Serafín Dengra

For the Argentine Olympic athlete, see Serafín Dengra (athlete).

Serafín Dengra (born Buenos Aires, 21 September 1961) is a former Argentine rugby union footballer and manager. He played as prop and hooker for Argentina, Queensland, and Wests Bulldogs. He is nicknamed Serafo.

Serafín Dengra

Dengra (centre) after a test against France in 1988.
Date of birth	(1961-09-21) September 21, 1961 (age 62)
Place of birth	Buenos Aires, Argentina
Rugby union career
Position(s) Prop, Hooker Senior career Years Team Apps (Points) 1978-1985 1985-1990 1990-1992 1992-1995 San Martín Wests Rovigo Bourgouin Jallieu () Provincial / State sides Years Team Apps (Points) 1985 Queensland () International career Years Team Apps (Points) 1982-1989 1982-1984 Argentina South American Jaguars 18 3 (4) (0)

Career

Dengra, coming from a family of sportspeople (which also boasts a participation at 1928 Olympic Games^[1]). Dengra started to play rugby at 12 years when he was invited by some friends to see a match of women's field hockey of San Isidro Club, he noted on the adjacent field some rugby players in training;^[2] he then, entered in the San Martín youth team, in whose main team he later debuted in 1978.

When playing with his club, in 1982, Dengra debuted for the Argentina national team against France at Parc des Princes of Paris, as left prop, which was the position he played in all of his international career.

In 1985, Unión Argentina de Rugby suspended Dengra for six months due to him having moved to the Australian club Wests Bulldogs, which made him play for the Queensland representative team.,^[3][4] due to a national regulamentation which sanctioned the players moving abroad, considered a form of masked professionalism in a sport which was still amateur.^[5]

Returning in the national team in 1986, Dengra took part at the 1987 Rugby World Cup, entering into the field in two matches, against Italy and New Zealand; he played his international last match in 1989, later, having accepted his move to Rugby Rovigo, being the first Argentinian player to play for Rovigo,^[6] the UAR suspended Dengra from the international activity for four years,^[7] which meant for Dengra to forsake definitively to the Pumas' jersey.

Dengra also played for Bourgouin Jallieu, where he retired from his playing career in 1995.

Currently he is the Sports Relations director of the gym chain Sport Club,^[8] he coaches an Over-35 team, the Pumas Classic^[9] and he occasionally dedicates himself to the practice of Rugby X-treme, a variant of rugby played on a snowy pitch at high altitude.^[10] In 2017, Dengra's motivational videos, where he used the catchprases "Never pony, pura sangre" ("Never pony, thoroughbred") became viral in Argentina.^[11][12]

Notes

1. Especiales Rugbytime y X4 FM 106.7, Serafín Dengra
2. Ping-Pong ovalado Rugbytime X4 FM 106.7 con Serafín Dengra
3. Ping-Pong ovalado Rugbytime X4 FM 106.7 con Serafín Dengra
4. Queensland Representatives
5. Ping-Pong ovalado Rugbytime X4 FM 106.7 con Serafín Dengra
6. Alejandro Abadie: un nuovo puma vestirà il rossoblù 2016-03-04 at the Wayback Machine
7. Ping-Pong ovalado Rugbytime X4 FM 106.7 con Serafín Dengra
8. Crucé los Andes a caballo y me sentí San Martín^{[permanent dead link]}
9. Serafo Dengra: orgullo nacional de San Martín 2009-11-27 at the Wayback Machine
10. Rugby X-treme en Chapelco con presencia de varios ex Pumas 2009-08-03 at the Wayback Machine
11. https://www.clarin.com/sociedad/never-pony-secretos-serafin-dengra-puma-motiva-mensajes-redes_0_HJ4rMBzKb.html
12. https://www.elpais.com.uy/tvshow/personajes/serafo-el-motivador-de-whatsapp-le-hizo-el-aguante-a-huracan-buceo

External links

• Serafín Dengra at ESPNscrum