George Biagi retires from rugby
After seven seasons, 119 games - 51 as captain - and 7 tries scored with Zebre, George Biagi, the former lock - 23 caps with Italy - retires from rugby and starts a new adventure within the club.
The Italian-Scottish forward will assume the role of Rugby Operations Manager, an innovative executive figure who will act as an intermediary between the club and the sporting area, working in close collaboration with team manager Andrea De Rossi. Zebre's objective is to develop a growth process of its management structure aimed at improving the team's performance and the general cohesion between the club and its members.
The CEO of Zebre Rugby Club Andrea Dalledonne: "Together with the Italian Rugby Union we have defined a strategy that looks to the future of the franchise, strengthening some strategic areas. Biagi will be a new professional figure who, thanks to his direct experience and skills, will be able to help Zebre to develop the great talent and our competitiveness within a prestigious tournament like the Guinness PRO14".
George Biagi: "I am happy to keep on contributing to the club and to my former teammates, after seven intense years spent on the field. In this new role I will be starting immediately with a lot of enthusiasm. I made this professional decision to remain at the forefront of the development of rugby and to put all my experience and university studies at the disposal of the club that has given me so much over the years. I would like to thank the Italian Rugby Union, Andrea Dalledonne and Andrea De Rossi for this great opportunity".
Arriving in Parma in the summer of 2013, Biagi has become over the years one of the mainstays of the team and he also took the rank of captain from the season 2015/16.
Born in Irvine in Scotland on October 4, 1985, the No. 5 grew up in Barga in the Tuscany region where he completed elementary and middle school. After attending Fettes College in Edinburgh and discovering rugby in the Scottish capital, Biagi returned to Italy, moving to Milan where he enrolled in the Faculty of Economics at the Bocconi Università.
During his experience in the city of Milan, the lock had the opportunity to show off his rugby prowess with two local clubs Grande Milano and Amatori Milano, subsequently earning a call with Cavalieri di Prato with whom he won promotion to the top Italian championship in 2009.
His debut in the Guinness PRO14 and in the European cups took place in 2010 with Aironi. Upon the dissolution of the franchise based in 2012, Biagi moved to England where he was hired by Bristol Bears, playing one season in the Championship.
From 2013/14, the 34-year-old became part of Zebre Rugby, a season that also saw him debuting with Italy in the 2014 Six Nations. He became the fifth centurion at Zebre on 26 January 2019 in the Guinness PRO14 match against the Cheetahs and also a prestigious call with the Barbarians in autumn 2019.
In April 2019 Biagi became the sixth Italian to exceed 100 appearances in the Guinness PRO14 after Sgarbi, Tebaldi, De Marchi, Nitoglia and Bernabò. Last March he was also selected by the Zebre fans as the No. 5 for the Zebre XV from 2012-20.