Giovanni Bonino


Giovanni Bonino is an Italian rugby union and professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1940s and 1950s. He played representative level rugby union for Italy, and at club level for R.S. Ginnastica Torino, as a flanker, i.e. number 6 or 7, and representative level rugby league for Italy, and at club level for Torino XIII, as a, i.e. number 13, during the era of contested scrums.

Playing career

International honours

Rugby union

Bonino represented Italy in the 0-27 defeat by France XV at Stade Vélodrome, Marseille on Sunday 27 March 1949.

Rugby league

co-organised, and captained the Italy tour of 1950 to France, England, and Wales.
The Italy squad was; Guido Aleati, Sergio Aleati, Roberto Antonioli, Angelo Arrigoni, Vincenzo Bertolotto, Michele Bietto, Giovanni Bonino, Luigi Bosia, Giuseppe Cannone, Pasquale Cannone, Delio Caron, Gabriele Casalegno, Amerio Chiara, Giorgio Cornacchia, Guido Cornarino, Fabrizio Faglioli, Enzo Francesconi, Giuseppe Franco, Aldo Guglielminotti, Giovanni Orecchia, Luigi Pignattaro, Franco Pipino, Giorgio Rassaval, Giorgio Rubino, Giovanni Tamagno, Oreste Tescari and Giovanni Vigna.

Club career

Rugby union

Bonino was a member of the R.S. Ginnastica Torino team that won the 1947 Campionati italiani. In honour of this, Bonino's name appears alongside his teammates on a plaque affixed to :it:Motovelodromo Fausto Coppi|Motovelodromo Fausto Coppi in Turin, the squad was; eight players that would subsequently accompany Bonino on the 1950 rugby league tour, and also Ausonio Alacevich, Bianco, Campi, Chiosso, Chiosso, Mario Dotti IV, Pescarmona, Piovano, Rocca, Felice Rama, Siliquini, and Sandro Vigliano.

Rugby league

Following the Italy tour of 1950 to France, England, and Wales, a Torino XIII featuring Giovanni Bonino joined the French league.