Andrea Lo Cicero

Who is Andrea Lo Cicero?

Andrea Lo Cicero Vaina is an Italian rugby union footballer.

Born in Catania, Sicily, Lo Cicero began his professional career in the town of his birth with Amatori Catania. Later he moved to Bologna and then to Rugby Rovigo, winning his first Italian Championship in 2000 with Rugby Roma. Subsequently he played for a season in the French team Stade Toulousain. He then played for L'Aquila and he currently plays for Racing Métro, now in France's Top 14.

Lo Cicero was included in Italy's squad for the 1999 Rugby World Cup but did not see any action and had to wait until the following year to make his international debut. It came against England in 2000 when he had the difficult task of filling the gap left by the Azzurri prop and captain Massimo Cuttitta.

He was named in the BBC's dream XV at the 2004 Six Nations Championship and was part of the Barbarians squad to take on New Zealand later that year. Lo Cicero was the only European player to receive a call, and he capped the feat by scoring a try. In 2005 he again represented the Barbarians for their matches against Scotland and England.

In the 2007 Six Nations Championship, he celebrated his 50th appearance in the Six Nations with a thumping 37–17 victory over Scotland at Murrayfield, Italy's first away victory in the tournament.