Melissa Bettoni facts for kids
Bettoni before the RWC 2021 qualification match against Spain
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| Date of birth | 7 May 1991 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Place of birth | Borgosesia, Italy | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 175 cm (5 ft 9 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 87 kg (192 lb; 13 st 10 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Melissa Bettoni (born 7 May 1991) is a former Italian rugby union player. She was a talented athlete who played as a Hooker. Melissa represented the Italian national team and also played for the French club, Stade Rennais, before she retired from playing.
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Starting Her Rugby Journey
Melissa Bettoni was born in Borgosesia, Italy. She started playing rugby in 2008 when she was 17 years old. At that time, she was an agricultural student. Her first club was a small team called Valsesia. Later, she joined the Red & Blu Rugby club, which played in Italy's top women's rugby league, the Serie A.
International Debut
On 12 February 2012, Melissa played her first international match for Italy. This big game was against the English team during the Six Nations Championship. It was a very tough match! In the same year, she also played for the French club Grenoble and even spent some time playing rugby in New Zealand.
Key Moments and Achievements
After returning to Italy, Melissa became a very important player for the national team. She helped Italy win a memorable match against Wales in the 2014 Six Nations. Italy was losing 0–8 with only 19 minutes left. But Melissa scored a try in the 61st minute, helping her team make an amazing comeback!
In 2014, Melissa moved back to France to play for Stade Rennais. While playing rugby, she also worked as a babysitter. She was chosen to be part of the Italian team for the 2017 Women's Rugby World Cup in Ireland. Italy finished ninth in that tournament.
Captaining the Team
On 9 September 2022, Melissa had a special moment. She became captain of the Italian team for the first time! This happened during a warm-up match against France. The usual captain, Manuela Furlan, was injured, so Melissa stepped up to lead her team. This match was part of their preparation for the World Cup.
Retirement and New Adventures
After the World Cup, Melissa Bettoni decided to retire from playing rugby. She had already announced this decision at the end of her last season in France. She retired to start a new adventure: opening an Italian restaurant with her French husband!
Melissa had a fantastic career. She played a total of 76 international matches for Italy and scored 14 tries.
Coaching Role
Even after retiring from playing, Melissa stayed involved in rugby. In 2023, she rejoined the Italian national team, known as Le Azzurre. This time, she took on a new role as a forwards coach for the Italy women’s Under-20 team. This means she now helps train and guide the next generation of Italian rugby players.
