Marco Bollesan

Marco Bollesan

Full name	Marco Bollesan
Date of birth	July 7, 1941
Place of birth	Chioggia, Venice, Italy
Occupation(s)	Iron worker, Management, Public relations
Rugby union career
Playing career
Position	Number 8
Professional / senior clubs
Years	Club / team	Caps	(points)
1959-1965 1965-1966 1966-1976 1976-1981	CUS Genova Partenope Brescia Amatori Milano
correct as of 3 June 2009.
National team(s)
Years	Club / team	Caps	(points)
1963-1975	Italy	47	(24)
correct as of 3 June 2009.
Coaching career
Years	Club / team
1981-1985 1985-1988 1989-1992 1992-1997 1997-2003	Amatori Milano Italy Livorno CUS Genoa Alghero
correct as of 3 June 2009.

Marco Bollesan (born 7 July 1941) is an Italian former rugby union player, coach and manager.

Biography

Born in Genoa; later he got a job as iron worker at the Italsider and started playing rugby as senior at the CUS Genoa Rugby (the University of Genoa rugby union team).

During the conscription period he practiced rowing for the Italian National Military selection, but afterwards he returned to rugby. He made his international debut with the Italian team in 1963 at Grenoble against France (Italy lost 12-14).

Until 1975 he won 47 full caps and played 37 matches as captain.

In 1965 he moved from Genoa to Naples to play with the Partenope that had just won the Italian championship. In order to get that the Neapolitan club's managed to get from Italsider the moving of the player from Genoa to the steel mill located in Bagnoli, near Neaples. In 1966 Partenope won its second in a row - and to date, last - Championship.

In 1967 Bollesan moved to Genoa, then, in 1974 to Brescia winning another Championship in 1975. He was then at Amatori Rugby Milano, until 1981 as player and until 1985 as coach.

From 1985 to 1988 he was the Italian National Team's head coach and took part at the 1987 Rugby World Cup.

Later he managed Rugby Livorno, CUS Genova and Rugby Alghero.

In 1997, when Amatori Milano was facing dire straits due to lack of money, he offered to coach the team for free.

From 2003 to the 2008 Six Nations he has been responsible for public relations for the Italian Rugby Federation, and is currently the chairman of SportinGenova, a company that manage all the sport venues owned by the comune of Genoa.

Honours

As player

• 2 Italian Championships:
  • Partenope 1965-1966
  • Rugby Brescia 1974-1975
• Italy national rugby union team: 47 full caps (37 as captain) 1963-1975

As coach

• Manager of the Italian team at the 1987 Rugby World Cup

References

External links

• Marco Bollesan International Player Statistics