03 seasons in theEuropean Challenge Cup, but have appeared in the Heineken Cup in each season since then. They won half of their games during the 2004–05 Heineken Cup, but won only one match in the following four seasons (atNewport Gwent Dragons in2007). In the2009–10 Heineken Cup opener, they defeatedreigning FrenchTop 14 championsPerpignan 9–8 in Treviso.
Following the 2009–10 season, Treviso left the Italian domestic competition and in 2010–11 was one of two Italian teams to join theCeltic League to play against clubs from Ireland, Wales and Scotland. The new league was to be known as thePro12. Both Italian teams were guaranteed places annually into the Heineken Cup, which had previously been awarded to the two top teams in the domestic ItalianNational Championship of Excellence.[3] An agreement had been reached in early March 2010 to allow two Italian teams a place in the Celtic League. In 2010, it was proposed thatAironi and a new team,Praetorians Roma, would join,[4] but Treviso were nominated instead. Treviso and a combination of Duchi Nord-Ovest rugby clubs could not agree to form one regional representative club and lost out in the first round of bidding.[5] However, Pretorians Roma failed to satisfy financial criteria, and Treviso instead joined the Pro12.[6]
Treviso finished their first two season in the Pro12 (2010–11 and 2011–12) in 10th place, while in the 2012–13 season they finished 7th with 50 points. In the next three seasons, Treviso performed poorly, ending 11th, 11th and 12th out of twelve teams.After that, a new head coach was engaged for the 2016/2017 season, the New ZealanderKieran Crowley. The formerAll Black formed a new coaching team with two ex-Italian internationals,Marco Bortolami andFabio Ongaro. Treviso finished the season in 10th place.
In 2017/2018, the championship was joined by two South Africans teams, becoming thePro14, and was divided into two conferences. This season Treviso nearly reached theEuropean Rugby Champions Cup play-offs, ending 5th in the conference with 55 points. For first time since Treviso joined this league the club has been able to record more wins than losses (11 against 10).
Ahead of the 2017/18 season, Benetton Rugby Treviso was renamed Benetton Rugby. From 2022/23 season, he instituted an Academy Under 23 and a territorial Academy Under 19.[7]
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | TF | TA | TB | LB | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Stormers | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 157 | 39 | +118 | 20 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 23 | Qualifies for home URC quarter-final; Qualification for the2026–27 Champions Cup |
| 2 |  Munster | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 125 | 89 | +36 | 18 | 15 | 3 | 0 | 23 | |
| 3 |  Glasgow Warriors | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 161 | 64 | +97 | 22 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 20 | |
| 4 |  Cardiff | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 111 | 87 | +24 | 18 | 11 | 3 | 1 | 20 | |
| 5 | Ulster | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 135 | 103 | +32 | 19 | 15 | 4 | 0 | 16 | Qualifies for URC quarter-final; Qualification for the2026–27 Champions Cup |
| 6 | Bulls | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 139 | 147 | −8 | 21 | 21 | 2 | 0 | 14 | |
| 7 | Leinster | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 126 | 136 | −10 | 19 | 19 | 2 | 1 | 11 | |
| 8 | Lions | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 133 | 145 | −12 | 18 | 21 | 2 | 1 | 11 | |
| 9 |  Zebre Parma | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 92 | 153 | −61 | 12 | 23 | 2 | 0 | 10 | Qualification for the2026–27 Challenge Cup |
| 10 | Edinburgh | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 109 | 71 | +38 | 17 | 11 | 2 | 3 | 9 | |
| 11 | Benetton | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 88 | 129 | −41 | 10 | 19 | 1 | 0 | 9 | |
| 12 | Connacht | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 76 | 74 | +2 | 12 | 10 | 2 | 2 | 8 | |
| 13 | Sharks | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 96 | 136 | −40 | 14 | 19 | 2 | 0 | 8 | |
| 14 | Ospreys | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 110 | 140 | −30 | 16 | 21 | 1 | 0 | 7 | |
| 15 | Dragons | 5 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 74 | 151 | −77 | 10 | 22 | 0 | 1 | 5 | |
| 16 | Scarlets | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 58 | 126 | −68 | 7 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Benetton Treviso joined the Celtic League for the 2010-11 season.
