The sports event that has been long awaited by all Italians who are passionate about Rugby is drawing closer: the Italian National Team’s debut in the 6 Nations Championship 2013, in which every year the six oldest and most famous National Teams of the European Rugby League fight for the title.
Rugby Six Nations
The six National teams participating in the tournament RBS 6 Nations are England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales. This year, the championship will begin on February 2nd, even though the most anticipated match of the Italian Rugby fans will be the first of the second day, the match between Italy and France, that will take place on February 3rd in the Stadio Olimpico di Roma at 15.00h.
Just like in November for the Cariparma Test Match of the Italian National Team against the World Champions All Blacks, the event has been greeted with much enthusiasm in the capital. In fact, for the 2013 season of the 6 Nations 100.000 tickets have already been sold during pre-sales for the matches taking place in Rome on February 3rd (France), February 23rd (Wales), and March 26th (Ireland), while the season ticket sale – closing on February 2nd – has already registered an increase of 100 percent compared to last year.
At less than a month away from the opening match, on January 5th, there has indeed been a Flash Mob in Piazza del Popolo, or in this case a “Rugby-Mob.” The spectacle, organized by the FIR (Federal Italian Rugby Organization), has given some of the young Rugby players of the Under 23 Mantovani Lazio team the task to interpret their idols of the National team, thereby simulating scrums, tackles and touches amidst incredulous tourist walking by on the Piazza. A replay was then organized for January 6th along the via dei Fori Imperiali.
The prestigious tournament will open effectively on February 1st by the Italia U20 team which will play against the French U20 at 19.00h in the “Tomaselli” stadium of Caltanissetta. For those who will not be able to follow the matches live, Rai Sport will transmit four of the five matches: the U20 live from Caltanissetta, Italy-England, Wales-Italy, and Italian-Ireland.
