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| Birth name | Andrea Masi | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Date of birth | 30 March 1981 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | L'Aquila, Abruzzo, Italy | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 105 kg (16 st 7 lb; 231 lb)[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Andrea Masi (born 30 March 1981) is a retired Italian rugby union footballer. His usual position was in the centres but he has also played at fly-half and at full-back. His last club before retirement was the English Premiership club Wasps.[2] In a 16-year international career lasting from 1999 to 2015, Masi won 95 caps for the Italy national team, and was a part of their squad at four World Cups in 2003, 2007, 2011 and 2015.
Masi was born in L'Aquila, Abruzzo. He was recognized as a talented player at an early age, and he made his debut for L'Aquila at the age of 16. He was soon called up for national selection, and made his international debut for Italy against Spain in 1999. He became a regular in the Italian squad, but did not feature in the Six Nations until 2003 when he appeared against England.
He joined Viadana in 2003 and was also included in Italy's squad for the World Cup in Australia that year. He had his 2005 season disrupted by injury. In the 2008 Six Nations Championship, new coach Nick Mallett played Masi at fly-half, a role he had not played before but many experts believed this move was unsuccessful and he was moved to full-back for the start of the 2009 Six Nations Championship.
In March 2011, Masi was named the 2011 Six Nations Player of the Championship. Masi scored Italy's late try in their first ever Championship win against France.[3][4]
In June 2011 he joined the Pro12 Italian franchise Aironi. However, the team was discontinued in 2012, and Masi moved to England to join Wasps.[2]
In 2016, Masi retired from playing and subsequently took up a position as a coach for the Wasps academy. In 2021, Masi left Wasps for a return to Italy in a coaching role for Benetton Rugby.[5]
- ^ "FrenchRugbyClub Racing-Métro 92 squad". FrenchRugbyClub.com. Archived from the original on 16 August 2011. Retrieved 8 April 2011.
- ^ a b "Wasps sign Italy centre Andrea Masi from defunct Aironi". The Guardian. 7 July 2012. Retrieved 5 October 2012.
- ^ "Masi wins Six Nations player award". Irish Times. 23 March 2011. Archived from the original on 23 October 2012. Retrieved 23 March 2011.
- ^ "Italy's Andrea Masi voted Player of the Six Nations". BBC News Sport. 23 March 2010. Archived from the original on 1 April 2011. Retrieved 23 March 2011.
- ^ "VISITA IN VILLA MINELLI PER IL NUOVO STAFF TECNICO BIANCOVERDE". Benetton Rugby. 22 July 2011. Retrieved 22 July 2021.