Head Coach Michael Bradley signs new Zebre deal

Zebre Rugby Club have confirmed that Head Coach Michael Bradley has signed a new contract.

Arriving in Parma in the summer of 2017 on the recommendation of the Italian Rugby Union, the head coach will extend his stay in Parma until June 30, 2022.

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"I thank Andrea Dalledonne for the confidence: I'm very happy to give continuity to the project started with Zebre, for me it's a great honor to have the responsibility to coach this team.

"Building on the work already done in the last three seasons is a great opportunity," commented the head coach.

"The future of Zebre is about improving the individual qualities of each player, investing time and energy in the style of play to achieve exciting performances and victories. I want to congratulate every player who has been able to debut with Italy in the last three years..."

The former scrum-half of the Irish national team, with whom he boasts 40 starts between 1984 and 1995, is in his third year at the helm.

While Michelangelo Biondelli, Danilo Fischetti and Marco Manfredi are still on the hunt for their first cap with the Azzurri, in the Bradley era, flankers Giovanni Licata and Renato Giammarioli, full-back Matteo Minozzi, lock David Sisi, prop Giosuè Zilocchi, eligible Johan Meyer and Jimmy Tuivaiti made their debuts with Italy.

After crowning his first experience in Parma with 7 victories in PRO14 as well as closing last season with three wins in the championship and three in the Challenge Cup, the 57-year-old has already achieved four victories with bonus points, two in PRO14 and two in the Challenge Cup.

The latter came against the Dragons in Newport, Brive, the Cheetahs in Parma and Stade Français in Paris.

As Head Coach of Connacht from 2003 to 2010, Bradley also led the Georgian national team in 2011 to victory of the Grand Slam in the first division of the then European Nations Cup, while between 2011 and 2013 he spent time at Edinburgh Rugby, semi-finalist in the 2011/12 edition of the Champions Cup.