JOE brings you five nuggets of information about Aironi Rugby, the completely new Italian rugby team who will take part in the Magners League this season.
Two Italian teams will compete in the Magners League for the first time this season as the league broadens its horizons and extends to twelve teams in total. One of the Italian sides – Aironi Rugby, are a completely new franchise. JOE did a little bit of research and found out five things you might like to know about them.
1. Formation
Aironi came about as a combined effort of eight rugby clubs: Rugby Viadana, Colorno, Gran Parma Rugby, Rugby Parma, Noceto, Reggio Emilia, Modena and Mantova.
Aironi were created as part of an effort by the Federazione Italiana Rugby (FIR) to make the Italian national team more competitive in the Six Nations and on the wider international stage. It was felt by the Italian Federation that Italian players did not have a competitive enough domestic environment and were forced to play abroad as a result. Most of Italy’s top players ply their trade in France with some occasionally playing for teams in Ireland and Great Britain.
The FIR have put special incentives in place for the new franchises to sign established Italian players and develop young talent. If a club were to sign a top Italian player from abroad, for example, they would be rewarded with a €50,000 bonus.
2. Location
Aironi Rugby represent two provinces in the north of Italy, the region of the country where the sport is most popular. The provinces in question are Lombardy and Emilia Romagna, which have a combined population of over 14 million people and include cities such as Milan, Brescia, Bologna, Parma and Modena. Lombardy is home to the beautiful lakes, Garda and Como, while major automotive giants Ferrari, Lamborghini, Maserati and Ducati are based in the Emilia Romagna region.
3. Stadium
Aironi will play their home games in the Stadio Luigi Zaffanella in the town of Viadana, Lombardy. The stadium can hold 5,000 people and is where Italian Super 10 club, Rugby Viadana, play their home games. For larger games, Aironi will be able to relocate to the Stadio Giglio in Reggio Amilio, which currently plays host to the home games of Italian football side, AC Reggiana 1919.
Former Italy captain Marco Bortolami soars for a lineout
4. Players
Aironi include among their ranks former Munster number eight, Nick Williams, who spent two years in the red of the province before moving on at the end of last season. Also in the squad are established Italian internationals Marco Bortolami (above), Kaine Robertson and Salvatore Perugini.
Despite their unfamiliarity with the competition, Williams feel that the Magners League virgins might spring a surprise on their illustrious opponents on Saturday evening. “I’d say the one thing that could be on our side is the unpredictability we have, because Munster haven’t seen us before. I’d say this is the one positive thing that we have to look at,” he said.
5. Ferrari
One of Aironi’s main players, second-row and former captain of Italy Marco Bortolami, is a keen student of auto mechanics and once stated in an interview years ago that he would like to become a mechanic at Ferrari whenever he finishes playing rugby. A letter arrived from Ferrari not long afterwards offering Bortalami a job at the iconic car giants when his rugby career is over.
