Elisa Giordano facts for kids
Elisa Giordano (born on July 27, 1990) is an Italian rugby union player. She plays in the back row position. Elisa represents Italy in international games. For her club team, she plays for Valsugana. She was the captain for Italy at the 2021 Rugby World Cup, which happened a bit later than planned in New Zealand.
Contents
Elisa's Rugby Journey
Starting Rugby
Elisa Giordano played other sports like basketball and handball before finding rugby. She started playing rugby when she was 19 years old. She joined the Valsugana women's team in Padua, where she was also studying at university.
Playing for Italy
In November 2011, Elisa played her first international game for the Italian national team. This game was in Nice against France. The next year, she took part in the FIRA European Championship. Her team came in third place after England and France.
Rugby Sevens Success
After finishing her university studies in 2013, Elisa was chosen to play for the national sevens team. This team played in the rugby sevens tournament at the Summer Universiade. Italy won a silver medal, which is a great achievement! They were defeated in the final by Russia.
Six Nations and World Cup
Elisa also played in the Six Nations tournament in 2015 and 2016. Italy won four out of ten matches during these tournaments. These wins helped Italy qualify for the 2017 Women's Rugby World Cup for the first time in 15 years. Elisa was part of the team that played in this World Cup.
Club Captain and Champion
At her club, Valsugana, Elisa was the captain. She led her team to win three championships in a row, from 2015 to 2017.
Leading the National Team
In September 2022, Elisa became the captain of the Italian national team. She took over from Manuela Furlan for the 2021 Rugby World Cup. This happened after Manuela got injured during a practice game before the World Cup.
Recent Team Selection
Elisa was recently named in the Italian team for the 2025 Women's Six Nations Championship.