| Season | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Bonus | Points | Pos |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010–11 | 22 | 9 | 0 | 13 | 2 | 38 | 10th |
| 2011–12 | 22 | 7 | 0 | 15 | 8 | 36 | 10th |
| 2012–13 | 22 | 10 | 2 | 10 | 6 | 50 | 7th |
| 2013–14 | 22 | 5 | 1 | 16 | 8 | 30 | 11th |
| 2014–15 | 22 | 3 | 1 | 18 | 5 | 19 | 11th |
| 2015–16 | 22 | 3 | 0 | 19 | 8 | 20 | 12th |
| 2016–17 | 22 | 5 | 0 | 17 | 3 | 23 | 10th |
| Season | Conference | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Bonus | Points | Pos |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017–18 | Conference B | 21 | 11 | 0 | 10 | 11 | 55 | 5th |
| 2018–19 | Conference B | 21 | 11 | 2 | 8 | 9 | 57 | 3rd |
| Quarter-finals | Munster 15 – 13 Benetton Rugby | |||||||
| 2019–20 | Conference B | 15 | 6 | 1 | 8 | 10 | 36 | 5th |
| 2020–21 | Conference B | 16 | 0 | 1 | 15 | 7 | 7 | 6th |
| Season | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Bonus | Points | Pos |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 22 | 1st |
| Final | Benetton Rugby 35 – 8Bulls | ||||||
| Season | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Bonus | Points | Pos |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-22 | 18 | 6 | 1 | 11 | 9 | 35 | 13th |
| 2022-23 | 18 | 8 | 0 | 10 | 9 | 41 | 11th |
| 2023-24 | 18 | 11 | 1 | 6 | 8 | 50 | 7th |
| Quarter-finals | Bulls 30 – 23 Benetton Rugby | ||||||
| 2024-25 | 18 | 9 | 1 | 8 | 8 | 46 | 10th |
| Season | Pool/Round | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Bonus | Points | Pos |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995–96 | Pool 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2nd |
| 1996–97 | Pool 1 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 4th |
| 1997–98 | Pool 5 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 3rd |
| 1998–99 | Pool 4 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 3rd |
| 1999–00 | Pool 5 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 3rd |
| 2001–02 | Pool 2 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 4th |
| 2003–04 | Pool 5 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 5 | 3rd |
| 2004–05 | Pool 2 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 14 | 3rd |
| 2005–06 | Pool 4 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 4th |
| 2006–07 | Pool 1 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 4th |
| 2007–08 | Pool 1 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 5 | 4th |
| 2008–09 | Pool 3 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 4th |
| 2009–10 | Pool 1 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 5 | 4th |
| 2010–11 | Pool 5 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4th |
| 2011–12 | Pool 5 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 7 | 4th |
| 2012–13 | Pool 2 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 5 | 4th |
| 2013–14 | Pool 5 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 4th |
| 2014–15 | Pool 5 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 4th |
| 2015–16 | Pool 4 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 4th |
| 2017–18 | Pool 5 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 4th |
| 2019–20 | Pool 1 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 6 | 4th |
| 2024–25 | Pool 2 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 11 | 3rd |
| Round of 16 | Castres Olympique 39 – 37 Benetton Rugby | |||||||
| Season | Pool/Round | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Bonus | Points | Pos |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000–01 | Pool 1 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 2nd |
| 2002–03 | 2nd round | Newcastle Falcons 43 – 32 Benetton Rugby (aggregate score) | ||||||
| 2016–17 | Pool 1 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 8 | 3rd |
| 2018–19 | Pool 5 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 20 | 2nd |
| 2020-21 | Preliminary stage | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 7th |
| Quarter-finals | Montpellier Hérault Rugby 31 – 25 Benetton Rugby | |||||||
| 2021–22 | Pool B | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 3rd |
| Round of 16 | Toulon Rugby 36 – 17 Benetton Rugby | |||||||
| 2022–23 | Pool B | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 15 | 2nd |
| Semi-finals | Toulon Rugby 23 – 0 Benetton Rugby | |||||||
| 2023–24 | Pool 2 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 15 | 1st |
| Semi-finals | Gloucester Rugby 40 – 23 Benetton Rugby | |||||||
The team play at theStadio Comunale di Monigo inTreviso, 4 km northwest of the city centre. The stadium has two covered stands and a capacity of 5,000.
The staff for the 2023–24 season is:[9][10]
| Benetton United Rugby Championship squad[a] | ||
|---|---|---|
Props
Hookers Locks | Back row
Scrum-halves Fly-halves | Centres Wings Fullbacks |
| (cc) denotes the team co-captains,Bold denotes internationally capped players. * denotes players qualified to play for Italy on residency or dual nationality. L denotes a player on loan at the club. Players and their allocated positions from the Benetton Rugby website.[11]
|
| Benetton Additional Players squad[a][b][c] | ||
|---|---|---|
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 Benetton Rugby website and F.I.R. website.[12][13][14] |
Former players who have played for Benetton and have caps for Italy
Former players who have played for Benetton and have caps for their Representative Team
Treviso is an executive member of the historical territorial representative of I Dogi (the Doges) that have recovered in 2015 and represents several clubs inVeneto andFriuli-Venezia Giulia.[15] Currently no provision is made for a selection Seniors who take the field with the shirt ofThe Doges: to represent its brand and colors are at this stage the representative under-14, under-16 male and female under-18 male and female managed by Veneto Regional Committee. May occur during the right conditions, there is still the desire to be able to field, even if it is currently not a priority.[16]
In the past, Dogi was a historical invitational team that included the best players ofTriveneto, area of Italy in which this sport is very widespread. The team was founded on 17 December 1973 inTreviso, and played its last game on 17 November 1993. In twenty years they played 22 games with teams of international level, collecting 15 victories. The selection shirt was red, with golden edges.
Since November 2023, theFranchise has also had a women's team, which plays official tests with Spanish team.[17]
