“Italian rugby has shown significant improvement recently, an assertion supported by the Azzurri’s best Six Nations performance to date – with two victories and a tied game being their last season’s record. Despite the inconsistent performance of their Under-20s side, they managed to claim two Six Nations wins for the third consecutive year, which included an unprecedented victory against France.
Benetton, a major contributor to both teams, also experienced their best season since they joined the Celtic League in 2010. It was only in the seasons of 2017-18 and 2018-19 that Benetton registered more wins than losses, and they reached the playoffs for the first time in 2018-19. However, they were defeated 15-13 by Munster in Thomond Park.
Regardless of the measure, Benetton’s accomplishment of finishing seventh in the last URC season surpassed previous records as they won 11 out of 18 matches with a single draw. Furthermore, the inclusion of four South African Super Rugby giants in the URC has led to intensified competition.
Benetton is now seen as a leading team in the revival of Italian rugby. They were also able to guarantee a spot in this season’s Champions Cup and reached URC’s quarterfinals where they came close to forcing an extra-time in their battle against the Bulls which ultimately ended with a 30-23 loss.
Benetton’s journey to the Challenge Cup semi-finals also added five more victories to their tally. Antonio Pavanello, Benetton’s General Manager since 2015 and former player, admitted that their season was quite successful. He cited their loss to Gloucester in the Challenge Cup semi-finals as a low point, stating that nerves may have got the best of the players, but acknowledged their achievement in reaching the quarterfinals in an increasingly tough competition.”
The quarter-final this year was a step up from that of 2019, and our performance was well-received. Despite the general belief that we didn’t stand a chance against the Bulls, we took the field pressure-free and it gave us the freedom to play good rugby.
Intriguingly, Benetton’s scoring declined by five tries from the previous season, with only 51 compared to 56. However, their defensive resilience improved, with the concession of 18 fewer tries – 56 against the prior 74.
This improvement in defence is ascribed to Calum MacRae, their defence coach and the ex-head coach of the Scottish Sevens team. According to Pavanello, MacRae’s sterling efforts resulted in a boost in physicality, leading to more successful collisions. Overhauling defence and enhancing physicality were the two areas that Pavanello emphasised as paramount for achieving their goal.
19 Benetton players represented the Azzurri in the Six Nations tournament last season, reaffirming Pavanello’s dedication towards supplying the Italian national team with quality players, even at the expense of importing external talent. If they could aid Italy in securing victories in the Six Nations, they would view their mission as accomplished.
Benetton’s financial resources and independence, buoyed by signings such as Malakai Fekitoa from Munster, are set to bolster their non-Italian roster, driving an aim for a remarkable URC finish. This, says Pavanello, is also a testament to the change in perspective.
Pavanello clarified that their financial position continues to improve, enabling them to invest a bit more capital. However, the cornerstone is their newfound credibility when compared to previous seasons. He said that acquiring new players was considerably easier as Benetton’s credibility made them more appealing, leading players to opt for a good club, city, and country, even if they had equivalent offers from other clubs seeking to achieve novel objectives.
Pavanello has noticed significant transformations both on and off the playing field. Since his retirement from active play, the team staff has increased from seven to 25, enabling more comprehensive support for the players. The club’s amenities have significantly improved, bringing it on par with other European clubs.
Benetton aims not to view the previous season as an anomaly, even though six teams that didn’t make the top eight last season are keenly seeking the playoffs. Pavanello concedes, ahead of matches against Clermont, Bath, Bristol, and La Rochelle, that maintaining the momentum in URC playoffs might pose a challenge. Especially given everyone’s expectations of them, along with their return to the Champions Cup, a notably demanding competition.
The logistical considerations of having 20 Italian and five Argentinian players, all involved in several international tournaments, further compound the season’s challenges. Despite this, Pavanello is optimistic about the staff’s capability to effectively manage the large squad and keep player morale high.
Pavanello looks up to the Irish system, particularly Leinster, for inspiration. Their model has catalysed major improvements in Benetton over recent seasons. The compelling environment and prowess of Irish Rugby make Leinster one of the best clubs globally.
However, unlike Leinster, there is no school-level rugby in Italy. Benetton lacks a consistent influx of new talent, unlike Irish schools like Blackrock and St Michael’s. Regardless, Treviso remains one of Italy’s key hubs for rugby.
Given the situation in Treviso, it’s worth noting that 17 rugby clubs exist in the vicinity. Unlike other places where schools offer opportunities to play rugby, in this region, it’s the private clubs filling the void. As such, this area is of utmost importance for Italian rugby and its identity.
Despite Treviso being a province with a million inhabitants, of which 800,000 reside in the city itself, having 17 thriving rugby clubs peppered throughout speaks volumes about how significant the sport is in this area.
The well-regarded Benetton club houses two academies; both under the auspices of the Italian Rugby Federation (FIR). Young talents under the age of 18 and 22 are groomed to excel at the regional level.
However, Italian rugby’s growth faces stiff challenges, with Gaelic football and hurling stealing the limelight in Ireland, and calcio (football) consuming a much larger share of attention in Italy. As put forth by ex-Zebre coach, Michael Bradley, Italian rugby’s standing currently lingers at a dismal 16th place in terms of participation numbers.
Nonetheless, Alberto Pavanello, acknowledges football’s commercial supremacy as a significant hurdle for rugby in Italy. Yet, he remains undeterred, championing effective communication strategies, particularly through social media, to promote and elevate the sport.
Pavanello envisages grander possibilities for rugby, such as hosting a World Cup or a Champions Cup final in Italy which could dramatically alter global and local perspectives of the sport. He hints at the transformative potential of hosting a Rugby World Cup, especially given Italy’s population of approximately 60 million people. Even beyond the scope of the Six Nations, holding major events like the Champions Cup final, a URC final or the World Cup final could contribute to the sport’s growth.
Optimism characterises Pavanello’s outlook for rugby’s future, both within Benetton and Italy as a whole. There is an understanding that progress may be gradual, occasionally leaping ahead with three steps, other times moving forward with just one depending on financial capacity, but his unwavering faith reassures us that rugby is on the right track.
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