Date: 17/12/14
The FIRFL have been described as rebels, but despite these calls they do their best to provide support to disadvantaged children in Italy and provide initiatives to grow the game of rugby league, through being involved in programs with deaf children, disadvantaged children and organising general rugby league clinics.
One recent social program staged in Rome as reported in a press release by the FIRFL had as stated by the FIRFL “made available some national Italian rugby league players available accompanied by Federazione Italiana Rugby Football League Secretary-General Pierluigi Gentile to participate at an event organised by not-for-profit “Il Pellicano” which, is an association that deals with children that are under the assistance of social workers. The FIRFL says that the first event in partnership with the association produced “an authentic emotion, different from that of a game, but a very strong (one).”
Matteo Lombardi one of the Azzurri athletes that was present together with Alessandro Ippoliti, Simone Martellucci, Patrizio, Riccardo Marini and Fabrizio Massafra says “The association gave us an appointment at primary school “Antonio Rosmini” in Rome, in the Aurelia area. Together we arrived around 10 and we made acquaintance the children that are “less fortunate”, but gave us great joy and just wanted to have fun. We played several games with them and then stopped for lunch “.
But the FIRFL says “the special day of the (various available) Azzurri national rugby league players did not end there. «After lunch a fundraiser was organized to help these children and for us – said Lombardi – was also the occasion to present the Italian rugby league movement to the parents and children we met. I must say that we all have shown great interest, making our compliments to have joined this initiative, but the response was more beautiful from amusement shown in the eyes of children form that date. Representatives of “Il Pellicano” and the educational institution – concluded Lombardi – had made us aware of their desire to organize more events of this type with us involved and we, of course, with great pleasure made ourselves available. “
The FIRFL concluded that “this day will again be repeated in the name of fun and solidarity, a fundamental principal since the birth of the Federazione Italiana Rugby Football League.”
