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Italian international George Biagi has retired from playing with immediate effect

(Photo by Claudio Pasquazi/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)

Scottish-born Italian forward George Biagi has brought the curtain down on his playing career, the 34-year-old hanging up the boots at Zebre to instead become rugby operations manager at the Guinness PRO14 club. The second row’s retirement comes after a seven-year stint in the Zebre pack where he made 119 appearances, 51 as captain, and scored seven tries. 

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“I’m happy to be able to continue to contribute to my former teammates after seven intense years on the field,” said Biagi. 

“In this new role, I will be immediately operational with a lot of enthusiasm. I made this professional decision to stay on the front line for the development of rugby and to be able to put all my rugby experience and university studies at the disposal of this sport and the club that has given me so much in these years.”

Video Spacer

RugbyPass brings you This Is Zebre, the behind the scenes documentary on the Guinness PRO14 club based in Italy

Video Spacer

RugbyPass brings you This Is Zebre, the behind the scenes documentary on the Guinness PRO14 club based in Italy

Zebre director Andrea Dalledonne explained: “Together with the Italian Rugby Federation 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 develop their great talent and competitiveness even better within a prestigious tournament like the Guinness PRO14.”

Born in Irvine, Scotland, Biagi first arrived at Zebre in 2013 and he quickly worked his way into the Italy Test team, winning the first of his 23 caps the following year. His last appearance came in 2018 against Ireland in Chicago. During the early weeks of this year’s lockdown caused by the coronavirus outbreak, Biagi gave a compelling insight to RugbyPass into its impact on life in Italy, one of Europe’s countries hardest hit by the pandemic.  

“The new normal is very different,” he said. “It’s almost surreal. I just went for some grocery shopping. I live in a small town, about 10,000 people just outside Parma. It’s normally quite busy around lunchtime but in the main square, there was just no one about. 

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“Most of the shops are closed other than pharmacies and grocery shops, and everyone is wearing gloves and masks. It looks like you’re in a movie. It’s very low noise, there are hardly any cars going around. The country is functioning but it is very, very different.”

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J
JW 17 minutes ago
'Passionate reunion of France and New Zealand shows Fabien Galthie is wrong to rest his stars'

Where? I remember saying "unders"? The LNR was formed by the FFR, if I said that in a way that meant the 'pro' side of the game didn't have an equal representation/say as the 'amateur' side (FFR remit) that was not my intent.


But also, as it is the governing body, it also has more responsibility. As long as WR looks at FFR as the running body for rugby in France, that 'power' will remain. If the LNR refuses to govern their clubs use of players to enable a request by FFR (from WR) to ensure it's players are able to compete in International rugby takes place they will simply remove their participation. If the players complain to the France's body, either of their health and safety concerns (through playing too many 'minutes' etc) or that they are not allowed to be part in matches of national interest, my understanding is action can be taken against the LNR like it could be any other body/business. I see where you're coming from now re EPCR and the shake up they gave it, yes, that wasn't meant to be a separate statement to say that FFR can threaten them with EPCR expulsion by itself, simply that it would be a strong repercussion for those teams to be removed (no one would want them after the above).


You keep bringing up these other things I cannot understand why. Again, do you think if the LNR were not acting responsibly they would be able to get away with whatever they want (the attitude of these posters saying "they pay the players")? You may deem what theyre doing currently as being irresponsible but most do not. Countries like New Zealand have not even complained about it because they've never had it different, never got things like windfall TV contracts from France, so they can't complain because theyre not missing out on anything. Sure, if the French kept doing things like withholding million dollar game payments, or causing millions of dollars of devaluation in rights, they these things I'm outlining would be taking place. That's not the case currently however, no one here really cares what the French do. It's upto them to sort themselves out if they're not happy. Now, that said, if they did make it obvious to World Rugby that they were never going to send the French side away (like they possibly did stating their intent to exclude 20 targeted players) in July, well then they would simply be given XV fixtures against tier 2 sides during that window and the FFR would need to do things like the 50/50 revenue split to get big teams visiting in Nov.

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