Zebre Parma Women's franchise is born

Zebre Parma Women's franchise is born
NEW PIECE IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF WOMEN'S HIGH PERFORMANCE RUGBY

GREATER EXPOSURE TO INTERNATIONAL ACTIVITY FOR THE BEST ITALIAN ATHLETES

COLLABORATION WITH THE SPANISH FEDERATION FOR THE 2024 ACTIVITY OF THE TWO NEW FRANCHISES


Rome - The Italian Rugby Federation expands the federal technical project dedicated to the women's game of high performance with the creation of two franchises that will take part in a joint project with the Spanish Federation (FER) and the support of the international World Rugby federation.

Benetton Rugby and Zebre Parma, with the general coordination of FIR, will make available the experience gained in over ten years of participation in the United Rugby Championship - formerly the Celtic League - to create two federal selections, which will allow the best Italian athletes from from Serie A Elite and Serie A to increase the number of international commitments through comparison with similar realities in the Iberian rugby scene. At the same time, the franchises will allow the best young players of potential interest for the senior national team to increase and accelerate exposure to high performance.

At the same time, the project of the newly formed women's franchises will guarantee greater opportunities for comparison with elite international contexts also for the technical roles coming from the federal training path, with the technical guidance entrusted to the assistant coaches of the Women's National Team: Plinio Sciamanna, coach of the forward Azzurre, will be the coach of Zebre Parma, while Francesco Iannucci, who recently joined the Azzurre staff with the role of defense coach, will lead Benetton Rugby.

In 2024 the two franchises, which will see the athletes join their respective squads on a territorial basis, will play two matches each: on 7 January Zebre Parma and Benetton Rugby will debut in Spain. The Italians will then host the Iberian selections: on 10 February the Zebre will play at home at the "Lanfranchi" and Benetton will do the same the following day on the Monigo lawn.

Francesca Gallina , Federal Councilor and President of the Rugby Europe subcommission for the Women's Game, underlines how "the franchises constitute a further and relevant piece in the rugby development framework that the current governance is trying to develop, in the awareness that the potential of rugby women's rugby, of which last year's World Cup in New Zealand demonstrated the interest aroused among fans and sponsors, has not yet fully exploded in Italy and we must therefore continue to work at all levels for the development of rugby played by girls, and women of all ages, at all levels."

Giuliana Campanella , Manager of the Women's National Team and coordinator of the Franchigies project, declared: "The birth of the women's franchises is an important moment for the entire movement, a great opportunity to be seized first and foremost for greater growth of our athletes and the national team. Yes it is a precious opportunity to improve women's rugby in terms of the quality of all technical profiles: players, coaches, trainers, managers, and all the components involved in the project will be able to compete in an international context, generating and consolidating those skills and attitudes that are necessary today more than ever even in women's play. I am sure that it will be the beginning of a new path for all of Italian rugby."

Below is the list of athletes of the Zebre Parma women's franchise:

- Ilaria ALONZI (US Roma Rugby)
- Anna CARNEVALI (Rugby Colorno)
- Alice CASSAGHI (CUS Milano Rugby)
- Sofia CATELLANI (Rugby Colorno)
- Giulia CAVINA (CUS Milano Rugby)
- Chiara CHELI (Rugby Colorno)
- Angelica CITTADINI (Unione Rugby Capitolina)
- Giada CORRADINI (Rugby Colorno)
- Giorgia CUOGHI (Highlanders Formigine Rugby)
- Sara D'ANDREA (Lupi Frascati Rugby)
- Gaia DOSI (Rugby Colorno)
- Elena ERRICHIELLO (Unione Rugby Capitolina)
- Melania GALLEANI (CUS Milano Rugby) )
- Francesca GRANZOTTO (Unione Rugby Capitolina)
- Rubina Emma GRASSI (RC Toulon)
- Alessia GRONDA (CUS Torino)
- Mascia JELIC (Rugby Colorno)
- Isabella LOCATELLI (Rugby Colorno)
- Antonella MAIONE (Neapolis Campania Felix)
- Sara MANNINI ( Rugby Colorno)
- Nicole MASTRANGELO (Unione Rugby Capitolina)
- Lucie MOIOLI (I Centurioni Rugby)
- Sara NEGRONI (Unione Rugby Capitolina)
- Laura PAGANINI (CUS Milano Rugby) -
Alessia PILANI (Rugby Colorno)
- Mihaela PIRPILIU (Rugby Rovato)
- Alissa RANUCCINI (Rugby Colorno)
- Maria Nicole RUGGIO (Rugby Colorno)
- Luna Agatha SACCHI (CUS Torino)
- Desiree SPINELLI (Le Puma Bisenzio)
- Arianna TOESCHI (CUS Torino)
- Lavinia TONNA (Lupi Frascati Rugby)

Head coach: Plinio Sciamanna

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