Martin Castrogiovanni

Martín Castrogiovanni

Full name	Martín Castrogiovanni
Date of birth	October 21, 1981 (1981-10-21) (age 30)
Place of birth	Paraná, Argentina
Height	1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)
Weight	119 kg (18 st 10 lb) [1]
Nickname	Castro
Rugby union career
Playing career
Position	Tight-head Prop
Amateur clubs
Years	Club / team
	Atlético Estudiantes
Professional / senior clubs
Years	Club / team	Caps	(points)
2001 ‐ 06 2006 ‐	Ghial Calvisano Leicester Tigers	93 81	(-) (15)
National team(s)
Years	Club / team	Caps	(points)
2002 ‐	Italy	82	(55)

Martín Leandro Castrogiovanni (born October 21, 1981) is an Italian Argentine rugby union footballer. He played for Ghial Calvisano, with whom he won the Italian championship in 2005. He has since signed a new contract with Leicester Tigers, and after a successful 2006/07 season with them was named Guinness Premiership player of the season.^[2] He wears the name "Castro" on his shirt rather than "Castrogiovanni"

A native of Paraná, Argentina, Castrogiovanni made his international debut for the Italian national team on June 8, 2002, during the tour against the All Blacks, and since, has become a regular in the national side. He played every game of Italy's 2004 Six Nations campaign and was a reliable member of their forward pack, being elected man of the match in the victory against Scotland. One of his most famous moments came in 2004, when during the summer tour against Japan he scored a hat-trick, a rarity for a prop forward.

Castrogiovanni and Marcos Ayerza signed three-year contract extensions with the Premiership champions in January 2008.^[3] This year (2011) after much speculation about a move to France he has declared "money isn't everything" and renewed his contract with the Tigers.

During the 2008 Six Nations Championship, Castrogiovanni was Italy's top try scorer.

When Castrogiovanni was younger, he played basketball, but quit after punching the ref in a match. "Well, not a punch exactly – it was part punch, part push. Whatever it was, I knew I wouldn't be playing much more basketball; I didn't even turn up for the disciplinary hearing to find out the length of my ban." ^[4]

Restaurant

Castrogiovanni is co-owner of an Italian restaurant in Leicester, Timo. He has recently opened another Timo in Market Harborough which he co-owns with fellow Tigers player Geordan Murphy .^[5]

References

1. ^ "Aviva Premiership Rugby - Gloucester Rugby". web page. Premier Rugby. http://www.premiershiprugby.com/premiership/rugby/leicester_tigers.php?section=1. Retrieved 31 August 2011. 
2. ^ Guinness Premiership player of the season
3. ^ "Leicester duo agree new contracts". BBC. 2008-01-25. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/my_club/leicester/7209017.stm. Retrieved 2008-01-25. 
4. ^ "press interview". The Independent. 2008-03-22. http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/rugby/rugby-union/martin-castrogiovanni-my-mum-didnt-like-rugby-so-i-played-basketball-ndash-up-until-i-punched-the-ref-799349.html. Retrieved 2008-11-29. 
5. ^ Jackson, Peter (3 April 2009). "Seabass off menu but Castro can still cook up a storm...". The Daily Mail. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1167152/Seabass-menu-Castro-cook-storm-.html. Retrieved 2009-04-04. 

External links

• 6 Nations profile
• Martin Castrogiovanni on LeicesterTigers.com
• Martin Castrogiovanni on ERCrugby.com
• Martin Castrogiovanni on rwc2003.irb.com
• Timo Restaurant link

Persondata
Name	Castrogiovanni, Martin
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	1981-10-21
Place of birth	Paraná, Argentina
Date of death
Place of death