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{{Infobox national rugby team
| Name = Gapolania
| Nickname = ''Kolibri''
| Badge = Gapolania_ruby_logo.png
| Union = Gapolanese Rugby Union
| Coach = Ivan Galenza
| Captain = Alessandro Legastru
| Home Stadium = [[Tifone Stadium]]
| pattern_la1           = _goldborder
| pattern_b1            = _goldstripecollar
| pattern_ra1           = _goldborder
| pattern_sh1           = _goldbottom
| pattern_so1           = _goldtop
| leftarm1              = 000099
| body1                 = 000099
| rightarm1             = 000099
| shorts1               = 000099
| socks1                = 000099
| pattern_la2           = _navylines
| pattern_b2            = _collar_CNortonMatosPT
| pattern_ra2           = _navylines
| pattern_sh2           = 
| pattern_so2           = _navytop
| leftarm2              = ffcc00
| body2                 = ffcc00
| rightarm2             = ffcc00
| shorts2               = ffcc00
| socks2                = ffcc00
| First game = {{flag|Gapolania}} 5–'''33 {{flag|Nuvania}}'''<br />([[Zeta]], Gapolania; 12 July 1927)
| Largest win =
| Largest loss = {{flag|Gapolania}} 7-'''145 {{flag|Satavia}}'''<br>(23 September, 1997)
| World cup apps     = 1 (2021)
}}

The '''Gapolania national rugby union team''' is the {{wp|rugby union}} team of [[Gapolania]]. Unofficially known as ''Kolibri'' (Hummingbirds), the team competes in the [[Kylaris]] rugby world cup, appearing for the first time in [[2021_Rugby_World_Cup_(Kylaris)|2021 Rugby World Cup]].

The national team was created in the summer of 1925 in the city of Zeta and is commonly associated with the region of [[Nerio]], played initially by {{wp|Italians|Vespasian}} immigrants and their descendants. Gapolania continued to play internationally, usually against Nuvania, [[Satavia]] or [[Satucin]] but has lost majority of its matches, winning only 53 of 258 of their test matches. In 2020, for the first time in the sport's history in the nation, Gapolania managed to qualify to the 2021 Kylaris World Rugby Cup.

The team's main stadium is Tifone Stadium in Zeta, used for training and most international matches. The popularity of the rugby union in Gapolania is low but has increased significantly in the 2010s, following a series of successes the team achieved under the coaching of Ivan Galenza, a former rugby union player. The sport's significance is low, however has steadily grown in the recent years, following minor successes of the team on the international sports scene. The team's emblem is the {{wp|hummingbird}} and their colors are navy and yellow, mirroring the national colors of the republic.

==History==
[[File:Argentina rugby vs lions 31july1927.jpg|thumb|left||The team that played the first international match against Nuvania on 12 July 1927.]]
Rugby union first appeared in Gapolania in early 20th century, however it never gained as much attention as {{wp|soccer}}. Several teams, including still-functioning Zeta Lions and Patrasi Rugby Team, formed in the first decade of the century. The national team, however, took another 20 years to be formed. This was mostly due to the little focus any government put to sports and dismissal of some disciplines, regarded as descended from the colonial traditions, perceived negatively at that time. Only in 1924, when Marco Fabrizio Moro established the national rugby union association, the players were able to create a nationally recognized team.

In the first years of its operation, the team played mostly against Nuvania, Satavia and Satucin, losing most of the games. Despite that, the sport gained a significant attention, particularly within the Novalian-speaking regions of the country. The national team stopped playing during the [[Great War (Kylaris|Great War]] and re-assumed its competition in 1937, playing in all of the rugby world cup qualifications. The team came close to advance to the main event on two occasions: in 195X and in 195X. Since 1960s, Gapolania has been continuously falling in the world ranking, to the point of losing X-Y against ''someone'' in 197X.

The sport lost most of the coverage in the late 1900s, losing out to more popular soccer and volleyball, where the national teams often qualified for the international events. In 2007 the national rugby union association was granted 30'000$ as a part of the Millenial Sports and Culture Fund. This allowed the union to hire more experienced coaches and invest in the stadium's equipment, which wasn't adjusted properly to answer the team's needs. In 2012, Ivan Galenza, a former team's captain became the coach and, year later, Kolibri managed to score their first major win against ''someone'' in 60 years. In 2020, Gapolania advanced to the 2021 Kylaris Rugby Cup, marking their first appearance in the event. 

