Gapolania national rugby union team: Difference between revisions

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! Date of birth (age)
! Date of birth (age)
|-
|-
| Milan Jedlinić || {{wp|hooker (rugby union)|Hooker}} || 11 June 1993 (age 27)
| Milan Aventu || {{wp|hooker (rugby union)|Hooker}} || 11 June 1993 (age 27)
|-
|-
| Robert Salenko || {{wp|hooker (rugby union)|Hooker}} || 4 April 1985 (age 35)
| Robert Salenko || {{wp|hooker (rugby union)|Hooker}} || 4 April 1985 (age 35)
|-
|-
| Viktor Vranjić|| {{wp|hooker (rugby union)|Hooker}} || 22 April 1990 (age 30)
| Victor Selba|| {{wp|hooker (rugby union)|Hooker}} || 22 April 1990 (age 30)
|-
|-
| Martin Abrimović || {{wp|prop (rugby union)|Prop}} || 2 December 1996 (age 24)
| 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)
| Giacomo di Ellorio|| {{wp|prop (rugby union)|Prop}} || 2 May 1991 (age 29)
|-
|-
| Martin Hrgović|| {{wp|prop (rugby union)|Prop}} || 7 September 1987 (age 33)
| Martin Ergol|| {{wp|prop (rugby union)|Prop}} || 7 September 1987 (age 33)
|-
|-
| Aleksandar Kasprović|| {{wp|prop (rugby union)|Prop}} || 30 April 1997 (age 23)
| Alessandro Caspar|| {{wp|prop (rugby union)|Prop}} || 30 April 1997 (age 23)
|-
|-
| Antero Presutti|| {{wp|prop (rugby union)|Prop}} || 24 November 1995 (age 25)
| Antero Presutti|| {{wp|prop (rugby union)|Prop}} || 24 November 1995 (age 25)
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| Fabio Balaso|| {{wp|lock (rugby union)|Lock}} || 21 April 1992 (age 28)
| Fabio Balaso|| {{wp|lock (rugby union)|Lock}} || 21 April 1992 (age 28)
|-
|-
| Mladen Brala|| {{wp|lock (rugby union)|Lock}} || 3 February 1994 (age 26)
| Michele Brala|| {{wp|lock (rugby union)|Lock}} || 3 February 1994 (age 26)
|-
|-
| Andreo Lanza|| {{wp|lock (rugby union)|Lock}} || 13 August 1988 (age 32)
| Andreo Lanza|| {{wp|lock (rugby union)|Lock}} || 13 August 1988 (age 32)
|-
|-
| Vukasin Milović|| {{wp|lock (rugby union)|Lock}} || 10 April 1999 (age 21)
| Fabrizio Ludango|| {{wp|lock (rugby union)|Lock}} || 10 April 1999 (age 21)
|-
|-
| Danielle Antonović|| {{wp|Rugby_union_positions#Back_row|Back row}} || 3 March 1988 (age 32)
| Danielle Anton|| {{wp|Rugby_union_positions#Back_row|Back row}} || 3 March 1988 (age 32)
|-
|-
| Nikita Dvorec|| {{wp|Rugby_union_positions#Back_row|Back row}} || 11 June 1994 (age 26)
| 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)
| Paolo Moneggini|| {{wp|Rugby_union_positions#Back_row|Back row}} || 29 June 1994 (age 26)
|-
|-
| Aleksandar Todevski|| {{wp|Rugby_union_positions#Back_row|Back row}} || 9 February 1989 (age 31)
| 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)
| Mauro Verrata|| {{wp|Rugby_union_positions#Back_row|Back row}} || 24 May 1995 (age 25)
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| Jonas Martin Hedelberg|| {{wp|scrum-half (rugby union)|Scrum-half}} || 30 August 1990 (age 30)
| Jonas Martin Hedelberg|| {{wp|scrum-half (rugby union)|Scrum-half}} || 30 August 1990 (age 30)
|-
|-
| Aleksandar Perović|| {{wp|scrum-half (rugby union)|Scrum-half}} || 11 December 1998 (age 22)
| 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)
| Domenico Pegàsia|| {{wp|fly-half (rugby union)|Fly-half}} || 26 May 1996 (age 24)
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| Alessandro Legastru (c)|| {{wp|centre (rugby union)|Centre}} || 10 May 1988 (age 32)
| Alessandro Legastru (c)|| {{wp|centre (rugby union)|Centre}} || 10 May 1988 (age 32)
|-
|-
| Ivan Nikita Serdak|| {{wp|centre (rugby union)|Centre}} || 27 March 1993 (age 27)
| Ivan Seradia|| {{wp|centre (rugby union)|Centre}} || 27 March 1993 (age 27)
|-
|-
| Toše Malimov|| {{wp|wing (rugby union)|Wing}} || 4 July 1998 (age 22)
| Domenico Yutucha|| {{wp|wing (rugby union)|Wing}} || 4 July 1998 (age 22)
|-
|-
| Giuseppe di Sarita|| {{wp|wing (rugby union)|Wing}} || 8 January 1990 (age 30)
| Giuseppe di Sarita|| {{wp|wing (rugby union)|Wing}} || 8 January 1990 (age 30)
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| Carlo Unero|| {{wp|wing (rugby union)|Wing}} || 11 September 1992 (age 28)
| Carlo Unero|| {{wp|wing (rugby union)|Wing}} || 11 September 1992 (age 28)
|-
|-
| Adrian Kaminović|| {{wp|fullback (rugby union)|Fullback}} || 22 November 1989 (age 31)
| Adriano Camino|| {{wp|fullback (rugby union)|Fullback}} || 22 November 1989 (age 31)
|-
|-
| Martin Zelenskiy|| {{wp|fullback (rugby union)|Fullback}} || 16 June 1991 (age 29)
| Martin Zella|| {{wp|fullback (rugby union)|Fullback}} || 16 June 1991 (age 29)
|}
|}


Revision as of 17:58, 16 January 2021

Gapolania
Shirt badge/Association crest
Nickname(s)Kolibri
UnionGapolanese Rugby Union
Head coachJovan Sandjić
CaptainAlessandro Legastru
Home stadiumTifone Stadium
First colours
Second colours
First international
 Gapolania 5–33  Nuvania
(Zeta, Gapolania; 12 July 1927)
Biggest defeat
 Gapolania 7-145  Satavia
(23 September, 1997)
World Cup
Appearances1 (2021)

The Gapolania national rugby union team is the 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.

