ITALIAN RUGBY LEAGUE BID FOR UNITY
1 juin 2015
A resolution to the ongoing split in Italian Rugby League could be in sight if proposed talks between the FIRL (Federazione Italiana Rugby League), RLIF (Rugby League International Federation), RLEF (Rugby League European Federation) and the breakaway LIRFL (Lega Italia Rugby Football League) bear fruit.
Pierluigi Gentile, founder of the LIRFL, a “rebel” league structure set up with ten thriving clubs across Italy, is calling for a ‘meeting of minds’ by inviting officials from the three other governing bodies to sit down and discuss a collaboration.
Pierluigi explained “We have to do what is in the best interests of Rugby League in Italy and therefore we have an obligation to forge a common path in order to resolve our differences.
“CONI, the influential Italian Olympic Committee, and the FIR, the governing body of “rugby” in Italy, have written to the three organisations expressing aims for a rapprochement with LIRFL and an end to the divide that is both damaging for the game of Rugby League and for sport in Italy. These are sentiments I fully support.
"We have recently gained recognition for Rugby League with CONI, with the FIR as the vehicle for acceptance, and that is a development that fills us with pride and clarifies the importance of the work we are carrying out across all of Italy.
"CONI is an organisation without whose support you cannot effectively develop a sport in Italy. CONI’s insistence on a collaboration with FIR in order to gain recognition has been an obviously contentious issue for a fiercely independent sport such as Rugby League but it has opened up a lot of opportunities.
“This is a chance to make Italy a genuine, emerging force in international Rugby League and continue the great work being done domestically in terms of player and club development, sponsorship and media profile.
“We all need to be speaking with one voice for the benefit of Rugby League in Italy,” added Pierluigi whose motivation to develop the ‘rebel’ Revolution League came about after the existing FIRL opted to chose a 2013 RL World Cup squad composed of Australian-based NRL players.
“We have 77 000 potential Rugby League players at our disposal by operating on favourable terms with the FIR and tapping into their existing structure. The many thousands who have already participated in the thirteen-a-side code through LIRFL love playing the game. This is a perfect platform for growth.
“Italy is a sport obsessed and we have the relevant physical attributes to make our mark, without outside interference. We do not have the burden of history and a collaborative approach represents the best solution for Italy.
“Situations vary from country to country and this represents the best way to grow our game,” added Pierluigi whose LIRFL international representative side recently beat the British Asian Rugby Association 20-18 in an outstanding contest in Rome. They also played in Nairobi in March 2014 against a burgeoning Kenya team, winning 34-24 in another thrilling encounter..
Pierluigi went on: "As previously requested over the last four years, in which communications were sent to the RLIF and RLEF, we are always ready to reiterate our total openness to a reunification with FIRL as long as they are willing to accept a democratic election process, constitution and rigorous development plan as required by CONI.
"I would respectfully ask RLIF RLEF and FIRL to come to the table and discuss unification and draft the best way forward for the growth of the game. This has always been our position and we remain completely open and transparent to healthy and constructive dialogue.
"We should work to overcome these misunderstandings and work for the development of rugby league because in Italy as in many other nations, there are thousands of men, women and children who just want to play this fantastic game," he added.
