Rugby League goes to land of Da Vinci
Italian ‘rebel’ rugby league body Federazione Italiana Rugby Football League (FIRFL) has made moves to introduce rugby league to Tuscany, and the birthplace of that famous iconoclast, Leonardo Da Vinci.
A game was held on June 27 in the town of Vinci,, as part of the popular GenioGioco festival. An Italia A national selection played a Barbarian Warriors team consisting of international and Italian development players from the national championship.
An U-18 Italian game also took place, between Italy A and Italy B. Plans to play against a French team were scotched, after some bureacratic issues surrounding the ‘rebel’ nature of the FIRFL.
The matches mark another stage of the devlopment of the FIRFL, which has made a point of working alongside rugby union players and stars, such as former French international Serge Betsen.
One of the aims of the initiative is to introduce the concept of ‘rugby’ to a soccer-mad Italian population.
One of the ways that the FIRFL hopes to do this is by focusing on the values of the two rugby codes, and how they differ from soccer.
“Rugby portrays values, such as loyalty, fairness and team play. If we look at soccer and other minor sports we realise that we must take a different approach,” said FIRFL Federal Councillor Alessandro Coppala.
“We are committed above all to teaching children how to grow by following this vision.”
The FIRFL also makes a point of carrying out work in disadvantaged communities at home and abroad, to spread the gospel of rugby league.
“For years together we have been committed to spreading rugby league to prisons, disadvantaged neighbourhoods in Rome or in support of poor countries: we were recently in Kenya teaching children this sport, but particularly to fix orphanages and lend a hand,” FIRFL Secretary General Pierluigi Gentile explained.
Gentile also outlined how they plan to work alongside rugby union, rather than in opposition to the 15-man code. They see the two codes as “close cousins”, who can offer each other mutual advantage in a soccer-obsessed country.
“We have activated contacts with CONI (Italian National Olympic Committee, in English) to recognize our Federation and we have found some availability,” he added.
“Players and coaches constantly changing between the two codes demonstrates this closeness “
One man working with the FIRFL is national technical coach Luigi Ferraro, who has played to a decent standard in both codes, with Calsivano Rugby, the national Italian union champions, and Magnifici Firenze XIII.
“Organising a national event in a city like Vinci is definitely an important opportunity to raise awareness of the discipline and maybe leave a few small buds so that in future there may be a youth movement,” he said.
“I’m a former national rugby union player, but in recent years, I took part in the rugby league course for coaches and I am proud to be able to make a contribution to help grow this sport.”