The national team was created in the summer of 1925 in the city of Zeta and is commonly associated with the region of Nuova Novalia, played initially by Novalian and Carinthian immigrants and their descendants. Their first match was in 1927, when they played against Nuvania and lost 5 to 33. 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 Jovan Sandjić, a former rugby union player. The sport's significance is higher in the Novalian and Carinthian-speaking parts of Gapolania and many players are of of that ancestry. The team's emblem is the hummingbird and their colors are navy and yellow, mirroring the national colors of the republic.

History

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 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 anti-Novalian policies that forced the Gapolanese population to speak solely Vespasian and suppressed Novalian and Carinthian customs and, as rugby union became more popular within immigrants of these origins, the sport was heavily targeted as an "unhealthy tradition". 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 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, Jovan Sandjić, 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

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 mix of Vespasian colibrì and Novalian kolibrić. Sometimes, the national team is called the yellowbirds, in reference to their kit and badge colors.

Gapolania alternated yellow and dark blue jerseys in their first international games. After the Great War, the association's president, Andrej Koroština, 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.

1925–1936 home
1925-1936 guest
1936-1984 home
1936–1984 guest
1984-2008 home
1984-2008 guest

Records

Below is a table of test matches played by Gapolania up to 14th December 2020. The country played 258 international matches.

Opponent Played Won Lost Drawn Win %
 Alsland 2 1 1 0 50.00%
 Aucuria 12 4 7 1 36.36%
 Belmonte 15 5 9 1 33.33%
 Caldia 9 0 9 0 0.00%
 Cassier 7 0 7 0 0.00%
Template:Country data Estmere 11 1 10 0 9.09%
 Etruria 21 2 17 2 9.52%
 Garambura 0 0 0 0 0.00%
 Gaullica 7 0 7 0 0.00%
 Halland 6 0 6 0 0.00%
Jossia 23 4 18 1 17.39%
 Nuvania 39 8 28 3 7.69%
 Satavia 34 4 28 0 11.76%
 Satucin 25 11 12 2 44.00%
 Sivathra 4 2 2 0 50.00%
TengariaFlag.png Tengaria 1 0 1 0 0.00%
 Vinalia 19 8 11 0 42.11%
 Zaralaja 13 4 8 1 30.77%

Players

On 7th December, Gapolania named 31-man squad for the 2021 Kylaris Rugby Cup.

Player Position Date of birth (age)
Milan Aventu Hooker 11 June 1993 (age 27)
Robert Salenko Hooker 4 April 1985 (age 35)
Victor Selba Hooker 22 April 1990 (age 30)
Martin Farzuche Prop 2 December 1996 (age 24)
Giacomo di Ellorio Prop 2 May 1991 (age 29)
Martin Ergol Prop 7 September 1987 (age 33)
Alessandro Caspar Prop 30 April 1997 (age 23)
Antero Presutti Prop 24 November 1995 (age 25)
Fabio Balaso Lock 21 April 1992 (age 28)
Michele Brala Lock 3 February 1994 (age 26)
Andreo Lanza Lock 13 August 1988 (age 32)
Fabrizio Ludango Lock 10 April 1999 (age 21)
Danielle Anton Back row 3 March 1988 (age 32)
Iohannes Silva Back row 11 June 1994 (age 26)
Paolo Moneggini Back row 29 June 1994 (age 26)
Alessandro Tommerde Back row 9 February 1989 (age 31)
Mauro Verrata Back row 24 May 1995 (age 25)
Guido Demàgazzu Scrum-half 13 November 1992 (age 28)
Jonas Martin Hedelberg Scrum-half 30 August 1990 (age 30)
Alessandro Opperto Scrum-half 11 December 1998 (age 22)
Domenico Pegàsia Fly-half 26 May 1996 (age 24)
Arturo Tolda Fly-half 8 June 1988 (age 32)
Emmanuel Vinelli Fly-half 15 February 1990 (age 30)
Gian Federzoni Centre 15 August 1994 (age 26)
Alessandro Legastru (c) Centre 10 May 1988 (age 32)
Ivan Seradia Centre 27 March 1993 (age 27)
Domenico Yutucha Wing 4 July 1998 (age 22)
Giuseppe di Sarita Wing 8 January 1990 (age 30)
Carlo Unero Wing 11 September 1992 (age 28)
Adriano Camino Fullback 22 November 1989 (age 31)
Martin Zella 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, Aleksandar Jakubović, its new head coach.

  • Aleksandar Jakubović: 1968–1977
  • Davide Follori: 1977-1978
  • Michele Bernardou: 1978-1980
  • Vukasin Miltanović: 1980-1984
  • Colin O'Leary: 1984-1985
  • Vukasin Miltanović: 1985-1988
  • Isaaco Marinèzzu: 1988-1991
  • Dušan Karantjak: 1991-2000
  • Mauricio Derico-Levadenza: 2000-2003
  • Alessandro Pastraci: 2003-2004
  • Tomaš Volak: 2004-2007
  • Kim Che-Song: 2007-2012
  • Jovan Sandjić: 2012-
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