Sofia Stefan facts for kids
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Stefan in 2021
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| Date of birth | 12 May 1992 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Place of birth | Padua, Italy | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 165 cm (5 ft 5 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 59 kg (130 lb; 9 st 4 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Sofia Stefan, born on May 12, 1992, is a talented Italian rugby union player. She is well-known for playing as a scrum-half for Italy's national women's team. Sometimes, she also plays as a wing or centre.
Contents
Sofia's Rugby Journey
Sofia grew up near Padua, Italy. She started playing rugby a bit later than some, joining the Valsugana club when she was about 17 years old.
Starting Strong
Even though she started later, Sofia quickly became a star! She made her first appearance for the Italian women's team in 2011. This was during the 2011 FIRA Women's European Trophy competition.
In 2012, she played in the European Championship held in Italy. Her team finished third, after strong teams from England and France.
Rugby Sevens Success
The next year, Sofia was chosen for the national seven-a-side team. This team played in the 2013 Summer Universiade in Kazan, Russia. Italy won a silver medal there, which was a fantastic achievement! They were beaten in the final by Russia.
Playing in France
In the summer of 2013, Sofia moved to France. She joined the Stade Rennais rugby club. While playing there, she also studied at the Rennes 2 University.
She was a very important player for Italy when they qualified for the 2017 Women's Rugby World Cup. Italy won four key matches against Wales and Scotland in the Six Nations tournaments of 2015 and 2016. Sofia was one of the 28 players chosen for the World Cup in Ireland.
Award-Winning Play
In 2023, Sofia won a special award: the International Rugby Players Women's Try of the Year. She earned this for an amazing try she scored against Ireland during the Women's Six Nations Championship.
Joining Sale Sharks
Recently, Sofia joined an English club called Sale Sharks. She will play for them in the 2024–25 Premiership Women's Rugby season.