== Name and colors ==
[[File:Violet-tailed_Sylph_(f)_JCB.jpg|thumb|200px|right|A common sight in the republic, the violet-tailed hummingbird became a symbol of the national team]]
The term ''Kolibri'' first appeared in 1949, when the Gapolanese sports journalist, Filipe Derko, described the team as "hummingbirds - inconspicuous, yet strong, this team will win us the world one day" during the match against Satucin. Despite the overly optimistic review, the name attached to the players and was often used as a cheer. ''Kolibri'' itself is a variant of {{wp|Italian language|Vespasian}} ''colibri'', literally a plural form of "hummingbird".

Gapolania alternated yellow and dark blue jerseys in their first international games. After the Great War, the association's president, Andre Corossia, proposed the team wear navy blue tops with yellow shorts. In 1984, several stripes were added to the jerseys, while the secondary kits were changed to involve yellow and white. In 2009, the team found a sponsor in [[Sentax Gapolania]] and new kits were designed, including dark blue and yellow stripes.

{|
|{{Football kit|pattern_la=|pattern_b=_collarwhite|pattern_ra=|leftarm=000099|body=000099|rightarm=000099|shorts=000099|socks=000099|title=1925–1936 home}}
|{{Football kit|pattern_la=|pattern_b=_collarwhite|pattern_ra=|leftarm=ffff00|body=ffff00|rightarm=ffff00|shorts=ffff00|socks=ffff00|title=1925-1936 guest}}
|{{Football kit|pattern_la=|pattern_b=_collarwhite|pattern_ra=|pattern_so=|leftarm=000099|body=000099|rightarm=000099|shorts=ffff00|socks=ffff00|title=1936-1984 home}}
|{{Football kit|pattern_la=|pattern_b=_collarwhite|pattern_ra=|leftarm=ffff00|body=ffff00|rightarm=ffff00|shorts=000099|socks=000099|title=1936–1984 guest}}
|{{Football kit|pattern_la=_goldstripes|pattern_b=_goldstripecollar|pattern_ra=_goldstripes|pattern_so=_hoops_gold|leftarm=000099|body=000099|rightarm=000099|shorts=000099|socks=000099|title=1984-2008 home}}
|{{Football kit|pattern_la=_goldstripes|pattern_b=_yellow_stripes|pattern_ra=_goldstripes|pattern_so=_hoops_gold|leftarm=ffffff|body=ffffff|rightarm=ffffff|shorts=ffffff|socks=ffffff|title=1984-2008 guest}}
|}

== Records ==
Below is a table of test matches played by Gapolania up to 26th January 2021. The country played 262 international matches.
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size:90%"
|-
! style="width:180px;"| Opponent
! style="width:50px;"| Played
! style="width:50px;"| Won
! style="width:50px;"| Lost
! style="width:50px;"| Drawn
! style="width:50px;"| Win %
|-
| {{flag|Alsland}} ||2 ||1 ||1 ||0 || 50.00%
|-
| {{flag|Aucuria}} ||12 ||4 ||7 ||1 || 36.36%
|-
| {{flag|Belmonte}} ||15 ||5 ||9 ||1 || 33.33%
|-
| {{flag|Caldia}} ||9 ||0 ||9 ||0 || 0.00%
|-
| {{flag|Cassier}} ||8 ||1 ||7 ||0 || 12.50%
|-
| {{flag|Estmere}} ||11 ||1 ||10 ||0 || 9.09%
|-
| {{flag|Etruria}} ||21||2 ||17 ||2 || 9.52%
|-
| {{flag|Garambura}} ||1 ||0 ||1 ||0 || 0.00%
|-
| {{flag|Gaullica}} ||7 ||0 ||7 ||0 || 0.00%
|-
| {{flag|Halland}} ||6||0 ||6 ||0 || 0.00%
|-
| {{flag|Jossia}} ||26||7 ||18 ||1 || 26.92%
|-
| {{flag|Masari}} ||1||0 ||0 ||1 || 0.00%
|-
| {{flag|Nuvania}} ||39||8 ||28 ||3 || 7.69%
|-
| {{flag|Satavia}} ||34||4 ||28 ||0 || 11.76%
|-
| {{flag|Satucin}} ||26||12 ||12 ||2 || 46.15%
|-
| [[File:TengariaFlag.png|20px]] [[Tengaria]] ||2||1 ||1 ||0 || 50.00%
|-
| {{flag|Vinalia}} ||19 ||8 ||11 ||0 || 42.11%
|-
| {{flag|Zaralaja}} ||13 ||4 ||8 ||1 || 30.77%
|}

