How Italy chief is planning to put country back on the rugby league map

[welshmagpie]

35 minutes ago, Eddie said:

Just googled it and I can’t find anything about it! 

I remember this well. They had a website but I can’t since find it. Promised a lot, delivered little

[lucky 7]

18 hours ago, Gomersall said:

If that happened Eddie I think the NRL would have personnel based here rather than try to run it from Australia.

If they did i would expect them too, and would be very disappointed if they didn't, but i don't expect the NRL to take over the running of BRL any time soon.

[eal]

News story from Pakistan about the 2017 matchup here:

https://www.dawn.com/news/1371354

Some match footage here:

 

[fighting irish]

8 hours ago, eal said:

News story from Pakistan about the 2017 matchup here:

https://www.dawn.com/news/1371354

Some match footage here:

 

I'd love to know the story on this from the IRL's point of view.

It looks like there was something there worth nurturing. 

[eal]

I have no clue what, if anything, has happened in Pakistan since. For all the controversy around the rival World Rugby League governing body, they probably did at least as much development in RL as IRL.

[MatthewWoody]

They're trying to revive the team and the league. 

It's not easy, especially after Tiziano's death. 

By the way, they announced the new national head coach. He's a former RL International, homegrown. 

https://www.firl.it/2024/07/11/gioele-celerino-e-il-nuovo-allenatore-dellitalia-league/

By the way, having Italian Australians involved down under with the Italian Australian community takes nothing away from local development. It the opposite: they often helped, they can raise money, etc. 

About the use of heritage players, it's a "price" we pay as a sport if we want to have some king of watchable World Cup. If we don't want them (but then we lose a competetive Tonga, etc.), let's have a 6 team world cup and ok. 

[dealwithit]

2 hours ago, MatthewWoody said:

They're trying to revive the team and the league. 

It's not easy, especially after Tiziano's death. 

By the way, they announced the new national head coach. He's a former RL International, homegrown. 

https://www.firl.it/2024/07/11/gioele-celerino-e-il-nuovo-allenatore-dellitalia-league/

By the way, having Italian Australians involved down under with the Italian Australian community takes nothing away from local development. It the opposite: they often helped, they can raise money, etc. 

About the use of heritage players, it's a "price" we pay as a sport if we want to have some king of watchable World Cup. If we don't want them (but then we lose a competetive Tonga, etc.), let's have a 6 team world cup and ok. 

There’s always merit to tapping into the diaspora. It just needs to be measured and in alignment with the local strategy. 

We have Aus, NZ, Fiji, PNG, France and England with comparatively strong domestic comps and pro teams. They should be rewarded with WC berths. Fill the remainder with full member IRL teams through a qualification process. 
 

[langpark]

Great interview here with the new coach Gioele Celerino, who seems very ambitious, keen to try a new approach and seems willing to undertake many tasks beyond coaching the national team, start with setting up teams that will play RL all year round. Good luck to him, this is 100% the right approach!

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/white-line-fever-kicks/id1527296930?i=1000663051951 

(Starts at 07:40)

[MatthewWoody]

Gioele is in love with this game 

[İzmir Rugby League]

On 24/06/2024 at 16:41, Tre Cool said:

All they do is hold back other countries by taking their places in tournaments by playing heritage NRL players while having zero meaningful domestic presence.  Until there's a minimum domestic standard for countries we'll keep having these issues.

I know the Italian Coach, Gioele Celerino he is in Asti, near Turin. He is Rugby League through and through. He played for Australia at RLWC (the only Italian born and raised player)

Their team plays Malta at the end of September and will have no heritage players. He is specifically passionate about this. 

[İzmir Rugby League]

On 24/07/2024 at 10:28, MatthewWoody said:

Gioele is in love with this game 

Absolutely true, Rugby League through and through. He is passionate but the Rugby League community needs to get behind these guys that are committed to the game 'on the ground' as he is. 

[Gomersall]

39 minutes ago, İzmir Rugby League said:

I know the Italian Coach, Gioele Celerino he is in Asti, near Turin. He is Rugby League through and through. He played for Australia at RLWC (the only Italian born and raised player)

Their team plays Malta at the end of September and will have no heritage players. He is specifically passionate about this. 

He’s never played for Australia only Italy.

[Guest]

6 hours ago, İzmir Rugby League said:

I know the Italian Coach, Gioele Celerino he is in Asti, near Turin. He is Rugby League through and through. He played for Australia at RLWC (the only Italian born and raised player)

Their team plays Malta at the end of September and will have no heritage players. He is specifically passionate about this. 

Ok great good luck to him. Lets keep them out of major international comps until they get a decent domestic presence going.

[İzmir Rugby League]

10 hours ago, Gomersall said:

He’s never played for Australia only Italy.

Sorry meant to say "in Australia at the RLWC, the only Italian born and raised player"

[langpark]

12 hours ago, İzmir Rugby League said:

He played in Australia at RLWC (the only Italian born and raised player)

Actually, I hate to say it, but you are wrong. He was in the squad, but did not see a single minute of match time. Neither did the only other genuine Italian, Mirco Bergamasco, who was a former Italy RU international. 

As is often the case, both were given the "honour" of carrying water for the Aussie boys.

[OriginalMrC]

All the best to him but it'll be a tough gig coaching a country that has no teams where all the money comes from Australia 

[langpark]

36 minutes ago, OriginalMrC said:

All the best to him but it'll be a tough gig coaching a country that has no teams where all the money comes from Australia 

Tough yes, but I still believe he is their best chance yet of setting something up domestically. The cashed-up Aussies have been "trying" for the last 29 years. This guy (as he said in the interview) is trying a completely new approach. They have absolutely nothing to lose and I would love nothing more than to see him succeed. 

[MatthewWoody]

On 26/07/2024 at 08:48, Gomersall said:

He’s never played for Australia only Italy.

I think he meant in Australia, as the RLWC was there in 2017.

By the way, it's not easy to find players who are willing to leave ru and focus on rl only. If you want to play competitive (not saying professional, but good rl) rl you have to move abroad, as Gioele did.

Let's hope with his work and vision local grassroots rl can start again in Italy. 

The women team played v Netherlands this year. 

[MatthewWoody]

23 hours ago, langpark said:

Actually, I hate to say it, but you are wrong. He was in the squad, but did not see a single minute of match time. Neither did the only other genuine Italian, Mirco Bergamasco, who was a former Italy RU international. 

As is often the case, both were given the "honour" of carrying water for the Aussie boys.

But he did play in 2021.

[langpark]

37 minutes ago, MatthewWoody said:

But he did play in 2021.

Yes, I think it was one game, for about a 15-20 minute stint, if I remember correctly.

[welshmagpie]

Anyone able to summarise what Gioele’s plans or ideas are please?