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Wales international rugby union footballer

Robert Sidoli

Key facts

date of birthJune 21, 1979
height198cm
educated atBishop Hedley High School
occupationrugby union player
place of birthMerthyr Tydfil
mass116 kg
All data from the card 17
Full name
Roberto Andrew Sidoli
Born
21 June 1979Merthyr Tydfil, Wales
Height
1.98 m (6 ft 6 in)
Weight
114 kg (17 st 13 lb; 251 lb)
School
Bishop Hedley High School
University
Cardiff University
Notable relative
Peter Sidoli (brother)
Position
Lock
Years
Team
1997–1999
Merthyr
1999–2003
Pontypridd
2003–2004
Celtic Warriors
2004–2008
Cardiff Blues
2008–2009
Bristol
2009–2014
NG Dragons
Years
Team
2002–2007
Wales

Roberto Andrew Sidoli (born 21 June 1979), commonly anglicised as Robert Sidoli, is a former Welsh international rugby union player. He has won 42 caps for Wales as a lock forward.

Born in Merthyr Tydfil, he played for his school, Bishop Hedley High School, and then club rugby for Merthyr and Pontypridd, being voted Pontypridd's Player of the Year in 2001–02. During his time at Merthyr, Sidoli studied for a BSc in computer science at Cardiff University. At the introduction of regional rugby in Wales in 2003, Sidoli joined the Celtic Warriors, but the team only lasted a year before being wound up in 2004, when Sidoli joined the Cardiff Blues.

Sidoli joined Bristol at the start of the 2008–09 season, but was unable to prevent them from being relegated, and returned to Wales in 2009, joining the Newport Gwent Dragons. He retired from playing at the end of the 2013–14 season.

International

Sidoli won his first cap for Wales as a replacement against South Africa in 2002. After good performances in the 2003 Rugby World Cup, he missed most of the 2004 Six Nations Championship with a groin injury. He was in the starting line-up for all Wales matches in the Grand Slam-winning team of 2005, and scored his first international try against Italy during that tournament.

Personal

His brother, Wales under-21 international Peter Sidoli, nationalised to play for their father's native Italy, but was never selected.

Sidoli is related to the Sidoli's Ice Cream family business, well known in South Wales.

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Text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source article