Gabriele Casalegno
Gabriele Casalegno (born c. 1923) is an Italian rugby union and professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1940s and 1950s. He played club level rugby union (RU) for R.S. Ginnastica Torino, and representative level rugby league (RL) for Italy, and at club level for Torino XIII, as a prop, or hooker, i.e. number 8 or 10, or 9, during the era of contested scrums.
Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Full name | Gabriele Casalegno | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Born | c. 1923 (age 99–100) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Playing information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Height | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Weight | 12 st 8 lb (80 kg) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Rugby union | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Position | Prop, Hooker | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Playing career
Rugby league
Vincenzo Bertolotto co-organised (with Dennis Chappell , from Wakefield, and a Turin resident), and captained the Italy (RL) tour of 1950 to France (3 matches), England (including; 28-49 defeat by Wigan at Central Park, Wigan on Saturday 26 August 1950,[1] Huddersfield at Fartown Ground, Huddersfield on Wednesday 6 September 1950, St. Helens at Knowsley Road on Thursday 16 November 1950), and Wales (including; 11-29 defeat by South Wales XIII at Brewery Field, Bridgend on Saturday 2 September 1950).
The Italy (RL) squad was; Guido Aleati (previously of R.S. Ginnastica Torino (RU)), Sergio Aleati (previously of R.S. Ginnastica Torino (RU)), Roberto Antonioli (previously of R.S. Ginnastica Torino (RU)), Angelo Arrigoni (previously of R.S. Ginnastica Torino (RU)), Vincenzo Bertolotto (previously of R.S. Ginnastica Torino (RU)), Michele Bietto, Giovanni Bonino (previously of R.S. Ginnastica Torino (RU)), Luigi Bosia, Giuseppe Cannone, Pasquale Cannone, Delio Caron, Gabriele Casalegno (previously of R.S. Ginnastica Torino (RU)), Amerio Chiara, Giorgio Cornacchia, Guido Cornarino (previously of R.S. Ginnastica Torino (RU)), Fabrizio Faglioli, Enzo Francesconi, Giuseppe Franco, Aldo Guglielminotti (previously of R.S. Ginnastica Torino (RU)), Giovanni Orecchia, Luigi Pignattaro, Franco Pipino, Giorgio Rassaval, Giorgio Rubino, Giovanni Tamagno (previously of R.S. Ginnastica Torino (RU)), Oreste Tescari and Giovanni Vigna.[2]
Rugby union
Casalegno was a member of the R.S. Ginnastica Torino (RU) team that won the 1947 Campionati italiani. In honour of this, Casalegno's name appears alongside his teammates on a plaque affixed to Motovelodromo Fausto Coppi in Turin, the squad was; eight players that would subsequently accompany Casalegno on the 1950 rugby league tour, and also Ausonio Alacevich, Bianco, Campi, Chiosso, Chiosso, Mario Dotti IV, Pescarmona, Piovano, Rocca, Felice Rama (coach), Siliquini, and Sandro Vigliano.
![](../I/Reale_Societ%C3%A0_Ginnastica_de_Turin_-_champion_d'Italie_1947.JPG.webp)
Rugby league
Following the Italy (RL) tour of 1950 to France, England, and Wales, a Torino XIII featuring Gabriele Casalegno joined the French league.
References
- "1950 Tour Match: Wigan 49 Italy 28". wigan.rlfans.com. 31 December 2012. Retrieved 1 January 2013.
- "Huddersfield v An Italian XIII - Match Programme - Wednesday 6 September 1950" (PDF). huddersfieldrlheritage.co.uk. 31 December 2012. Retrieved 1 January 2013.
- Benedetto Pasqua; Mirio Da Roit, Cent'anni di rugby a Torino (One Hundred Years of Rugby in Turin), Torino, Ananke [2011]
- Francesco Volpe; Paolo Pacetti, Rugby 2012, Roma, Zesi [2011]
- Gianluca Barca; Gian Franco Bellè, La Sesta Nazione (The Sixth Nation), Parma, Grafiche Step [2008]