The Federazione Italiana Rugby Football League (FIRFL) presented the 2013 Rugby League season competitions on Saturday 26 January.
On the occasion, FIRFL President David Massitti showed the exponential growth of our Rugby a Tredici in recent years.
“Our Federation is walking on its own feet – says David Massitti – since November 2011 in fact we started the path to recognition by CONI (Italian National Olympic Committee – government agency funding recognised Italian Sport bodies). Moreover, thanks to attention toward activity that we have organised throughout Italy we can find athletes to our first international commitments, which will allow us more often to increase our opportunity to represent Italy at the international level.”
Our numbers confirm the growth rise: “We will manage to increase to 50 clubs, including Rugby Reggio of the Super 10’s (top flight Rugby Union), which is one of the most titled. We have more than doubled the number of our members (players), suffice to say that at the end of 2012, there were 500 members, we are now at 1500,†declared a satisfied Massitti.
Pierluigi Gentile, secretary general of the FIRFL presented the technical staff, which this year will rely on the professionalism of Ty Sterry, responsible for the development of rugby with the Scottish Federation and has coached top flight Italian Rugby clubs plus coaching development through (RFL) Super League clubs, the collaboration of Luciano Gorla, the physical trainer of the national team and medical director Guido Porcellini who will track the National Team.
“Guido Porcellini – says Gentile – will work with us behind the scenes, he is the most successful doctor in Italian sport. We will participate in the Italian Cup (Coppa Italia) with the finals to be held in Belpasso (Catania, Sicilia).”
“Then in the period between May and July there will be the championship (r-Evolution League), which this year has been expanded to create three main groups: North, Centre and South. Among the Italian Cup and the championship activities there will be the Rugby League Internationals.”
Gentile continues: “We are very keen to the draft integrated rugby, which will take place through State Professional Institute for Industry and Crafts with Antonio Magarotto from Rome (http://www.scuolasordiroma.it/superiori/) for deaf children, which will be developed with a path of help and socialization defined through the game of rugby, sport open to all important both from the training point of view, that from an athletic view.â€
The official partnership with our new technical sponsor for the 2013 season will be with Stash Sports Wear.