Giovanni Vigna

Giovanni Vigna (born c. 1925) is an Italian former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1950s and 1960s. He played at representative level for Italy and Combined Nationalities, and at club level for Torino XIII, as a second-row, i.e. number 11 or 12, during the era of contested scrums.[1]

Giovanni Vigna
Personal information
Full nameGiovanni Vigna
Bornc. 1925 (age 97–98)
Playing information
Height6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Weight12 st 12 lb (82 kg)
PositionSecond-row
Club
Years Team Pld T G FG P
1950–≥50 Torino XIII
Representative
Years Team Pld T G FG P
1950–≥60 Italy
1954 Combined Nationalities 1 1 0 0 3
Source: [1]

Playing career

Italy

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,[2] 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;

Italy (RL) toured again in 1954, they were known as Federazione Amatori Italiani – Gioco di XIII (Federation of Italian Amateurs - Game of thirteen) because they were prevented from using the term "rugby" by the Federazione Italiana Rugby (Italian Rugby (Union) Federation), the squad included; Baldassin (Second-row for Carpentras XIII who attempted goals without a run up), Vincenzo Bertolotto, Giovanni Vigna, the squad arrived in Leeds on Tuesday 6 April 1954, to play six games in fifteen days, Giovanni Vigna scored 3-tries, and Baldassin scored 3-goals from eleven attempts in the initial 18-67 defeat by Bradford Northern at Odsal Stadium, Bradford in front of a crowd of 7,000 under Floodlights in the evening on Wednesday 7 April 1954, the Bradford Northern team was; Joe Phillips, D Knorpf, Joseph Mageen, E. Jenkins, W. Seddon, Jack McLean, Leonard Haley, P. Goddard, G. Jones, N. Carter, N. Haley, W. Jones, Trevor Foster, A. Story, Brian Radford, Ken Traill, the initial match was originally scheduled to be an amateur international at Odsal Stadium, Bradford, this was rescheduled to later in the tour at Central Park, Wigan, and Bradford Northern agreed to play despite only having played Halifax on Monday 5 April 1954.[4]

Giovanni Vigna played right-second-row, i.e. number 12, in Italy's 15-37 defeat by Australia in the 1959–60 Kangaroo tour match at Stadio Euganeo, Padua on Saturday 23 January 1960.[1]

Combined Nationalities

Giovanni Vigna played right-second-row, i.e. number 12, and scored a try in Combined Nationalities' 15-19 defeat by France at Stade de Gerland, Lyon on Sunday 3 January 1954.[1]

Club career

Following the Italy (RL) tour of 1950 to France, England, and Wales, a Torino XIII featuring Giovanni Vigna joined the French league.

References
  1. "Statistics at rugbyleagueproject.org". rugbyleagueproject.org. 31 December 2017. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
  2. "1950 Tour Match: Wigan 49 Italy 28". wigan.rlfans.com. 31 December 2012. Retrieved 1 January 2013.
  3. "Huddersfield v An Italian XIII - Match Programme - Wednesday 6 September 1950" (PDF). huddersfieldrlheritage.co.uk. 31 December 2012. Retrieved 1 January 2013.
  4. "1954 Italians at Odsal" (PDF). odsalpasttimes.org. 31 December 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 February 2014. Retrieved 1 January 2014.

Sources
  • 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].
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