== Players ==
On 7th December, Gapolania named 31-man squad for the 2021 Kylaris Rugby Cup.
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size:90%"
|-
! Player
! Position
! Date of birth (age)
|-
| Milan Aventu || {{wp|hooker (rugby union)|Hooker}} || 11 June 1993 (age 27)
|-
| Robert Salenko || {{wp|hooker (rugby union)|Hooker}} || 4 April 1985 (age 35)
|-
| Victor Selba|| {{wp|hooker (rugby union)|Hooker}} || 22 April 1990 (age 30)
|-
| Martin Farzuche || {{wp|prop (rugby union)|Prop}} || 2 December 1996 (age 24)
|-
| Giacomo di Ellorio|| {{wp|prop (rugby union)|Prop}} || 2 May 1991 (age 29)
|-
| Martin Ergol|| {{wp|prop (rugby union)|Prop}} || 7 September 1987 (age 33)
|-
| Alessandro Caspar|| {{wp|prop (rugby union)|Prop}} || 30 April 1997 (age 23)
|-
| Antero Presutti|| {{wp|prop (rugby union)|Prop}} || 24 November 1995 (age 25)
|-
| Fabio Balaso|| {{wp|lock (rugby union)|Lock}} || 21 April 1992 (age 28)
|-
| Michele Brala|| {{wp|lock (rugby union)|Lock}} || 3 February 1994 (age 26)
|-
| Andreo Lanza|| {{wp|lock (rugby union)|Lock}} || 13 August 1988 (age 32)
|-
| Fabrizio Ludango|| {{wp|lock (rugby union)|Lock}} || 10 April 1999 (age 21)
|-
| Danielle Anton|| {{wp|Rugby_union_positions#Back_row|Back row}} || 3 March 1988 (age 32)
|-
| Iohannes Silva|| {{wp|Rugby_union_positions#Back_row|Back row}} || 11 June 1994 (age 26)
|-
| Paolo Moneggini|| {{wp|Rugby_union_positions#Back_row|Back row}} || 29 June 1994 (age 26)
|-
| Alessandro Tommerde|| {{wp|Rugby_union_positions#Back_row|Back row}} || 9 February 1989 (age 31)
|-
| Mauro Verrata|| {{wp|Rugby_union_positions#Back_row|Back row}} || 24 May 1995 (age 25)
|-
| Guido Demàgazzu|| {{wp|scrum-half (rugby union)|Scrum-half}} || 13 November 1992 (age 28)
|-
| Jonas Martin Hedelberg|| {{wp|scrum-half (rugby union)|Scrum-half}} || 30 August 1990 (age 30)
|-
| Alessandro Opperto|| {{wp|scrum-half (rugby union)|Scrum-half}} || 11 December 1998 (age 22)
|-
| Domenico Pegàsia|| {{wp|fly-half (rugby union)|Fly-half}} || 26 May 1996 (age 24)
|-
| Arturo Tolda|| {{wp|fly-half (rugby union)|Fly-half}} || 8 June 1988 (age 32)
|-
| Emmanuel Vinelli|| {{wp|fly-half (rugby union)|Fly-half}} || 15 February 1990 (age 30)
|-
| Gian Federzoni|| {{wp|centre (rugby union)|Centre}} || 15 August 1994 (age 26)
|-
| Alessandro Legastru (c)|| {{wp|centre (rugby union)|Centre}} || 10 May 1988 (age 32)
|-
| Ivan Seradia|| {{wp|centre (rugby union)|Centre}} || 27 March 1993 (age 27)
|-
| Domenico Yutucha|| {{wp|wing (rugby union)|Wing}} || 4 July 1998 (age 22)
|-
| Giuseppe di Sarita|| {{wp|wing (rugby union)|Wing}} || 8 January 1990 (age 31)
|-
| Carlo Unero|| {{wp|wing (rugby union)|Wing}} || 11 September 1992 (age 28)
|-
| Adriano Camino|| {{wp|fullback (rugby union)|Fullback}} || 22 November 1989 (age 31)
|-
| Martin Zella|| {{wp|fullback (rugby union)|Fullback}} || 16 June 1991 (age 29)
|}

== Coaches ==
The national rugby union team was commonly coached by its captain up until 1968, when, following a series of defeats, the GRUA named the team's former captain, Dante Cherrini, its new head coach.
{{Div col|colwidth=22em}}
* Dante Cherrini: 1968–1977
* Davide Follori: 1977-1978
* Michele Bernardou: 1978-1980
* Alberto Serra: 1980-1984
* Colin O'Leary: 1984-1985
* Alberto Serra: 1985-1988
* Isaaco Marinèzzu: 1988-1991
* Domenico Nauiga: 1991-2000
* Mauricio Derico-Levadenza: 2000-2003
* Alessandro Pastraci: 2003-2004
* Tomas Volan: 2004-2007
* Kim Che-Song: 2007-2012
* Ivan Galenza: 2012-
{{div col end}}

[[Category:Gapolania]]
[[Category:Sports in Gapolania]]