By Tiziano Franchini, Date: 24/5/13
Less than a month from the start of the Italian Serie A RL, the XIII del Duomo are preparing for the national competition. F.I.R.L. is pleased to present the Club, XIII del Duomo and its President Richard Dodi.
Richard, who are the XIII del Duomo? and who is Riccardo Dodi?
“A few years ago, with the commitment from Alessandro cuomo – now vice president and coach of the team – The XIII del Duomo project was born, the project intended, and still aspires, to build a strong and growing reality’ of rugby league in the city of Milan, a city ‘which has already been a big name in the rugby world. Last year, I decided to join this very enthusiastic initiative, ‘because I think that the Milanese territory, has a lot of potential, and we have the possibility to develop and grow this team in a safe and correct way. I personally am a fan of rugby at 360 degrees, like so many others who have decided to begin this project in other cities’. I hope that the passion that I put into this project, to be implemented by both players from the area Milanese, I personally think rugby league is a fun and exciting sport. “
Tell us about your rugby league experience?
“My experience with league started just one year ago, as often happens i said” I’m going to try the sport and we’ll see how it goes. “I did some workshops with the Italian nation team staff in Cremona, Brescia and Piacenza, and besides a rugby league being a good game which i had only seen through video, I also found a nice. Healthy and stimulating environment. Having a strong club close to home ‘such as Piacenza, in the middle between where I live (Milan) and where I was born (Parma), helped me to better understand the dynamics and rhythms of rugby league, definitely the openness and friendliness of the guys I’ve met in this environment also helped me to become involved in the FIRL rugby league project. I have recently attended the FIRL coaching course which was very interesting and informative to help me understand the techniques, tactics and strategy that govern the game. “
What will the Milan rugby league team be like this year?
“We are working to involve a lot of players especially from Milan and Monza area. I would like to warmly thank the Monza rugby club, where I play, as they have kindly granted the use of the sports facility to the XIII del Duomo. There are many rugby clubs in the area and I am convinced that the growth prospects are good. We are organizing trainings so that we will be competitive for the kickoff of the Italian Serie A RL season”.
“As I said before, the primary goal is to introduce the sport and promote interest in the area and to involve as many people as possible. Hopefully this will be reflected by an increase in both players and the amalgamation of players from all over the Milan area into our team . Then we will work on the technical and tactical aspects to increase the competitiveness of the team. The championship will be only” three regular-season games, including two away and at one home, but the teams that we are going to encounter are very competitive and many players have already gained a lot of rugby league experience. This is an incentive to work hard, as the XIII del Duomo aims to qualify for the semi-finals. In addition, we want to work in an effective and practical way, to give our players the opportunity to play in the zonal selections (Senior State of Origin, State of Origin U18) and what not in the Italian senior, Under 23 and Under 18 teams. “
Milan is the second largest city in Italy, do you think that rugby league can bring something new to the sports scene in Milan?
Yes, Absolutely’, In Italy rugby league is still an unknown sport to most people and thanks to the commitment of a group of passionate fans, it is growing. Milan is a lively city in all aspects and I am convinced that in the coming years this sport will gain interest and support of the population of Milan.
What’s in the future for the XIII del Duomo?
“When you work on a project, you are ambitious and where you want to arrive and the risk sometimes is to lose sight of what needs to be done in the immediate future.
We want to start simply, by forming a solid group, which in the coming years will welcome and involve more and more ‘players, coaches and referees, and why not gain satisfaction on the sporting front. This is the starting point, then we want to start organizing more things within the project, such as an international match, a rugby league tournament and also activities within the school system. Before collecting these fruit we need to plant the seed, the ground is fertile and so its important to start off on the right foot with enthusiasm and the passion that was already present at the start of the XIII del Duomo project. “
FIRL, is hoping heavily on the development of the area of Milan, as they believe it is an area that can give a lot to rugby league, what do you think of this “responsibility”?
“More than a responsibility I look at it as more of a privilege to be, in some way, the reference point for rugby league activities in such which stimulates us to work professionally and to the best of our abilities. Of course to do that it is indispensable to work together, both with the people you are close to and the people that offer their time, to start with my friends and associates Alessandro and Daniele who have grown up in Milan, the Federation Italian Rugby League, who are supporting in every way, from the point of view of technical and organizationally. I hope that through our efforts we will be able to be satisfied on two fronts, the first to setup a solid rugby league club under the spiers of the Duomo and adding the name of Milan, in the panorama of Italian rugby league.”
