Benetton Rugby: a confirmation on Marco Bortolami’s staff
Benetton Rugby: official renewal of Fabio Ongaro
Fundamental renewal in Benetton Rugby’s coaching staff. The green-and-white franchise has announced the extension of Fabio Ongaro until June 30, 2026. The former rugby player will continue as the Lions’ scrum coach.
Born in Venice on Sept. 23, 1977, Fabio Ongaro began playing rugby in Casale, a team with which he made his A2 debut in 1994. His professional career began with Benetton Rugby, where he played from 1998 to 2006, winning the Scudetto, an Italian Cup and an Italian Super Cup five times. He canò boast of being part of the Club of 100, with 151 appearances packed into the green-and-white jersey. He then embarked on foreign experience by moving to the Saracens with whom he played for four seasons in the English Premiership. When the experience overseas ended, Ongaro è returned to Italy wearing the Aironi jersey from 2010 to 2012.
Fabio Ongaro in his career has been a permanent member of the Italian national team since 2000. Under Kirwan’s management, Ongaro participated in the 2003 Six Nations and the World Cup of the same year playing the role of hooker. Subsequently, Fabio took part in all Six Nations until 2012 and in the World Cup in 2007 and 2011, thus collecting 81 appearances and 25 points in the Azzurri.
In the summer of 2012, after the second year of his contract with Aironi, Fabio è became team manager of Zebre, a position he held until September 2014. From 2014 to 2016 he was part of the Japanese national team staff led by Eddie Jones for two summers, devoting himself to the scrum. Since the summer of 2016 è member of the Benetton Rugby technical leadership, directing the forwards and scrum. In these eight Treviso years he has shown excellent coaching skills and has been one of the important elements of the Lions’ ride through all the victorious stages of recent history.
In 2019 when the green-and-whites reached the Guinness PRO14 Final Series, in 2021 when è the Rainbow Cup was won, in 2023 when the Lions reached the Challenge Cup semifinals, and in 2024 when coach Marco Bortolami’s troop won the URC playoffs for the first time.
“I am happy to extend my contract for two more sports seasons and thank the club for the show of trust. We embarked on this path now 8 years ago, demonstrating steady growth. And it is with this awareness that we look to the future, certain that it will be necessary to continue working to improve and reach higher and higher standards” these are the words of Fabio Ongaro after the official announcement of the extension.
“Satisfied with what we have done over the years, we are happy to confirm Fabio at the helm of our scrum for the next two years. This renewal reflects our confidence in his work and the willà to continue with continuityà on the path of growth undertaken to make this decisive phase of the game one of our strengths” said general manager Antonio Pavanello.
